ADias

Pete: My position does not change even there. Perhaps they do not go for a joy ride, but they care less how they treat your car - nicks, scratches, scuffs, or worse.

The Hotel de Paris is so outrageously priced that RBS denied Jackie Stewart's stay ($75k for 3 nights) during the last GP. No hotel, however excellent is worth that money in my book. Heck, I do not own it, I just sleep there.

skinnywhite

well, i did notice that they managed to put a full mile on the odometer despite the fact that the parking place is supposedly 1.5 blocks away. i talked that over with the owner during our negotiations.

camhabib

First of all, anyone sitting here reading and responding to messages on a forum about cars, has no business trivializing the importance of the subject.

Secondly, I know APR makes this for Audi, but they have a flash for the ECU that limits speed to a preset number. My friend has it set to 35 - makes it hard to for anyone to test out a Turbo when it won't go faster then your grandmother does in her oldsmobile.

Edgy01

I only frequent one place in town with valet parking. They know me now, so when I pull in, I park the car, keep the keys, and give them a few bucks to watch over the car. I won't leave keys.

Most valets should truly understand an owner's concern. At one of the most pricey places in the world I asked the valet if I could park the car myself. He replied, 'absolutely.' He then slowly walked me to the underground garage, guiding me all the way. Then he opened up the inner garage with infrared sensors, motion detectors, and another massive barricade. I kept the keys and he was absolutely fine with it. Later, I saw him moving another guest's Bentley into the garage. I'm sure that driver has personally driven Bugattis, and Rolls-Royces and MB SLRs, etc. (The most expensive car I've ever driven is my current cab). It should be fully understandable by an valet of our reservations.

The only defense for the damage is that the lower nose of these cars just simply is not understood in this country. As owners, we often mess up our own cars by forgetting how low they are. I would suggest putting up a temporary placard for the valet to see that continuously reminds him/her of the very low and vulnerable low front end--if you persist in using valets. (I did this for myself many years ago as a reminder when I had the car lowered and knew that I forget).

axhoaxho

Checkout this recent nightmare of a valet parking. This fellow left his new M3 to the valet at Palms, Las Vegas. The car was then lost, involved in a police car chase, and much more...

This story reminds me never to valet my car...

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263760

Regards,

JohnnyBahamas

I'm insane. But this works. If there is no where to park on the street or safely, then I find a Four Seasons hotel (or higher on the food chain) and park there. Pull up, tell them that I'm not a guest, that I am dining here, and that I'm only happy if I park my own car. Cake. They're in the business of making people happy... especially at 48 dollars an hour to the house and a 5 dollar tip to them. Then I walk straight through the hotel, out the lobby, and step into one of the cabs that are almost always waiting outside these hotels and I have the cab take me to the restaurant, or the lawyer's office, etc.

Car's safe and you've got a great, quiet bar after dinner.

mooty

1. porsche is not JUST a car. it's a religion; i bow in the direction of my garage 3x a day.
2. my wife makes sure everywhere i go has great parking, else i dont go.
3. my bmw got keyed in my old neighborhood. i had some idea which moron done it. i waited all day all night, got the kid, pulled him to his parents, call the cop and my lawyer, let's just say that kid will not be driving until he's 21. next time i get him, he wont be walking for the rest of his life.
4. NEVER valet. not only do they failed to park well, joy rides, they expect to be tipped.... sorry, i do not tip ppl who have the joy of touching my cars. it's not that i drive $ cars, i wont let valet park my civic or bicycle. i dont let others valet my wife, so i dont let others valet my car either. simple logic.
5. get the car fixed and i would report this incident to the owner of the restaurant.

btw, i was a valet in school... how do you think i learned heel and toe? surely not in my precious VW scirocco.....
i am not kidding. i learned how to drive stick on a maserati bi-turbo.... boy did i know how to fry a clutch...

mooty

right on. i dont care if i can meet God. if it's valet only... i much rather just go to hell.

Charlie C

Man, you must go to some seriously HIGH LEVEL conferences.

mooty

although i only worship my wife and my porsches, i dont belittle others religion. i was saying IF i can meet the man upstairs....

though if i did, He would think i am completely hopeless, He would have to make a new more hellish HELL for me.

i went to a lot of conferences when i was younger. but NEVER once, was i able to stay awake. i love to sit front center and snore away. i did that when Jobs and J. chamers was speaking. ppl around me were astounded. i thought they were just boring. especially john chambers. at least jobs had some hand gesture so i can gesture him back and made him laugh.

Sun Ra

just a porsche dude!!! and no serious damage. you take it way too seriously. run it off the track a couple times or stomp the front valence yo'self and enjoy life

Edgy01

Here's a possible option for people who are just stuck in a bad situation with "mandatory valet."

Call in advance and speak to the overall valet lead or supervisor. Spend some time explaining your situation. Of course the regular wet-behind-the-ears valet will answer "no option" but their supervisor should be able to exercise some decision authority. If that is unsatisfactory, take it to the manager of the facility. If THEY fail to make a command decision, take your business elsewhere.

kimf70

Picture this. Year 2002. I drove a less than a 2 month old Black/Black 996 Cab to dinner/party. Just a typical weekend out in Los Angeles. I went to dinner at a restaurant on Sunset. Exotics and highline cars were common at this place. Next day, I found a big gash ght under the driver side door. (pic below). Long story ---> short I got it fixed and paid out of my own pocket. After that incident, I thought I was smart by tipping the valets to park at "the spot", right infront of the restaurants or the bar. My Range Rover got kicked into at the passenger side door. None of the valets reported seeing the incident. It doesn't matter whether the valets are parking a bunch of camrys or high line exotics, convenience often comes with a high price tag regardless of what side of town you valet. Easiest solution would be to not valet or to buy a camry.

stevebmd

Some twenty or more summers ago i was a valet at a four star hotel in suburban new jersey. I was a throttle jockey and loved the chance to drive every marque. The clientele cars were typically mercedes, bmw, saab and the occasional Jag. I was the only guy on my shift who had a functional left foot, and got the ferrari and porsches to drive.

One sunday morning, around Brunch time, a fella pulls up in his brand new metallic gold 7 series bimmer. He hands me a finsky and says "take care of my baby". Immediately behind him, an identical car pulls up. My co worker gets that one. We were parking cars that 97 degree day in an underground lot. I pulled out and went down the ramp. My coworker unbeknownst to be took a shortcut down a oneway the wrong way. I am cruising down the chute towards the spots at the end of the garage. Suddenly, a gold flash shoots out from right to left in front of me and.....BAAMMMM. we t-bone and spin out into one of the concrete posts. Totalled both. Fired on the spot....at least i did not have to explain it to the owners. I have vowed to never valet after that summer. Luckily the hotel was owned by a large insurance company and the owners were taken care of....

draxa

This seems a logical question to ask from a non-US dweller (we don't have valet parking here in poor England); if you are going out somewhere and you know parking may be an issue, why not take another car?