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#Post#: 79397--------------------------------------------------
Brimstoner's Ultimate Guide To Valet Parking For Beginners
By: DaDancingPsych Date: June 2, 2023, 8:39 am
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I am planning a real vacation for myself!!! And if you have
learned two things about me here, it is that 1) I am not
typically a super fancy person and 2) I overthink everything!
;D
I think that I have selected a hotel and for logistical reasons
it happens to be in a section of town where parking is tricky.
The only parking that the hotel offers is valet. I don't recall
ever using valet parking. (That's a lie. I was once surprised by
it when I attended a friend's birthday dinner at a restaurant
with a teeny tiny parking lot. The business used it so that they
could squeeze more cars into their lot.) Talk to me about all
the etiquette or even just the common sense things that I should
know.
#Post#: 79398--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brimstoner's Ultimate Guide To Valet Parking For Beginners
By: Rose Red Date: June 2, 2023, 8:52 am
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Is this your car or a rental? Sorry if this sounds obvious, but
if it's yours, only gave them the car key. Remove all others
from the keyring.
#Post#: 79399--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brimstoner's Ultimate Guide To Valet Parking For Beginners
By: DaDancingPsych Date: June 2, 2023, 9:00 am
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[quote author=Rose Red link=topic=2506.msg79398#msg79398
date=1685713944]
Is this your car or a rental? Sorry if this sounds obvious, but
if it's yours, only gave them the car key. Remove all others
from the keyring.
[/quote]
Great tip! (I have a special key that I give to the repair shop
so that they don't have ALL my keys, so I appreciate the
reminder to bring that one.)
It is my own car, but should one do things differently if it is
a rental?
#Post#: 79400--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brimstoner's Ultimate Guide To Valet Parking For Beginners
By: oogyda Date: June 2, 2023, 10:05 am
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I *love* a well-staffed valet parking option. You should
inquire about the amount of lead time you will need to have your
vehicle brought in when you will be using it. That will vary
depending on the time of day and the number of parking
attendants on duty. Always allow a little extra time.
Make sure you get everything you need out of it. In some cases,
the location of your vehicle may make it unreasonable for you to
retrieve anything yourself, and you may not want to go to the
trouble of having it brought around just to get that one little
item. You also may not want to have to tip the attendant just
for that.
Which leads to tipping. Find out from the hotel if tipping is
expected or not. Some expressly forbid it.
Don't leave money in the car and take a quick "inventory" before
you hand over the keys. Definitely give them ONLY the car
key/fob.
#Post#: 79401--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brimstoner's Ultimate Guide To Valet Parking For Beginners
By: DaDancingPsych Date: June 2, 2023, 10:31 am
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[quote author=oogyda link=topic=2506.msg79400#msg79400
date=1685718334]
I *love* a well-staffed valet parking option. You should
inquire about the amount of lead time you will need to have your
vehicle brought in when you will be using it. That will vary
depending on the time of day and the number of parking
attendants on duty. Always allow a little extra time.
Make sure you get everything you need out of it. In some cases,
the location of your vehicle may make it unreasonable for you to
retrieve anything yourself, and you may not want to go to the
trouble of having it brought around just to get that one little
item. You also may not want to have to tip the attendant just
for that.
Which leads to tipping. Find out from the hotel if tipping is
expected or not. Some expressly forbid it.
Don't leave money in the car and take a quick "inventory" before
you hand over the keys. Definitely give them ONLY the car
key/fob.
[/quote]
Thank you! These are the kinds of things that I need.
You actually answered one of my questions (I should not
anticipate easy access to my car just to grab something or put
something in there.)
Assuming that the hotel allows it, is $2-5 a reasonable tip? (I
am assuming that I should tip the individual who takes my car,
as well as the one retrieving it.)
#Post#: 79402--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brimstoner's Ultimate Guide To Valet Parking For Beginners
By: oogyda Date: June 2, 2023, 10:47 am
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[quote author=DaDancingPsych link=topic=2506.msg79401#msg79401
date=1685719897]
[quote author=oogyda link=topic=2506.msg79400#msg79400
date=1685718334]
I *love* a well-staffed valet parking option. You should
inquire about the amount of lead time you will need to have your
vehicle brought in when you will be using it. That will vary
depending on the time of day and the number of parking
attendants on duty. Always allow a little extra time.
Make sure you get everything you need out of it. In some cases,
the location of your vehicle may make it unreasonable for you to
retrieve anything yourself, and you may not want to go to the
trouble of having it brought around just to get that one little
item. You also may not want to have to tip the attendant just
for that.
Which leads to tipping. Find out from the hotel if tipping is
expected or not. Some expressly forbid it.
Don't leave money in the car and take a quick "inventory" before
you hand over the keys. Definitely give them ONLY the car
key/fob.
[/quote]
Thank you! These are the kinds of things that I need.
You actually answered one of my questions (I should not
anticipate easy access to my car just to grab something or put
something in there.)
Assuming that the hotel allows it, is $2-5 a reasonable tip? (I
am assuming that I should tip the individual who takes my car,
as well as the one retrieving it.)
[/quote]
$2-$5 is great. Normally, when I first arrive, the parking
attendant will help me unload the car and, if necessary, put
things on the cart thing. (If it's a really fancy place, there's
a valet to help you roll that cart to your room....another tip).
When they put in more effort like that, I will tip at least $5.
Same when they help me load up the car.
