Maybe not everyone wants parking. Some people take a taxi or shuttle or subway or whatever, to and from the hotel.

If you are going to be using parking, check the rate before you book the hotel. I know a first-time traveler might not think of this, but once you get snagged once, you will always remember to look it up.

Many cities (San Francisco, for example) have public parking lots in close proximity to hotels which are cheaper.

I'm not trying to justify the system, but I don't think it's as big a deal as some of the other things that companies do.