Often1

Or park at the Vanderbilt Beach Parking Garage just after the hotel driveway.

dcstudent

It's not the Ritz, but the JW Marco Island is quite good and has self-parking. Just another Marriott option for you. Btw, I agree with you, there is no way I'd allow a valet to touch my car right now.

tcdtcd

Not surprising that it’s Naples FL. Soooo much faux/wannabe pretentiousness there. I’ve stayed in that hotel - I do think there is alternative self-parking nearby. Sorry I can’t help with specific lots/garages addresses.

Tell them you want to self-Park given the current safeguards!

Bradhattan

without being a smart aleck, if the establishment that you desire to provide a certain service cannot provide that servixe, why wouldn't you go elsewhere where you can get what you want? I think it is an important part of American consumerism, no?

(edit = nevermind anything additional)

myperks

of course you can go somewhere else. No question I will probably go to a different property if self parking is not allowed during Covid and I can’t find a good alternative. But I was saying why does one feel the need to email/tell the manager that you are going to take your business elsewhere. Does it feel good to say that? Maybe I’ll try it next time.

mahasamatman

Don't forget local and state health departments and the local news.

bgasser

The Ritz at Grande Lakes in Orlando only does valet parking, but shares the same property with the JW Marriott that allows self parking. Sorry you are not in that situation.

AdamATL

Good lord. Stay home. There's no shame in that. You are willing to check in to a hotel where you are going to sleep in a bed that has been slept in by hundreds -- maybe thousands -- of people but you don't want someone parking your car for three and a half minutes??? You're not ready. Stay home and save us all the trouble. Also, please don't take your frustration out on front line staff. It's not their fault and they don't really want to deal with you but are forced to. Stay home. For a while.

storewanderer

Given where hotel occupancy rates are right now, I think the establishment may actually care. A year ago, I'd have said to go pound sand.

msp3

I get some people hate valets (I try to avoid them myself), but using coronavirus as an excuse for everything is why people don't buy into this nonsense anymore...

lowfareair

I try to say it for their benefit and mine - if something is enough to lose me as a customer, there are likely (but not always!) more people who aren't saying anything. A good manager will take feedback into consideration and that feedback may be enough for them to change their decision if they realize it impacts more than they expected.

writerguyfl

Good idea, but it probably won't work. According to the website, that garage is only open 8am to Sunset.

https://www.collierparks.com/collier...lt-beach-park/

While it doesn't specifically say it, I'd imagine overnight parking isn't allowed. You'd likely be ticketed and/or towed. At least that's how it works in the city garages here in Fort Lauderdale.

I worked in hotels for well over a decade. I worked in a number of jobs, including Front Desk, Manager-on-Duty, and Night Manager. I took tons of complaints in those positions.

Does a complaint from an important meeting planner and/or large corporate client of the hotel carry more weight? Of course it does.

Yet, that fact doesn't mean that complaints from an individual traveler aren't tracked. As a Manager-on-Duty/Night Manager, if a guest tells me they are never returning because of "X" reason, that interaction was recorded in the report that got distributed to all department heads.

Over time, if those department heads figure out that multiple guests aren't returning because of that problem, something might change.

I agree this is a puzzling position for the hotel to adopt right now. The only thing I can speculate is that the union contract states that all parking must be handled by valet employees. During contract negotiations, I could see the hotel agreeing to that stipulation. (Someone would have had to have incredible forethought to add a "except during global pandemics" clause.)

I'm with the other posters that say you should choose a different hotel.

BearX220

Agreed. All I can add is that I think refusing valet parking is a completely reasonable position right now. Mrs. BearX220 and I just drove to Washington DC and opted for a Hyatt situated well west of the Beltway with an ample self-parking lot over several closer-in options that insisted on valet-ing guest vehicles. Vote with your feet, or tires.

AlanInDC

That's a good point. Also could be that the hotel actually contracts with a company for valet services and that contract requires only valet and no self-park. (same thing but not necessarily union-related).

I agree that I would insist on self-parking. Similarly, I would beg off bell services -- don't need someone handling my luggage and coming up to my room. I don't think the added risk is high, but no reason to take it unless there are unusual circumstances.

Out of my Element

this is SO completely different. I mean, unless they are going to change the sheets, I mean seats in his car after each other person is going to be in it. You do know they sanitize rooms after each visitor, and they have announced cleaning protocols for rooms. Have they announced sanitizing protocols for cars after valets are in them?

It only takes 1 sneeze from a valet onto the steering wheel when bringing the car to the customer to drive to infect him.