I'm not sure why you're so suspicious of my banal vacation story. Here is the dull chain of events:
* We return late to the MGM self park one night. I was told I could "use my key" to get in/out. Stupidly I put my key into the credit card slot (rather than scan the barcode, as you're meant to) and it eats it.
* We return to the hotel room using my wife's key because we're tired.
* The next morning we decide to use the Grand's pool. I leave everything except the remaining room key and my phone in the safe because we're going to the pool and I would not leave anything poolside that I couldn't tolerate being stolen.
* On making it to the lobby, my wife decides she wants Starbucks. I decide to spend my time attempting to get my key replaced. I therefore turn up to the desk with my remaining room key, my phone, but no driver's license or passport. In Europe this would literally be zero problem, hence my attempt.
* I was able to use a combination of answering numerous questions about my room, my identity, and how much I'd spent on the room to convince them to give me a second key.
* I later returned to the desk with my ID to add parking to my folio.