Kelly Can you clarify the parking charge?

[Mom of teens]

Hi kelly,
Just keep those post comings, I have waited 3 months for this day. The other trip report states there is a 17.99 charge for self parking any truth to this??

Mom of teens

 

[kellymonaghan]

I'm not sure, but my guess is that the $17.99 is the charge for folks who are not guests and park while dining or visiting someone in the hotel.

After paying $10 a day for valet aprking at Portofino (and never using the car), I opted for self park at HRH and wasn't charged a cent. (You use your room key, which looks like a credit card, to get in and out of the lot.)e

Kelly Monaghan
Author of "Universal Studios Escape: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park Adventure"Ã

 

[Beckles]

Free self parking, and we had no problem using it even after we checked out on the same day, the key still worked.

The self parking at HRH seems much closer to the hotel than PBH from what I remember, and it's a very short walk from USF to the parking lot, which is nice for a quick escape for a meal or a break!

 

[kellymonaghan]

Good point, Beckles.

If you turn left after entering the self-park lot (the one that's on the USF side of the hotel) and drive almost to the end, you can park near the back gate to the HRH pool area and VERY close to the USF front entrance.

Kelly Monaghan
Author of "Universal Studios Escape: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park Adventure" and
"The Other Orlando: What To Do When You've Done Disney & Universal"‡

 

[Lalalindica]

I used the self-parking lot at the PBH in December and it was totally free and very convenient! We ended up not using the car at all - not even once - during our stay there. What a great feeling!

And on the day of check-out, we kept our car there until the parks closed (11PM) and left the parking lot with no problem (and no charges) with our room key. I did check on this with the front desk before checking out and they said it was no problem.

 

[Beckles]

You can certainly get away without using your car while there ... HOWEVER ... when your car is only a 5-10 minute walk from your hotel room *or* either park ... it's nice to be able to go offsite for lunch or to run out for a break or anything else.

5-10 minutes to the car, your on I-Drive or I-4 inside of another 5 minutes for all sorts of possibilities, back in the park in the same amount of time reversed.

I think the HRH is the best hotel there is or will be (of the first three ... don't know exactly where the last two will be in relation, if and when they are ever built) for Universal because of its great location relative to the parks and City Walk, and the location of the HRH's parking lot is great