All Universal hotels charge for parking?

[hercamore]

Do they all charge for parking and what is the day self service fee?


tThanks, herc.

 

[damo]

Yes they all charge and I think it is $6/night.

 

[boxergal]

You've got to be kidding!! They charge people who stay at the resorts to park there? It's not included in the rates? Does anyone know if there are car rental agencies close to Universal or to the resorts? We're renting a car, but really won't need it until after we're finished staying at PBH. Seems silly to pay to park it!

 

[RescueRanger]

Originally posted by boxergal
You've got to be kidding!! They charge people who stay at the resorts to park there? It's not included in the rates? Does anyone know if there are car rental agencies close to Universal or to the resorts? We're renting a car, but really won't need it until after we're finished staying at PBH. Seems silly to pay to park it!

Why is it not included in your room rate, because alot of people fly to Orlando and don't have a vehicle. It is alot easier to charge for only those that need it than to have to adjust the bills of those who don't. Alot of hotels charge for parking. Disney doesn't have to charge for parking because their rates are already inflated.

 

[tarmand]

Originally posted by RescueRanger
Disney doesn't have to charge for parking because their rates are already inflated.

I am paying $179/night plus tax at RPR. I definitely consider that an inflated rate. However, as long as they are giving FOTL, I will continue to pay!

I actually find Disney's resort rates to be comparable to US's resort rates. US is just more of a value due to the FOTL.

Just my opinion.

 

[MK Familystone]

HI ALL!
Stayed at the HRH during a 4th July week.
The Resort Resturants were mobbed and the parking was so insane that the valet was going to park our car at the PFR across the street.
Also the locals go to the resorts for the best viewing spots for the Fireworks.
We were not charged for parking on our bill maybe because we are Loews Priority Club Members.
My wife travels alot and paying for parking is common.
"ENJOY!!!"
"THE MAGIC HAPPENS!!!"

 

[All Aboard]

Disney doesn't have to charge for parking because their rates are already inflated.

Charging extra for parking (or a resort fee, for that matter) is simply a way of increasing revenue while still being able to advertise a lower rate.

Consider this example - Hotel U and Hotel D are fairly comparable, and they both typically advertise in Florida Sunday Travel sections. Hotel U charges both a $6 parking fee and a $10 resort fee. Hotel D charges neither.

In the ads, that happen to be side by side, Hotel U offers its rooms to Florida residents for just $99 a night. Hotel D offers its rooms to FL res for $115 a night.

Consumers are likely to choose U over D because they think it's $15 cheaper. However, when they check in they find out that they are actually paying $115.

Perhaps Disney does build parking (and housekeeping, and electricity, and janitorial, and pool maintenance, and transportation, and everything else) into their nightly hotel rate. But, they charge you that and nothing more.

It's a simply a marketing ploy to boost revenue from unsuspecting guests.

 

[RescueRanger]

Originally posted by gcurling
Charging extra for parking (or a resort fee, for that matter) is simply a way of increasing revenue while still being able to advertise a lower rate.

It's a simply a marketing ploy to boost revenue from unsuspecting guests.

No, it is simply a common practice that many resorts take part in. I have stayed in hotels all over the country and I can assure you that $6 parking is a bargain compared to what some have charged. Also, Universal resorts do not charge a resort fee. As I said before, many people fly into Orlando and don't need to pay for parking. Why add it to the rate and make those that don't need it pay for it? If by chance I struck a nerve when I said something derogatory about WDW, oh well, I call it like I see it. As a family who has been to WDW 9 times in the last 10 years and who has stayed onsite all of those times, I have a little knowledge of the VALUE of WDW resorts. While I have paid rack rates for WDW resorts many years ago, I never do now. IMO they are just not worth it at rack rates. However, if I HAD to pay rack rates for Universal hotels, I would in a heartbeat because the benefits are just too important (FOTL,FOTL,FOTL).

