dmarge18

Currently staying at a hotel that is oversold on a holiday weekend. The hotel already has limited parking due to a funky layout, but decided to repave and repaint this weekend as well. Thus, some of the spots are blocked off. When some cars moved the cones and parked (since there were no other options and no workers present), the front desk agent said they'd have to move or risk being towed since the workers would need to paint. After confronting the worker about options, it seems like the only options were an office park with security or a shopping plaza, both which would risk being towed.

Clearly that's unacceptable, as is the fact the hotel didn't work out a plan in advance and communicate it to guests. I do pity the front desk worker who still had to figure out how to get some cars to move (they eventually did have a machine roll in to paint, why overnight at a place people sleep, IDK). But ultimately, the hotel should be responsible. What would you suggest be the right approach (I was lucky to eventually get a spot, but it was early and there were over a dozen already parked plus others to still arrive), at the least for future reference since it's sold out tomorrow night as well?

MissJ

Should have hired a valet for the weekend. That way they could double park and stack cars as needed and have all the keys to move them.

Other option would have been for them to arrange with one of the nearby lots and maybe give "permits" to put on on the dash so you were guaranteed not to be towed.

I'm actually in a hotel right now that has tight parking because of a huge number of restaurants in the area and they have a valet all the time.

When my office building in Atlanta was having their parking lot completely redone, they hired a couple of valets and when you were parking in the morning they would ask when you were going to leave and park accordingly. I was a late worker so my car always got put pretty deep into the lot whereas if you were only staying for an hour for an appointment or going out to lunch or something they would put you over on the side so they can get you out fast. It took a couple months to rebuild the lot so it actually worked quite well.

dmarge18

Ideally, yes. But this hotel (a Homewood Suites) didn't have any sort of plan and the front desk both at night and in the morning didn't have any realistic suggestions (over even suggested using a handicap spot!).

cblaisd

Which hotel?

pauleeepaul

Never understood why people dont include this info in the initial post.

aww3583

They're asking for advice on how to handle a situation. The location of the property is very likely irrelevant.

[Removed discussion of moderation]

Many of us have had parking issues and may be able to offer useful advice on a parking thread.

A relatively small percentage of forum visitors have likely visited this specific hotel so when we see the property-specific thread moved to the top of the forum, we ignore it as it's not relevant to us.

Super Mario

When you're discussing parking, location is likely very relevant

smmrfld

Big nope. This is absolutely property- and franchisee-specific, rather than HH policy.

The Road Goes On Forever

FWIW, I've been through the parking lot repaving/line painting thing three or four times. The last two at the HWS I was at were both debacles. The company that owned/managed the property did not own the land the hotel sat on or the land of the strip mall next door. When the land owner decided they were repaving/restriping the lots, they gave the property a rough date range (as in we're doing this during summer) then a final date about 48-72 hours in advance.

It was done Friday-Sunday and their "plan" was that they would close off the strip mall lot for one day while keeping the stores open. During this time, patrons/employees of the stores would use the hotel lot and if need be the large lot of a Fortune 100 company across a semi-busy street. On day 2 and 3, when the hotel lot was closed, you reversed things and parked at the strip mall and across the street.

Of course these were busy summer weekends and guests complained vehemently. In the end, no tickets, fines, tows or penalties occurred that I'm aware of but both GMs (per the ownership company of the time) also held the line and the hotel did not give out a nickel of compensation. If you didn't like it, TFB. If HH ever gave people anything on the backend, it wasn't our concern.

Correct. HH couldn't care less about a parking situation. This is always going to be specific to a property and in particular, at best, its local management.

[removed quote of and response to now-deleted post]

arlflyer

Presumably because, with respect to an ongoing situation, they don't want to give away potentially identifiable information and thus lose leverage in any possible exchanges with the hotel seeking to rectify the matter.

dmarge18

Exactly. Since I'm still currently staying here, location is truly irrelevant, other than it's a Homewood Suites surrounded by private office parking lots and shopping plazas with towing 24/7 signs.

cblaisd

Given this fact, if the op would like to PM me with the name/location of the hotel, I'll will re-open this thread.

Thanks,

cblaisd, Co-Moderator, Hilton forum

cblaisd

Please follow the op's issues beginning with this post:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/35284232-post13.html

cblaisd, Co-Moderator, Hilton forum