Geneaudio

Has anyone ever considered the extra costs of Parking. Some hotels it's free. But go down the street To another Hilton brand and it can be as high as $24 a night.

You do all the work to get a great rate and the parking charges make the total payment unreasonable. At least put the parking charges out in the open.

I understand in a city like NYC why there are parking charges but in the burbs next to some commercial center ( which has free parking) and the hotel charges just seems like a grab for money

Wally Bird

Yes always, when there is a practical choice of hotels. I'll even downgrade to save a few bucks, but then I'm old enough to remember when you could park anywhere you wanted; for free. Bah!

IamDLfuelhedge

Yeah, parking is always a deal breaker for me. I will go 10-20 more minutes out of the way (into the burbs versus downtown) to avoid those charges, simply because I think it is a huge money grab. And for the hotel to say that the spot is worth $10-$25 a night is absolutely crazy. Obviously, there are people who believe it is worth it to pay that rate each night, but since I don't, I take my biz elsewhere.

365RoadWarrior

In making my descisions, I recognize that parking comes with a cost to the hotel: lower in the suburbs and higher in the city. Fair enough. I park, I share the costs. I've no assumption that parking is just some money making scam, just a cost that gets passed on that I can choose to share or not, depending on how much location matters to me.

FCO_SFO

$10-$24 seems like a great deal compared to the $45-$55 at all the properties in downtown SFO! Still, parking fees are consistently the greatest irritation for me in the whole experience. Having them (or at least a percentage of the parking fee) offered as a Gold or Diamond benefit would be very attractive.

Canarsie

This is an interesting topic, but it can apply to any hotel brand and not just Hilton hotels.

Let us please share this topic with FlyerTalk members who are members of other hotel frequent guest loyalty programs as well.

The new home for this thread is now the TravelBuzz! forum.

Thank you.

Regards,

Canarsie
Co-Moderator, Hilton HHonors forum

cordelli

I think of all the brands, Hilton is as good as any in putting the parking charges for each property on the website. There are properties where parking costs a fortune, but a few minutes googling can often get you a local parking lot that's open 24 hours a day for less money.

At one NYC hotel, you can pay $60 to park there overnight, or less than a block away pay $37 (or as much as $135). The choice is yours.

Ted S

Perhaps it's because I mostly stay in major cities where you pay for parking everywhere but I'm more forgiving on these fees [provided that they are below "open lot" rates] than things like internet or gym charges which are really a part of staying somewhere and in the case of internet, something I'd be more people use than the in-room coffee makers.

My exception is places where it's clear everyone drove in or where the fee is not listed upfront.

Ancien Maestro

Hotel parking charges is certainly a factor of consideration..

I've often accepted it as a necessary means to the hotels I would like to stay at, because other guests pay the charges as well..

But when there isn't parking charges, I make it a point staying at the hotel.. but the hotels who don't charge for parking are popular, so much so, it evens out the demand and my desire to stay at that hotel because of higher rates..

cbn42

Maybe not everyone wants parking. Some people take a taxi or shuttle or subway or whatever, to and from the hotel.

If you are going to be using parking, check the rate before you book the hotel. I know a first-time traveler might not think of this, but once you get snagged once, you will always remember to look it up.

Many cities (San Francisco, for example) have public parking lots in close proximity to hotels which are cheaper.

I'm not trying to justify the system, but I don't think it's as big a deal as some of the other things that companies do.

deubster

About 4 years ago, before WN flew into BOS, I had some award tickets to use and Mrs. Deubster & I flew into MHT, picked up a rental car, and drove the hour south to Boston. At which point we stayed in a Back Bay hotel and parked our car in their garage for 5 days at $28/day (relatively cheap for the area). Didn't take the car out once, partly because Boston is a walking town with decent public transport, and partly because there's no place on the street to park.

Sure, I could have stayed in outlying areas at a hotel with free parking, but it was more than worth it to be in the area, and cheaper than a 1-way rental.

No big deal, if you know in advance and budget for it. If you don't expect it, it can hurt, but I think the lack of a little research on your part is mostly to blame. You've got to expect it in certain cities, and you can always check things out with a phone call.

stut

Wow, I'm struggling to remember the last time I drove to a hotel!

What I find annoying is when hotels, in cities I wouldn't even consider driving in, give you elaborate driving directions, but absolutely zero indication how to get there by public transport.

BryanIAH

I went to New Zealand this summer (well, their winter) and looked at hotels by rate and parking cost. Most hotels in smaller towns offered free parking but a few in Wellington wanted NZ$40/night! Eventually I found one with free parking only to face a NZ$35/day internet fee.

Google Maps offers a public transport option for certain cities. It can be extremely helpful!