Your are right! This code works as expected:

use strict;
use warnings;
use Data::Dumper;

my (@host, $key, $value, $line, $filename);
my $rec_num = 0;

my $dirname = ".";

opendir( my $dir, $dirname) or die "cant opendir $dirname: $!";
while (defined ($filename = readdir($dir))){
    next unless $filename =~ /\w+\.txt/;
    print "filename: $filename \n";

    my $record = {};

    open( my $fh , "<", $filename);

    while ($line = <$fh>){
        chomp $line;
        next if $line =~ /^$/;
        next if $line =~ /[#{}]/;
        $line =~ /^\s*(\S+)\s*(\S+)/;

        $record->{$1} = $2;

    }
    close($fh);
    push @host, $record;
    $rec_num += 1;

}
closedir($dir);


print Dumper(@host);
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This is the output:

filename: hosts.txt 
filename: hosts1.txt 
$VAR1 = {
          'contacts' => 'helpdesk,admin',
          'display_name' => 'whplnsweb-dr',
          'register' => '1',
          'use' => 'xiwizard_windowsserver_host',
          'hostgroups' => 'AntiVirus',
          'host_name' => 'whplnsweb-dr',
          'address' => '172.28.17.115',
          'alias' => 'whplnsweb-dr'
        };
$VAR2 = {
          'contacts' => 'helpdesk,admin',
          'display_name' => '-------------',
          'register' => '1',
          'use' => 'test1.txt',
          'hostgroups' => 'AntiVirus',
          'host_name' => 'test1.txt',
          'address' => '-------------',
          'alias' => 'test1.txt'
        };
[download]

Be that as it may, you either use autodie or explicitly check for the return of the open function in case it fails. The same goes for close and closedir.

If you tell me, I'll forget.
If you show me, I'll remember.
if you involve me, I'll understand.
--- Author unknown to me