Valet Parking?

M

mason storm

Active member
Me and the Mrs are off to a posh hotel on Thursday and it says they have valet parking, I had a bad experiance with valet parking at the airport once so am a bit worried about this.

Should I insist on parking it myself? I had this at a hotel in Monaco and I insisted on parking myself, I felt a bit OCD but I was at least sure no damage came to my car.

Have any other members had any experiences with hotel valet parking?
 
I like valet parking. Do it in Manchester and also at Westfields in London. Lots of these places are used to having nice cars, certainly at Westfields, so am not too worried about anyone driving the crap out of it, or not taking care. There is always a first time though, but generally if its an option, I like taking advantage of it
 
I guess there is always the worry that this might happen

ferrari-joyride.jpg

But I would have though that on the whole the hotel would take care of your vehicle, surely its not worth the bad press. Maybe just make a call on it when you arrive at the hotel, you might get a better impression of the place.
 
Personally I use valet parking all the time. Not only do they take full responsibility for any damage done, but you reduce the massive risk of it being dinged while left in a car park.

I'd also suggest an element of realism in that that as Stark says these guys spend their life parking quality cars.

Perhaps don't flip the keys at the valet as the guy did with the Rangie on the Bond movie :)
 
Do you tip the valet parker?

Unless its pissing it down with rain, that, even to me, is a waste of money! Just park it yourself, over 2 spaces!
 
Did it a few times with my old car, not with the zed (yet) though.

Last time I did it (at a 5* hotel) the car was returned with the radio blasting and the seat position moved... was a bit annoying lol

But yeh for me it's more that I don't like people driving my car and fiddling with things rather than any worries about it being knocked or damaged (if that makes sense).

I've never used valet when there has been the option to self park.
 
If it's a posh hotel I'm sure the valet will have parked his fair share of nice motors (obviously none nicer than a z4 - but you get my drift). I'd feel a little silly asking if I could park it myself tbh - but each to their own. I'm far more nervous when I take my car for a service, knowing it may be taken out for "testing"...
 
I stayed at a hotel in the West End recently and used the valet service there.

As has been said above, these guys are used to parking cars worth a lot more than our Z4's, so I didn't think it would be a problem.

Car was returned exactly as I dropped it off. Saved me the time of driving to the car park and then having to carry bags to/from the hotel.
 
I'm happy for a decent hotel to do it, but I'm always aware that there'd be very little comeback if I was to find damage on it when it was returned as I'd feel like a right pillock asking them to do a condition check before they parked it as it's not like it's a £100k-£1m supercar.
 
When ever I have used valet, it is at a very high end hotel or restaurant. I usually tip $10 up front, and tell them to take good care. This usually gets you a high visibility parking space and the valet's attention. The other advantage is that they usually remember you when you are leaving, so there is no need to even produce the claim ticket. Usually another $5 or $10 on pick-up is in order - a small price to pay to get a prime spot with other well cared for cars (Ferraris, Porsches, Bentleys, Astons, etc.)
 
I once saw a valet at Heathrow smack a car he was returning into another one, right in front of both owners :o

However, I agree that at a high end hotel these guys will know what they are doing - not worth it for the, even to get a complaint, valid or not, as they'll lose their job. I guess they will also park it with other valet parked cars, so the chances of some random battering their door into your P&J is minimal.
 
Bing said:
I once saw a valet at Heathrow smack a car he was returning into another one, right in front of both owners :o

However, I agree that at a high end hotel these guys will know what they are doing - not worth it for the, even to get a complaint, valid or not, as they'll lose their job. I guess they will also park it with other valet parked cars, so the chances of some random battering their door into your P&J is minimal.
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I entrusted #69 to BAA valet parking for the first time just before Xmas. The guy that signed for her was probably doing a retirement job so I was happy enough.

Unlike a colleague who had a CLK written off by a driver who turned out to have a fake license and no insurance. Meteor meet and greet we're not easy to settle with either so we don't use them anymore
 
When I make reservations for a hotel or even a new restaurant I always ask about the parking situation as I won't allow my Zed to be valet parked as in past years I had 2 really bad experiences. However do to the fact that very few younger individuals that take these valet jobs know how to drive stick many places today set aside a special parking area for those cars with manual transmissions to be owner parked.
 
I refused valet at radisson Edwardian in canary wharf and felt a bit daft, parked my car myself on one of those parking bar machines that gets 2 cars in one space by lifting the front one up.

For me it wasn't that I didn't trust them, I just wanted to know where my car was left overnight!
 
Just make sure they have plenty of space...!!!

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