Originally Posted by
KathyWdrf
I'm in the same boat (paying for all my own travel out of pocket), but there are various different ways to get status in hotel programs.... This is FlyerTalk, after all!
I had asked the Hilton Garden I mentioned in my post whether higher-ups in the HHonors program got free parking, and the answer (at least from the one desk clerk I asked) was that they didn't.
And, sure, I know this is FlyerTalk, but not all of us old, retired, former high-flyers stay 50 nights a year at the same hotel chain, or have a credit card with a $100/year fee. I wonder if this is to encourage travelers who are staying only one night before a flight to take advantage of their free airport shuttle and leave a parking space for locals attending a meeting at the hotel (which could justify a charge for parking). I've thought about doing that, but that would mean returning my rental car the night before, and then getting back to the hotel. That could easily take an hour, when I'm tired.