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Collector’s guideHow to spot a real hotel key.
Replicas are sold openly and hotels still make new brass fobs. Here is what to check before you buy.
What we’ve seen on Nov 4, 2026
- Replicas are sold openly. An Etsy seller lists a solid brass Savoy Hotel keyring as a replica of 1970s and 1980s keyrings for $10.13.
- New brass fobs are still made. A UK supplier sells new engraved brass hotel fobs from 8.10 GBP, and a brand-new Beverly Hills Hotel brass key was on eBay at $95.
- Casting versus engraving matters. In a Waldorf Astoria thread, a collector said a key looked cast, not hand engraved, and worth far less than the early hand-engraved ones.
- Dates can be checked. A Ritz London fob with a W1V postcode cannot predate 1973, since postcodes started then.
- Mismatches lower value. A fob added to an unrelated key is worth less. Ask for photos of both sides and matching numbers.
- Returns matter. A Ritz London listing offered 30-day returns; a Le Bristol listing said no returns.
- Dealers with a written guarantee, such as Flying Tiger Antiques, are the safer choice for pieces over $250.
We have no data on how often fakes turn up. Treat anything priced far below comparable listings as suspect.
Illustration of a worn brass fob.
Ask the seller
- Photos of both sides of the fob and the key, in natural light.
- The room number on key and fob, and whether they match.
- What the fob is made of: brass, bronze, steel, plastic or Lucite.
- Where it came from and any date the seller can document.
- The return policy, in writing, before you pay.
- Shipping cost and, for international items, any customs charges.
Sources are on the sources page. Ready to look? Find your hotel’s key.