In general, you should tip both individuals since it may not be
the same staff members on duty each time, but if you're in and
out several times a day, you could adjust that.
The last time I stayed in downtown Charleston, SC, the car was
in a parking garage almost attached to the hotel (there was a
courtyard inbetween), but it was five or six stories and would
have been difficult for me to find even if I'd had the floor
number and parking spot number.
#Post#: 79403--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brimstoner's Ultimate Guide To Valet Parking For Beginners
By: DaDancingPsych Date: June 2, 2023, 11:27 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=oogyda link=topic=2506.msg79402#msg79402
date=1685720822]
[quote author=DaDancingPsych link=topic=2506.msg79401#msg79401
date=1685719897]
[quote author=oogyda link=topic=2506.msg79400#msg79400
date=1685718334]
I *love* a well-staffed valet parking option. You should
inquire about the amount of lead time you will need to have your
vehicle brought in when you will be using it. That will vary
depending on the time of day and the number of parking
attendants on duty. Always allow a little extra time.
Make sure you get everything you need out of it. In some cases,
the location of your vehicle may make it unreasonable for you to
retrieve anything yourself, and you may not want to go to the
trouble of having it brought around just to get that one little
item. You also may not want to have to tip the attendant just
for that.
Which leads to tipping. Find out from the hotel if tipping is
expected or not. Some expressly forbid it.
Don't leave money in the car and take a quick "inventory" before
you hand over the keys. Definitely give them ONLY the car
key/fob.
[/quote]
Thank you! These are the kinds of things that I need.
You actually answered one of my questions (I should not
anticipate easy access to my car just to grab something or put
something in there.)
Assuming that the hotel allows it, is $2-5 a reasonable tip? (I
am assuming that I should tip the individual who takes my car,
as well as the one retrieving it.)
[/quote]
$2-$5 is great. Normally, when I first arrive, the parking
attendant will help me unload the car and, if necessary, put
things on the cart thing. (If it's a really fancy place, there's
a valet to help you roll that cart to your room....another tip).
When they put in more effort like that, I will tip at least $5.
Same when they help me load up the car.
In general, you should tip both individuals since it may not be
the same staff members on duty each time, but if you're in and
out several times a day, you could adjust that.
The last time I stayed in downtown Charleston, SC, the car was
in a parking garage almost attached to the hotel (there was a
courtyard inbetween), but it was five or six stories and would
have been difficult for me to find even if I'd had the floor
number and parking spot number.
[/quote]
Thank you! This is all very helpful. I truly appreciate the
thoughts on tipping.
#Post#: 79412--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brimstoner's Ultimate Guide To Valet Parking For Beginners
By: NFPwife Date: June 3, 2023, 1:05 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I'll add that you might want to point out anything unique about
your car when dropping it off. (We had a car where the seat belt
retracted very slowly and you could catch the belt in the door
if you got fast. Which resulted in the interior light staying on
which lead to a dead battery.)
Our current car has valet mode so the valet can't get into the
"brains" of the car. We set it when we use valet services.
#Post#: 79413--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brimstoner's Ultimate Guide To Valet Parking For Beginners
By: DaDancingPsych Date: June 3, 2023, 6:56 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=PVZFan link=topic=2506.msg79412#msg79412
date=1685815542]
I'll add that you might want to point out anything unique about
your car when dropping it off. (We had a car where the seat belt
retracted very slowly and you could catch the belt in the door
if you got fast. Which resulted in the interior light staying on
which lead to a dead battery.)
Our current car has valet mode so the valet can't get into the
"brains" of the car. We set it when we use valet services.
[/quote]
Thank you! I can't think of anything about my car that I would
need to share, but that's great advice.
Off Topic Side Story: I did have a car that required the use of
a rock to get the hood to pop open. I took it on a military base
where they require a car search. You pull up to the gate, open
all the doors, open the trunk and the hood, and all individuals
step outside while they do their thing. It was rather comical as
I pull out my rock to open the hood in front of some very
serious guys with really big guns (both kinds... arms and
machinery.) Being servicemen, I guess they understood driving an
imperfect vehicle and the hacks needed, because they did accept
my explanation and allow me to pass. ;D
Hmm... I wonder if I have valet mode???
#Post#: 79423--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brimstoner's Ultimate Guide To Valet Parking For Beginners
By: Hmmm Date: June 5, 2023, 10:04 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Check with your hotel and see if the valet offers in and out
service and charging cycles. What I mean is:
-You arrive at 4pm to check in. You empty your car, and the
valet parks it. Then at 6pm you want your car back to go to
dinner. Most hotels won't charge for another in and out but my
daughter got surprised by a hotel that didn't offer in and out
and were charging her each time she asked for her car to be
brought around.
-Also confirm when they start counting as a new day. Is it a 24
hour schedule so if you arrived at 4 on Monday you wouldn't be
hit for another day parking if you left by 4pm on Tuesday. Or do
they go by physical day. So you are charged for a day of Valet
on Monday and then another for Tuesday. My husband and I were in
NYC one time and arrived about 9pm on a Thursday and left on a
Saturday around 10am. We were charged for 3 days of valet
parking. While we expected 2 days at $25 a day, I was a bit
ticked about the Saturday charge.
-Ask how soon before you want to leave that you should call the
valet stand to have your car brought around. They may give you
some guidance like if it is in the morning around checkout to
give them at least a half hour. Or if it is mid day you should
have your car in 5 or 10 minutes.
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