The US State Department has issued lodging safety advice warning hotel guests never to keep room keycards inside paper sleeves displaying room numbers.
Official guidance on the department's website highlights that carrying a hotel key together with its designated envelope creates an avoidable security vulnerability, particularly for individuals traveling alone.
The recommendation was identified by French magazine Géo, citing an interview between a State Department spokesperson and American media outlet Travel + Leisure. On its official Lodging Safety advice page, the government agency explicitly instructs travelers to store keycards separately from any case or holder indicating where they are staying.
Risks of Keycard Exposure
Modern hotels routinely provide guests with electronic keycards that resemble standard credit cards. Front desk staff typically place these plastic cards inside small paper sleeves stamped with the guest's assigned room number.
A spokesperson for the State Department told Travel + Leisure magazine that if a guest loses both items simultaneously, an unauthorized person could easily match the keycard to the correct room. The spokesperson added that sleeves sometimes carry additional personal details, including guest names, which could prompt intruders to enter rooms and steal personal belongings.
The US Department of State functions as the primary foreign affairs agency of the federal government, frequently publishing international travel advisories to protect citizens overseas. Travel + Leisure, based in New York City, and Géo, a French monthly publication, regularly report on consumer travel safety, hospitality trends, and international tourist guidelines.
Electronic keycards have largely replaced physical brass keys in the global hospitality industry. Most modern systems use magnetic stripes, radio-frequency identification, or near-field communication to control room access, but keycards themselves rarely display visible room numbers to prevent unauthorized entry if misplaced.
Immediate Actions and Room Checks
If a hotel keycard is misplaced or stolen, regardless of whether the room sleeve was attached, the State Department spokesperson recommended notifying hotel staff immediately. Guests should request that the missing card be deactivated at the front desk and replaced with a new card.
Beyond key handling, the State Department advises travelers to perform a thorough security inspection upon entering their hotel room. Guests should check potential hiding spots behind window curtains and underneath beds before settling in.
The agency also recommends testing essential room equipment immediately. Travelers should verify that room telephones function properly, inspect door and window locks, and confirm that safety devices such as carbon monoxide detectors are operational.
Carbon monoxide detectors monitor ambient air for invisible, odorless gas produced by faulty heating units, boilers, or fuel-burning appliances. Ensuring operational detectors and reliable communication devices provides critical protection in unfamiliar accommodations.
Digital Solutions and Hotel Trends
For guests concerned about forgetting their assigned room numbers without the physical sleeve, Travel + Leisure suggests taking a digital photograph of the holder or typing the room details into a mobile phone.
Hotels are also taking broader technological measures to safeguard property. An increasing number of establishments now embed electronic microchips inside bath towels and linens to combat theft.
Radio-frequency identification chips embedded in hotel textiles allow management software to monitor inventory automatically. These tiny washable tags help resort operators reduce losses from missing linens while streamlining laundry management across large hotel facilities.
