Valet Parking

[cando]

Thinking to change my experience if I come back to Montreal, by trying hotels I've not used before.

Problem is that they insist on valet parking, while the thought of some kid driving and parking my car gives me heart palpitations.

Anyone ever have any trouble with valet parking at Montreal hotels?

 

[donnyb]

I always get a car whenever I am in town just for convenience sake. It greatly enhances my mobility around town. I have stayed at the Hyatt over 10 times now, and I had to valet park my car each of those times. Since my car was a rental, it never really bothtered me all that much how they treated the car or whether or not they would snoop around looking for things, as I had nothing in it.

Basically, at the Hyatt and all the other hotels in mtl that require valet parking, the biggest problem that I have encountered is that I may not always get my car in a timely fashion if I am in a rush, especially during the wee hours of the early morning. Sometimes, I would have to wait like 10 minutes before I found someone to retrieve my car.

Other than that, there has never been a problem with valet parking. Heck, oftentimes, they even left the seat setting exactly the way that I had left it.

In summary, I don't think you have much to worry about when it comes to valet parking. I have done it over tens of times and never had a problem.

I guess my biggest concern when it came to valet parking was the fee one had to pay.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Cando-

I recently stayed at the Vogue and refused the valet parking. I gave the doorman a small tip, told him I would park my own car and to watch my luggage, and then parked in the Novotel garage for $13/night as opposed to the absurd $30/night that the Vogue charges for valet parking.

Some of these hotels will rape you on parking, but it will only happen if you let it. There are always alternatives and there is no obligation to use valet parking.

DonnyB,

I have stayed at the Hyatt about 10 times and never once valet parked. I parked in the underground garage, no in/out privileges but a reasonable $16/per night.

 

[donnyb]

EagerBeaver,

Yes, I am aware of the alternative underground parking at the Hyatt. However, I use my car a lot, so parking in a no in/out privilege condition really defeats the purpose of renting a car in town in the first place.

Cando--
If price for Valet parking is a consideration, here are the prices of the places that I have stayed at that required valet parking:

Hyatt: $23/day

Four Points: $19+/day

Holiday Inn Express (formerly Hotel Les Suites Fauborg) $16/day

 

[ck_nj]

One quick thing to add about underground parking - you're out of luck if you have one of those large SUV's, like an Expedition. You will have to have it valet parked outside the hotel for the duration of your stay because most of the underground garages are too small for them.

CK

 

[cando]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm not so concerned about price as about my car. I'm anal in how it's treated.

I park it statistically to not be too close to other cars even if I have to walk. The thought of just handing it over bothers me.

I asked the question particularly because Canada is still a foreign country to me. If something happens, how likely are the hotels to acknowledge guilt and compensate.

Damn, I don't even what to think about it.

 

[EagerBeaver]

ck_nj,

What you say is particularly true of the underground garage next to the Novotel on rue De la Montagne. There are little platforms on which to park the car, not spaces as such. No way an SUV or even a larger car will fit on some of those platforms. In other underground garages, the parking spaces are painfully narrow. This is the down side of owning an SUV and the specific reason why I never bought one, because I travel quite a bit on my job and need to get in and out of tight parking spaces all the time.

Cando,

Here the law considers parking a car for a fee to be a bailment. I don't know what the law is in Montreal but the same issues you mentioned have occurred to me and it is why I now refuse to valet park.

 

[cando]

That should be park strategically. Gotta watch those spellcheckers.

 

[spiky]

valet ...

Germain 26$
St Sulpice and Nelligan approx $25

Spiky

 

[Minnesotah]

Usually, your insurance policy should cover you everywhere in US and in Canada. So, if you don't drive down to Mexico, you should have no problem. In Quebec, the automobile insurance act is a little different from elsewhere: such in case of accident responsability, your damages is paid by your own insurer (no fault) and there's no criminal trial. I don't know Montreal by-laws very well, but I don't think valet parking fee is considered as a "bailment". In worst of case, you could always park yourself in another public underground parking lot (such at some nearby office tower). They're as safe and lot cheaper.

 

[Prime]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm not so concerned about price as about my car. I'm anal in how it's treated.

I park it statistically to not be too close to other cars even if I have to walk. The thought of just handing it over bothers me.

I asked the question particularly because Canada is still a foreign country to me. If something happens, how likely are the hotels to acknowledge guilt and compensate.

Damn, I don't even what to think about it.

Going by your above comments, then I wouldn't valet under any circumstances. Valets are typically rough with the car, not that their rough treatment would do any damage though.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Prime,

You are being kind, saying that valets are rough. Believe me, if you have a nice car, they will be living out their Jacques Villanueve fantasy behind the wheel of that car. I have seen it happen. And you can only hope that they are as good as Jacques Villanueve at avoiding impacts.