I am traveling out of the country for the first time with a passport. Is there any instance when someone needs to keep your passport such as a hotel clerk, (like you see in the movies)? Also what do you do if you lose your passport in another country? Thanks for any info.

Virtually all hotels will ask to see your passport, but the only ones that I have visited that kept it were in Russia. There's actually a law there that hotels must report all foreigners to the local police station every night. Some hotels will volunteer to hold onto it for safe keeping, so you don't have to worry about losing it or having it stolen, but that's voluntary. If you do lose it, you will need to get in touch with the local consulate or embassy to get a replacement.