We checked out of a hotel and forgot to return the keys (not key cards). Should I return them by mail?

Question

We were from out of state, so it would be a hassle to return them. I searched the internet for the proper etiquette but all I'm getting is key cards. Oh, and the hotel was horrible (if that makes a difference).

Answer 1

if they were horrible i wouldnt worry about it. sending them back by mail may be nice or if they have already duplicated the key which im sure they did and they had spare keys, it would really be worthless. this happens alll the time.. thats why they have backup keys. i wouldnt worry about it especially if the hotel was bad.

Answer 2

Just forget about it. We went to vegas and checked out early and they told us to just throw out the cards because they are no good after check out time anyway.

Answer 3

Sure.. you can return it

Answer 4

Yes I would. Especially if you are worried about it. If you do the right thing then you will feel better.

Answer 5

I've worked in a hotel that uses keycards, and here's what you should do:

Toss 'em.

They have boxes upon boxes of blank cards, all they have to do is swipe a blank card and it will program it.  Most hotels don't even program the card until you check in.  Once you're gone, the cards are wiped (or simply put in a reuse pile) and when someone else checks into that same room, a new code is generated and imprinted on the card when it's swiped.  

Trust me, that card isn't worth the stamps it would take to mail it back to the hotel.

Answer 6

they have spares, and plus they should be ready for that kinda problem, and its their fault for not asking too, but if u wanna u could

Answer 7

Matthew is talking about keycards, which he obviously didn't worry about the expense of buying all those boxes of keycards at the hotel he worked at.  But you're not talking keycards here, these are metal keys, right?  

Do the right thing and mail them back.  There should be a keytag with a note on it to drop it in the mailbox and postage will be prepaid.  If not, you ought to pay for shipping since its your responsibility to return them.  It doesn't matter if you had issues with the hotel stay.  You should have resolved those issues during your stay with the manager on duty while you had those problems.  Maybe you could have had a better stay.  Keys cost money- the plastic ones are cheaper, the metal ones not so cheap.  

FYI about non-chain hotels:  Hotels with a brand name on the sign like Hilton, Super 8, Motel 6, etc must adhere to quality assurance guidelines.  If they can't maintain their hotel within the guidelines, they can't put the brand name on their hotel.  Also, if you have a difficulty with a brand name hotel that you can't resolve during your stay, you can raise the issue with their parent company.  Hotels that don't have a brand name sometimes don't meet quality standards.