 

[MeredithJ]

I have paid $35 per night to park at hotels in Chicago, so $6 would be no biggie for me! And it is still cheaper than the UO parking garage. One question though....if you are an annual passholder, so you still have to pay for parking at the resort, since you would normally get free parking in the garage?

Meredith

 

[All Aboard]

Believe me, you struck no nerve (read my posts on the Rumors and News board for verification) with respect to WDW. What caught my attention was how you described the cost as "built-in" at some resorts. I never said that Universal resorts charge a resort fee. Some other hotels do.

But, I stand by my argument. "Add-on" costs that are not included in the base hotel nightly charge create a convenient way for the hotel to artificially decrease the room rate for marketing purposes. Universal chooses just to do it for parking.

I don't get a newspaper on weekends, I don't use the fitness center, nor do I make any local calls, yet the Swan and Dolphin require me to pay the resort fee. It's an artificial way for them to boost what they actually take in each night, while being able to advertise a lower rate.

 

[nhrenee]

We have stayed at the Portofino several times and have not (as yet) been charged for parking.

 

[damo]

Disneyland hotels charge for parking. It seems to depend on how much space there is for parking and if they need to try to keep it at a minimum. If there is a lot of space and the lot is never full then I would be upset about parking. However, the lots are very full and there is a need to encourage people not to bring the car.

My little Disney/Universal hotel comparison. I paid $299/night to stay at the Wilderness Lodge. I have never paid more than $129/night to stay at either the RPR or the HRH in a standard room. To compare and lower calibre Disney Hotel to the Universal Hotels would not be reasonable. An even better comparison would be the Beach/Yacht Club because of walking distance. We paid $399/night (pool view) to stay there.

Editted to add that I have found much better deals on park tickets at Universal than at Disney. This makes up for my parking fee by leaps and bounds. I got my preferred annual passes for $85/year. Can Disney even come close to that?

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I agree that with ample parking Universal Resorts shouldn't have to charge for parking. When PBH first opened we weren't charged a parking fee. While I don't think they should need to, I can see why they do. I personally can deal with a $6 parking fee when I get a great deal on my hotel room. It's too bad that all the hotels couldn't do like the Swan & Dolphin at WDW. They somehow manage to give discount rates on their rooms, and still not have to charge you to park.

By the way, we paid $50 a night last summer in New Orleans and they parked the cars touching each other. However, their situation is different, as they have very few parking spaces in the whole city. The next time we go, we'll be flying in and walking everywhere. We never used it anyway.

 

[All Aboard]

Damo,

My point is not Disney v. Universal. It's simply "charging extra for things that are generally part of the regular room rate." Period, that's all.

I paid $299/night to stay at the Wilderness Lodge. I have never paid more than $129/night to stay at either the RPR or the HRH in a standard room.

I've never spent more than $149 to stay at the Wilderness Lodge. What does that have to do with anything?

 

[damo]

Originally posted by gcurling
Damo,

My point is not Disney v. Universal. It's simply "charging extra for things that are generally part of the regular room rate." Period, that's all.

I've never spent more than $149 to stay at the Wilderness Lodge. What does that have to do with anything?

Actually I was referring to Tarmand's statement about Disney's rates being comparable to Universal's rates. That hasn't been my experience. I never seem to be eligible for any major discounts at Disney but have always gotten great prices at Universal. Whether or not this is the case with most people is unknown to me. I do know that my Universal vacations are way, way cheaper than my Disney vacations and perhaps that is why I don't really care about the parking fee. I already feel like I am getting a bargain with the hotel and park ticket prices.

More and more often these days parking fees are an extra charge. I've stayed in two dinky little downtown hotels in dinky little cities over the past month and both charged me a parking fee. Each hotel that we are staying at this summer in California has a parking fee. Some charges are huge (San Francisco) and some are much smaller (London, Ontario) but seems to be the new norm. I think we will just get used to it. I do think it upsets people though because Disneyworld doesn't do it. If Disneyworld charged for parking, no one would be in the least bit upset. Seaworld Renaissance Hotel also charges $6/night to park.

