Through the years, hotels have figured out several ways to get more of our money:
- Charges for smoking/vaping in your room, based on AI
- Room fridges that can tell when an item has been (re)moved—and charge you automatically
- Resort Passes
- And, of course, resort fees
Not too long ago, hotels have figured out another way to nickel and dime us. This time it has to do with parking.
Of course, hotels have charged for parking for years. There are ways to try to get out of it, but it generally doesn’t work. But this…this is something new.
The following was sent to us by a reader, Maria:
Maria said she was at the Marriott AC Little Rock. It was a little after 8pm and although she didn’t mention the date or if there was an event going on or any other details, we can still see where this is going – if you want a “Fast Pass” (thanks Disney, for inventing that term that EVERYONE uses now) for the valet to return your car, it’s gonna cost ya.
Of course, not all hotels manage or even own their garages. They’re oftentimes managed by third parties who make their own rules about parking prices, structures, etc. But still – and especially those hotels that ARE in charge of their own parking facilities – it’s just another way to get some more money out of us.
When this could be a good thing
Obviously, the use of a ‘pay-for-better-valet-service’ option always has its positives:
- When time really is of the essence (some people have places to go, others simply have no patience to wait)
- If you were in a sketchy neighborhood where you might not want to wait outside for 20 minutes, even amongst other people
How this could be abused
- It appeared to be app based – how do you know there actually ARE 13 guests ahead of you?
- Dynamic/surge pricing could come into play
- Price increases over the years will almost surely come into play
The funny thing is, the ‘$ handshake’—giving the valet cash as you shake their hand so they retrieve your car faster—has been around forever. Now instead of the money going into the valets’ hands, it will go into their company’s coffers.
Many thanks to Maria R. for sending us the photo
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