Not Ranked
Thanks, Dennis....
...I really appreciate what you're going through while searching for a hotel to hold the event. If I came off too harshly, it was not my intention to cause any additional grief to you or anyone else, and you have my apologies. But, having clarified my position, let me say the following.
I've done the same thing for Porsche Club events while serving as president of our local chapter for three years during it's inception. Whenever hotels tried to charge additional money for parking trailers, or blocking parking for our toys, I always challenged them over it. I explained that use of their parking facilities was implied with room rentals, just like it was with every other guest they would have there that weekend. If they charged every guest for parking, then they could charge our group and we would pay it...no problem. But if no other guest was paying for parking, then we wouldn't either.
If they said they would charge for blocking off parking for us, I'd counter that there was only labor involved with actually putting up and removing the barriers to prevent civilian parking in those blocked off areas. We would be willing to pay $25 extra to the hotel to do that, but that's it...one time, $25.00. And I'd negotiate that, as well...they put it up, and we'd take it down before we left. If push came to shove, I'd ask them to tell me where they would block off parking, and offer to block it off ourselves.
If they insisted on charging for parking in a blocked off area, then I'd challenge them on their 'Park at your own risk' wording in their implied contract with each room rental. If they blocked it off and wanted to charge for it, then they had to proved "adequate security, 24 hours daily, while we were registered". After all, if they're telling us where to park, how to park, and charging us for it...then they are responsible for any theft loss or other damage as may occur while we do their bidding.
If none of this sounded like it was going to work, I'd remind them that we were renting rooms that would normally go vacant over the weekend and we would be eating in their restaurant and spending money in their business...and that revenue alone should be worth something to them. I'd also remind them they weren't the only choice in the hotel business...if they wanted our business, then they needed to work with us toward a Win-Win situation.
Virtually everytime I took this approach, I was able to negotiate either no charge parking, or blocked off parking with their security patrolling the lot for a small fee.
Bottom line...NEGOTIATE....everything they offer is negotiable. Hope this helps us all...!
__________________
Flyin_Freddie
"An opinion on everything...an expert at nothin'!"
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