Fifty-five years ago, my family spent six months traveling through Europe. At night we could leave our shoes outside our hotel room, and they would be polished by morning.

Is this still the custom?

I can't remember when I've last had that, must have been in the 80s. These days if you leave your shoes in the corridor they are more likely to get stolen, or maybe removed and destroyed as suspicious!

I remember that, but times have changed and most tourists wear shoes that do not need polishing. The 5 star and up hotels would offer this service but you would need to ask for it. I doubt if many people would be comfortable leaving shoes in the hotel corridor, there is every chance the shoes will not be there in the morning!

Im sure I saw this in old American films. But Ive never seen a shoe polishing service and I stay in lots of different hotels all the time.

You'd have to specifically ask for such service to be provided, at a cost. And not many low-budget hotels would do it.

A lot has changed in 55 years. Your dollar won't go nearly as far. You may as well resign yourself to this now.

Only in first-class hotels.

It depends on the hotel. Premium hotels will have this service.

Very few hotels do this these days