A classic Tip of the Week from June 6, 2004, originally re-published on January 25, 2016
To avoid finding yourself frantically searching for your hotel room key as you're ready to head out for the day—or, worse yet, locked out of your room altogether—get in the habit of choosing one spot in the room to store your key. If you return the key to that spot every time you come back to the room, you won't need to waste time hunting it down when you're ready to leave again.
{And here's a current-day addition to this classic tip: beware storing your room key too close to your cell phone. Phones often do a great job of messing with the magnetized strip on electronic keys. Cue the sad trombone.}