(A Debate if you want) Should hotels charge for parking?

[Kitty 34]

Originally posted by totalia



Be a smart consumer. ASK!

You're right totalia.....I guess I'm going to have to turn into a smart consumer from now on and ask!!!

I've stayed at many many hotels in my lifetime and this was the first time I've been charged but you're right......they obviously have to get their $$ somewhere to maintain that pool at Hard Rock!!!

 

[mommytotwo]

I also think that if you are a guest at a hotel, that it should come with the price that you are being charged for the room.
If you do valet parking, then yes charge and tip.

 

[Planogirl]

Just about all of the hotels in the fun parts of San Antonio charge for parking and they charge a lot. Unfortunately, $6.00 would be nothing there.

 

[Jeafl]

At the hotel we're staying at in Washingon DC next month the park-it-yourself rate is $17 and the valet price is $23/night with NO in & out priveleges. It really adds a lot onto your bill.

 

[damo]

When hotels charge for parking, I try not to bring a car. When hotels charge for phone calls, I try not to use the phone. When hotels charge for cots, we bring our own air mattress. When hotels charge ridiculous prices for mini bar items we bring our own. If our hotel charges for internet service, we simply do not use it. No matter where you look, hotels are trying to make money.

It has been my experience that hotels that charge for parking have limited space. My hotel in San Francisco is charging $36/night. At Disneyland they are charging $9.00/night.

Would I rather not pay it? Of course. Would I rather they hide it in my fee and I pay it without knowing that I have? Not if I can get a cheaper rate by doing without the service.

Since parking is an extra, I would rather it was a separate charge that I can avoid. We rarely bring a car when we go to Universal Studios resorts and I rather like not paying the extra $6.00.

 

[safetymom]

The parking should be a separate charge. Many times when traveling for business I don't have a car. Why should I have to pay for parking when I don't have a car?

If you are concerned about parking charges ask when you make the reservations. This is no different than several years ago there was an energy surcharge added by some hotels that wasn't in the quoted price.

You have to ask when making reservations and if you don't like the charge you vote with your feet by going to another hotel.
Personally in some cities I am glad that the hotel offers parking, it saves me from having to ride around looking for a spot.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I thought $6 was a steal at RPR when I found out the swanky downtown Dallas hotel we're staying at for our anniversary is going to charge us $20 a day to park there. That's simply ludicrous... But I know their space is limited, and many do not have cars there... plus, it's valet only. So we have to come up with tips, too!

I figure that the price difference between a Loews Hotel and a Disney Deluxe hotel are big enough that I can stomach the $6 fee... we actually opted to do valet when we stayed at RPR for the $12, since it was good for 2 days... And I must admit it was nice to not have to trek to the parking garage after a long day at the parks while heading out for dinner...

Guess I'm undecided. While I think it's crazy, I'd rather them keep the rates low for those not driving... in places like Manhattan, I can COMPLTELY see the high parking rates.

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by Disney Doll
I think registered guests should be allowed to park for free. I wouldn't have a problem if they charged a visitor (ie-going to the hotel's restaurant for dinner).

I agree.

 

[totalia]

Parking is a separate charge because by law, it must be. Any misc. charges must be labelled and categorized upon check-out or the hotel can be sued. That goes for every hotel in the US and Canada.

I know it seems unfair to the consumer, but it really isn't. It isn't added into the cost of the room because not everyone brings a car. Would it be fair to charge everyone regardless? Of course not.

However, hotels will NOT volunteer information. They do offer certain things, but they do want the money.

Even Disney does this. They try to talk you into the packages because they make more money that way. The clerks are litterally told not to volunteer ANY information unless they are asked specifically for it.

Hotels dont work like other businesses. Often, they survive on what they make during busy times, for the rest of the year.

Great example is Mardi Gras in New Orleans. You pay around $300 a night with a 3 night minimum at ANY hotel. Likely it will be more unless the hotel is desperate, therefore it probably isnt a very good hotel. However, during the summer time is their dead season. Its a time when a hotel can go bankrupt if they have nothing left over. The money they make from Mardi Gras tides them over that dead season. If it didn't, you wouldn't have a hotel to stay in during that time.

They alo change rates depending on more than the time of year and season. It changes monthly, weekly, dailey and sometimes even during the day, depending on how busy they are. What is the cheapest time? Usually after 9 pm during the dead season, you can get a great hotel for almost free because by that time, the hotel knows if they can't sell the room for the higher fee, they just need to get heads in beds.

 

[vernon]

As long as the hotels make their charges well known I have no objection to there being charges for parking. If you know it's there you can factor that in with your choice of hotel. You pay for that "privilege" whether it's seperated out of your bill or not, at least with a separate designated fee, those that don't have a car don't pay for the service. Land in downtown areas is expensive and car parking uses a lot of land for relatively low returns, in high land cost areas I think it's a fair way to distribute costs to those that use the facility.

 

[Lewisc]

Hotels in large cities usually charge for parking. In many cases the parking garage isn't run or even owned by the hotel. $30 a day and more is common in NYC.

The older properties in Orlando bought the land for next to nothing and offer free parking. Some of the newer hotels have had to build garages and underground parking. These hotels are starting to charge for parking. The 3 Universal hotels, MOWC, Gaylord Palms are examples of hotels in this category.

The Universal resorts are very reasonable, compared to Disney deluxe resorts, even when you add in the parking charge. At first I agreed with the other posters, in fact I cancelled a PBH reservation because I didn't want to pay for parking. I've since stayed there twice. Rate is reasonable. There seem to be a lot fewer non-guests crashing the pool area than the Disney hotels. I think the parking charge discourages non-guests from exploring the hotel. I simply add the parking charge to my rate and if the rate is reasonable I'll book the room. I look at the S/D the same way. Add the resort fee to my rate and compare it to whatever else is available.