If the Universal Hotel parking rate skyrockets then I will get annoyed but as it stands, it is no big deal. I really feel that $6 isn't much of an extra charge when they charge $25 to use a cot, $25 per extra adult, a fee for the exercise room, renting a cabana, using the internet and telephone, etc. etc. I just try to stay away from those extra charges.

Now, the inflated food prices are really annoying but that seems to be typical of every park.

 

[d4est]

about the parking fee...You are paying good $$ to stay with them...where else would they expect you to park? The same goes for parking in the parks. When you are paying $50 or more to be there for the day, you need to park somewhere. To my knowledge, you have no choice but to pay their fees.

Liken it to going to the mall for the day. They have no guarantee that you will spend any $$ there (unlike the parks or the resorts)...should they charge you to park? It just seems rediculous to me.

They have your business, an extra $6/night isn't going to make or break them. I think it is dumb and greedy of them. Will I continue to pay? Of course--one really has no choice...no other place to put your car!

 

[tarmand]

Originally posted by damo
Disneyland hotels charge for parking. It seems to depend on how much space there is for parking and if they need to try to keep it at a minimum. If there is a lot of space and the lot is never full then I would be upset about parking. However, the lots are very full and there is a need to encourage people not to bring the car.

My little Disney/Universal hotel comparison. I paid $299/night to stay at the Wilderness Lodge. I have never paid more than $129/night to stay at either the RPR or the HRH in a standard room. To compare and lower calibre Disney Hotel to the Universal Hotels would not be reasonable. An even better comparison would be the Beach/Yacht Club because of walking distance. We paid $399/night (pool view) to stay there.

Editted to add that I have found much better deals on park tickets at Universal than at Disney. This makes up for my parking fee by leaps and bounds. I got my preferred annual passes for $85/year. Can Disney even come close to that?

You are absolutely correct about the park passes. You can't beat Universal's ticket discounts. However, the room comparison above is not a fair representation since you are comparing a rack room rate at Disney and a discounted rate at Universal. The next time you go to Universal, there may not be any discounted rates available and your rack rate would be about the same as Disney's rack rate. Don't get me wrong, I prefer everything about Universal over Disney. I rather the hotels, the rides, the atmosphere. I just hate the parking fee!

 

[damo]

I have never, ever been able to get a discounted room at Disney but have always gotten a discounted room at HRH. The only discounted rate I have seen at Disney is the Annual pass rate and the annual pass is too expensive for me.

Even if you check hotels on third party sites like Travelocity and Expedia, the prices for Universal hotels are way cheaper than the comparable Disney hotels.

For example, if you check expedia for next week you get

Grand Floridian--Lagoon view, $455, and Beach Club $395

Portofino--Lagoon view, $289 and RPR $241

 

[All Aboard]

damo, the Portifino to Grand Floridian is probably a fair comparison in terms of quality - but the price really isn't . The "anybody" code for GF this summer gets you a lagoon view room for $325.

And, the RPR to Beach Club comparison is just silly. I know you (as I) have stayed at RPR. Do you really think it compares to the Beach Club at any level beyond proximity to a park? The rooms are 20% smaller, they are no balconies and stormalong bay really puts BC over the top in this comparison.

Don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed our 3 stays at RPR, but it doesn't compare to the Beach Club (which, by the way, has a summer standard view "everyone" rate of $214.)

 

[damo]

No, I agree that RPR and Beach Club can't compare. Portofino and RPR were the only Universal hotels that Expedia offered so I couldn't put in Hard Rock as an additional hotel. I would compare HRH and Beach Club though.

The Disney site will give me $322.24 as the cheapest room for Beach Club on July 20. Before that I can only get a club room for about $450.

HRH site gives me $259 including breakfast in the kitchen (with no discounts). Club room is $369 (no discounts).