Hotels Charging for self-parking!

[Beckles]

I browsed through the postings for the past week I've been gone, and haven't seen anything about this.

I checked out of the HRH this morning, and they are now charing $5/day (no tax) for self-parking. Apparently this was implemented July 1. I asked if the PBH was doing the same, and the check-out agent said yes, though I would not take that as gospel.

 

[Molokai Gram]

I hope they have beefed up their security because now they will have a liability issue if anyone's car is broken into.

Is it unusual to have parking charges? I know all of the hotels in Waikiki now charge for parking, starting at about $7 a day for guests.

 

[Cindy B]

$5 is not that bad... whenever I go to a conference in Chicago/DC, parking is always in the $20 range/per day....

 

[Beckles]

There are several changes to the parking arrangements. First, they now have a guard at the front gate. When I arrived to check-in, they had a list of guests checking in and made sure I was on it. Second, the blocked off the back enterance to the big self-park lot. The last two times I was at the HRH that entrance had a guard on it, but since he had to sit there, he wasn't a lot of good necessarilly for guarding the lot. Finally, I witnessed a guard patrolling the lot one night in a golf cart.

As for the charges being "reasonable", when I compare them to every other hotel I've ever stayed at in Orlando, I do not find them reasonable ... comparing to hotels in other cities is not really a valid comparison.

 

[webray]

$5 is not bad, it was $8 for self parking when we were there after it opened.

 

[Mike J]

When we stayed there in February, we were not charged for parking.

Mike

 

[kellymonaghan]

Hmmm. Wonder how this will affect those with annual passes. Presumably you could park your car "free" in the regular lots, although I don't know the policy about cars left overnight.

I was down there during a close brush by a hurricane and I asked if I could leave my car in the parking structure overnight since I felt it would be more sheltered there than in my off-site hotel parking lot and the attendant said it would be okay.

 

[Beckles]

Kelly ~ I was wondering that *exact* same thing myself since I have an Annual Pass, but I really didn't think it would be a good idea to leave my car there overnight ... afraid they'd clean out the lot every night, especially if I left it there for several days without moving/using it ...

 

[kellymonaghan]

Seems to me that at least a few cars must get left every day. Possible reasons:

People forget where they parked and give up searching.
People have too much to drink at CityWalk and take a taxi home.
People get sick at the park and are taken to a hospital.

If I'm right in that, I wonder why the parking staff would tow a car unless it had been left for several days? Maybe you'd be save if you just moved your car from one spot to another each day? OTOH, Universal obviously doesn't want people leaving their cars there indefinitely (however, "indefinetly" might be defined).

Maybe one of the "insiders" will enlighten us.

 

[WebmasterBarry]

Are non-guests parking in the HRH lot? The HRH lot always seems full. The PBH parking garage seems to always have spaces available, even relatively close to the elevator.

 

[larworth]

Since making my HRH reservations last January...

* Lowes stopped honoring perks with entertainment rate (small straw)
* Continue to lose more and more of my once awesome FOTL privaledge (huge straw)
* Now have to pay $5 for my one-time free parking (small straw)

Maybe, someone can reimind me how great it is going to be before I get any more bad news.

 

[Beckles]

Originally posted by Barry Hom
Are non-guests parking in the HRH lot? The HRH lot always seems full. The PBH parking garage seems to always have spaces available, even relatively close to the elevator.

It *looked* like they were trying to cut down on this at a minimum with the guard at the gate, but I can't say for sure.

Parking was as bad as ever for most of my stay. That's also why I asked specifically about the PBH, because they have always had tons of parking with their multi-level garage when I've stayed there, and I was wondering if it was maybe only a measure to try and lessen the overcrowding ...

 

[Beckles]

Originally posted by kellymonaghan
Seems to me that at least a few cars must get left every day. Possible reasons:

People forget where they parked and give up searching.
People have too much to drink at CityWalk and take a taxi home.
People get sick at the park and are taken to a hospital.

If I'm right in that, I wonder why the parking staff would tow a car unless it had been left for several days? Maybe you'd be save if you just moved your car from one spot to another each day? OTOH, Universal obviously doesn't want people leaving their cars there indefinitely (however, "indefinetly" might be defined).

Maybe one of the "insiders" will enlighten us.

I think you're probably right, overnight should be fine ... I just wouldn't leave it in the same spot for too long, because I'm sure they make a note of such things and would probably tow eventually ... of course, if I have a car I'd probably use it occasionally anyway ... although I'm not sure the hassle of parking in the Garages would be worth it anyway ...

 

[Letsbgoofy]

This will be my first and last stay at the HRH in August. As a previous poter noted, the benefits keep changing and now there is a fee to park. Lowes and Universal seem to have some interesting business practices...

 

[Peterd]

When we were there in Feb, It cost 12 or more dollars to park at the Hard Rock if you were a visitor and not a guest. I think this was to make people use the garage instead of the hotel parking to save the walk. I believe it was around 10 dollars per day for valet parking. We couldn't get a spot our first night, told the valet, and we were not charged to valet it. The did put it on our bill, but later took it off. Maybe with the guard at the gate, they might not let visitors park in the hotel parking lot anymore. Paying to park at your hotel in Universal seems pretty cheap on their part. We're going back in Nov., I hope it's not true.

 

[Beckles]

Originally posted by Peterd
Paying to park at your hotel in Universal seems pretty cheap on their part. We're going back in Nov., I hope it's not true.

Ummm ... yeah ... glad you believe me ...

I can promise you it's true, your only hope is that they get rid of it before November.

 

[disneyhottie]

Called on 7-7-01 to make ressies for mid July.As the reservation clerk was about to hang up I inquired about the fee to park,as I had also heard the $5.00 rumors.She very casually said ,"Oh yes it will be $5.00 per night.Disney also has guards at the gate that check you in and give you auto i.d. THEY DON'T CHARGE!!!

What can we do to change this? Maybe everyone who gets on this forum,when staying at HRH,when you are charged the $5.00,we should say,"Gosh,Disney doesn't charge...why do you??

Disneyhottie wants to know what you think!

 

[CPM]

I think charging for parking at the Universal resorts is a bunch of crap!!! And comparing it to other cities isn't right either, I've stayed in many resorts in Orlando & can't think of one that charges for parking! I'm sure there might be one but come on, at the end of this month it will be our 5th stay at a USF resort & if they keep doing away with the perks it might be our last!

 

[nhrenee]

Does anyone have the email address for guest services?????

 

[Peterd]

Since you feel compelled to quote me,

AS POSTED by Beckles,"

Ummm ... yeah ... glad you believe me ...

I can promise you it's true, your only hope is that they get rid of it before November."

Don't worry Beckles, noone is calling you a liar!
Didn't mean to get your panties all up in a bunch. The five extra bucks a night isn't going to kill me, I think I can swing it, thank you. So I wouldn't be so dramatic as saying "my only hope is", I usually hope for better things.

Sorry for thinking that this five dollar charge a night was ridiculous, and couldn't be true. I Should have read the rules that said, believe everything you read, and don't question stupid rules.

I would bet that after a few hundred complaints, not just to Universal, but to Loew's Hotels,like mine tomorrow, it will change back in the future.