S.R

something I’ve never seen before and was a bit surprised by, maybe it’s the norm though. Staying at a full service Marriott in a Dallas suburb this weekend. Just got back to the hotel (2am local time) and found the valet stand deserted, so went in and asked the front desk what the deal was. They said, “we don’t have valet anymore, I’ll park your car.”
Not that I don’t trust the guy, it just seems odd that front desk staff would be doing valet.

hockeyinsider

When he said they don't have valet did he mean they don't have valet attendants or they don't offer valet parking? There's a big difference there.

The only suburban flagship Marriott hotel I have ever stayed at with valet parking has been the Westfields Marriott near Dulles. Every other suburban hotel has been self-parking, though a couple hotels have had a couple of reserved spots for guests with platinum elite status.

I also don't remember a single suburban Marriott, unless you consider the Marriott Key Bridge suburban, with a dedicated doorman or bellman. The Marriott hotels at the Detroit airport and in the Detroit suburb of Troy have just pointed me toward the luggage cart. The front desk clerks couldn't even be bothered to retrieve it for me.

bitterproffit

One of my students just told me he got a job valet parking at a Fairfield. LOL. It is the new one in the Gulch in Nashville. So, urban.

That being said, maybe the clerk meant that they don't 'valet anymore' after midnight. I am not sure why a hotel would pay to have full valet service at 2 AM.

S.R

hockeyinsider

It would be interesting to know whether the valet parking at both these hotels is through a third-party company. I say that because many hotels have now outsourced valet parking.

S.R

So I spoke to the awesome actual valet guys and they said that they’re usually there till around 1am, and get back at 6am. So between then it’s so empty that the front desk guys usually do any parking that’s needed.

Often1

I'm not sure it's an "issue". OP arrived, he was checked in, his vehicle parked for him, and his meal delivered to his room. I don't think that it reflects on much of anything whether that is accomplished by 1 or 3 different employees.

If anything, it is all about management looking at utilization.

S.R

Deleted

pvn

What word would be better than "suburb" for plano???

MSPeconomist

hotturnip

When I worked front desk at the Hyatt Regency Austin decades ago, the bellmen were forever disappearing. I could never figure out where they were going. A guest checked in with tons of stuff to take up and needed help. So I came out, grabbed a bell cart, went out to her car and helped her. The bellman showed up later, sheepish when I told him. (Probably pissed that he missed a tip on a slow night.)

You 'd be surprised how "full-service" hotels can operate right on the edge of total chaos. That's how it was at that property when I was there. (Of course, *I* was the one preventing its slide into chaos!)

joshua362

I applaud the can-do attitude of the employee plus Management's confidence that this works weekdays late at night. Doubtful this would work with late night weekend drunks however. That said, I detest forced valet parking even when not paying the bill.

Contrast this with pulling up at the PHL FS Marriott in 100 degree heat one July afternoon and the bellhops were all hiding inside refusing to come out. A newish date and the one time I would have gladly paid for the service.

hockeyinsider

So, where did they go? Smoking dope? Drinking? Having sex with co-workers? Spill the beans.

SkiAdcock

So your original question was answered. You now know the hours of valet at the property & that if your car is brought in after that your car will still be parked, but by the FDC.

Cheers

bitterproffit

While I agree, still not sure why a hotel would pay for all night valet parkers when they could just have the night staff do it. Which is what happened.