Can You Park at a Hotel Without Staying There?

You’re meeting friends downtown, and you’re driving around trying to find somewhere to park and spot a hotel with a large parking lot.

Can you park there?

Let’s try and find out!

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Hotel Parking Lots

Hotels in popular areas often have a large parking lot available for their guests.

Depending on the type of hotel, they may even have drivers that park your car in the parking lot for you.

Hotel parking lots pros and cons — Hotel parking lots

Hotel parking lots are also usually very secure areas. They often have CCTV; they may have keycard access, and they often have ANPR technology.

However, can you just roll on in there if you’ve not got a booking?

The answer you’re looking for isn’t always a straightforward one, and it largely depends on the hotel or the available space.

How Do Some Hotels Control Who Enters their Parking Lot?

When you check into a hotel, you are almost always asked for your car license plate number, even if you’ve provided it as a part of your online booking.

The reception staff then record this number in their system.

You will be asked for your car license plate number hotel parking — You will be asked for your car license plate number

License-plate recognition technology means that hotels can ask for your license-plate number when you book, and the parking lot barriers will only let you pass through if your car is registered.

Other hotels may have car parking staff or marshals that check that you’re a hotel guest before allowing you access to the parking lot.

Others are unmanned, but they may check the cars parked there periodically against a list of registered cars for guests.

Do Hotels Charge for Parking in the Parking Lot?

This is another tricky question to answer.

Some hotels charge you for parking in the parking lot even if you’re a hotel guest, others don’t. There are many reasons for this.

In some hotels, particularly those that are in city centers, space is at a premium. Charging for car parking even for hotel guests is common.

Sometimes, the parking fee is reimbursed by the hotel after the stay, and this is to encourage users of the parking lot not to park there unless they are staying there.

Some hotels do not charge for their parking lot. But, in contrast, they may not let anyone else leave their car there either.

What about Airport Hotels?

Airport hotels often have huge parking lots.

This is because many people stay there the night before an early morning flight and then leave their car there for a couple of weeks.

Airport hotel parking lots fee — Airport hotel parking lots

Because airports are mostly in large open spaces, space for parking cars is not usually a problem.

Nearly all large airport hotels let you park your car there for the duration of your vacation regardless of whether you stayed the night in the hotel.

There is, of course, a fee for this. But it’s good to know that you can park in their very secure parking lot whilst you’re away.

What Is a ‘Daycation’?

A daycation is a bit of neologism and portmanteau.

A combination of ‘day’ and ‘vacation,’ it usually means a vacation that is just one day long and doesn’t usually involve an overnight stay anywhere.

This means that you visit a hotel or holiday complex for the day to use their facilities but do not stay there.

Lots of people do this, and nearly all hotels will permit you to do this for a fee.

Let’s face it, if you live nearby a hotel complex with amazing pools, a spa, and fantastic restaurants, you’re going to want to try it out.

As you’d expect, paying to use a hotel’s facilities regardless of if you stay overnight means that you are permitted to use their parking lot too, whether this is chargeable or not.

Why are Hotel Parking lots a Good Choice?

Whether or not you’re staying at a hotel, and regardless of whether or not they charge you to park, hotel parking lots are often a good choice to park your motor for the following reasons:

They often control who comes in and who leaves.
They tend to have better lighting and security.
They are mostly covered by CCTV.
They often have parking lot staff keeping watch.
Some are covered spaces rather than outdoors which many people prefer.
They are often large so there’s no scrambling for the last space.

Are There any Downsides to Parking in a Hotel Parking Lot?

Parking in a hotel parking lot may have a downside, but that largely depends on the individual hotel.

Some downsides may be:

You can’t park there unless you’re a hotel guest.
The charge to park there if you’re not a hotel guest is very expensive.
There may be limited spaces in city center hotels meaning it’s hard to find a space.

Final Thoughts on Parking in a Hotel Parking Lot

If you’re thinking of parking in a hotel parking lot when you’re not staying at the hotel, it would be wise to check if this is allowed before you try and enter the parking lot.

There may well be a barrier that prevents your entry if you’ve not submitted your registration when booking a room, or there may be an excessive non-guest charge that you’re not aware of. A simple check of the hotel’s website or a phone all in advance should mitigate this.