Mackieman

I've had the Ren in Glendale, AZ comp parking twice. Both times it was over Thanksgiving when occupancy was in the single or double digits, though.

bhatnasx

How does that make sense? The hotel doesn't operate the parking garage, nor do they profit likely from it - the city does. Adjusting the room rate doesn't make sense because not every single guest has a car - you may have 3-4 business travelers that are sharing 1 car, so it just doesnt' make sense, IMHO...

In many places, it's been my experience that hotels that charge for parking don't operate their own garages - they are often outsourced. I've stayed a few times in Baltimore where parking isn't operated by the hotel at all - it's operated by a third party. Also, in some places, hotels may have 500 rooms & only 200 parking spots, so they charge for parking.

I'm with you - I hate paying for parking (everytime I've been to PHL or NYC, it's an arm & a leg to park), but I just look at it as a cost of life in some cities. I used to live in the DC area and many people pay to park just to go to work.

EricH

Why should they "adjust" my room rate to pay for your parking? And, yes, I'm talking about Columbia, SC, where I recently stayed without a car.

BrightlyBob

I think paying for parking is inevitable in some places, the biggest city centres, airports, etc. Here Marriott frequently doesnt own the carpark. Including the cost in the room rate is unfair on those who dont use a car.

Where I object is carparking charges for hotels whose location isn't that special, or where the hotel obviously owns the carparking, here I look in the UK directly at Birmingham and Slough (Marriott calls it "Windsor/Heathrow", but it is SLOUGH!). Neither of these are in the city centres, but both charge. Admittedly the Slough one has made a play at airport stays, and I have no objection to paying for the right to leave my car at the hotel while I jet off to wherever, but paying to park my car in a hotel on the outskirts of Slough is madness IMHO. At Birmingham there's not even thet slither of an excuse of being "airporty", its on the edge of the city centre which is a good 10/15 minute walk away, its pure profiteering, and as a result whenever I consider staying at these hotels I factor in the cost of parking into my cost leaving them less competitive.

Indeed, nowadays whenever I book a Marriott I always look at the parking charges, since even when its reasonable of the hotel to charge, the actual cost is sky-high, with the notable exception of Heathrow Ren.

For me, the hotel parking is mostly not a problem since I've factored it into the cost myself but I can imagine less frequent guests suffering an unhappy shock at the fact/cost of parking, especially when compared to bargain-basement weekend stays...

rthib

How about a Marriott in Coralville, Iowa.
Nothing against Iowa, but this is a hotel in the middle of nowhere.
With a $8 parking fee.

As I road the elevator, on the inspection card it listed "Marriott Parking Garage" so no excuse.

Not a big deal, but seems very nickle and dime.

No real excuse either as it is not near even the tiny airport in Cedar Rapids, so it is not like you can get there without a car.

NDDomer86

Didn't you know that teleportation is all the rage?!? Hays, Kansas is very easily accessible from Kansas City International...

HereAndThereSC

I also despise the high parking charges that some Marriotts have. When you start hitting 24-30$/day for parking... ugh, that's terrible. And we're not talking about downtown Manhattan here... Or worse yet, those (admittedly few) hotels that charge 'Mandatory' parking. ...? I got here by taxi!

I have had some luck playing the "I'm platinum, don't we get free parking?" card. Your mileage will certainly vary!

As for Columbia SC, street parking is free 7pm to 8am (I believe) ... I've made use of that in PDX as well.

HTSC

Old Hickory

If I'm not mistaken, the majority of parking garages/lots are managed by another company (other than the hotel property owner or Marriott) so the hotel has little to say in charging you to use it.

But I agree. I would much rather have free parking than say a free breakfast buffet.

danola

I've stayed at the Columbia Marriott numorous times, with car, and I have never had this happen to me. In fact, a high percentage of the time, the is no attendant at the pay booth and you can drive right out.

jbcarioca

I hate those charges. I have managed to get them removed sometimes. I also, as in London, try to park on the street. I have no idea where Coralville, Iowa is but I would not pay to park there. Somehow I'd avoid it even if I had to park some distance away. The only place I have not managed a nonpaying solution is NYC, where I very rarely have a car anyway.

fastflyer

How about parking on the street or in a nearby lot?

The Marriott in Boulder has its own subterranean garage, and when you check in they ask "are you parking a car"? (the comment is rather misleading as nearly everyone drives, but not everyone parks in the Marriott garage). I simply park behind the building in the large public parking lot, which has a 2-hour limit between 9am and 5pm, when I am not there.

zakami

The hotel is next to the U of Iowa. If the hotel did not charge for parking, you'd have students parking there to avoid on-campus parking fees.

Sometimes hotels charge for parking to prevent neighbors from hogging up the spots.

judolphin

Plenty of hotels give parking permits for free, and tow cars away without permits. They choose to charge their guests to park their cars. Perfectly within their right, but being next to a university doesn't force them to charge. Anyhow...

Jiatong

In several of the Marriott's in Beijing, including the JW, I have never had to pay for parking, but you might have to tip the vallet person.
& yes free internet , (outside the lounge) would be nice.

terez155

Add the Renaissance Orlando Seaworld to the list of $15 a day, (no other options that I know of.) I know in most downtown areas, you can't get around it, but for some of these out of the way places, they know you have no choice, I totallly agree w/you OP!!