Hotels w/free airport shuttles
 

This may be a stupid question, but here goes. If a hotel offers free shuttles to the airport, does this mean you can leave your vehicle parked there the whole time you are gone? Even if you won't be sataying there when you come back?

A lot of hotels request that you register your vehicle if you are a guest and the lot is typically meant for the use of guests only. Whether or not you have to register your vehicle, a car that is sitting in the hotel lot for days on end w/o moving will become suspicious and more than likely towed.

Some hotels do, however, offer parking while you are away, provided you stay at their property before your departure.

We would be staying 1 night before we left.

For me it would depend upon the city and the part of town the hotel is in.

For example, I'd never leave my car in an unsecured lot in Miami.

Let the hotel know you want to do a "stay, park and fly". They'll give you a hanger to place somewhere in your car to alert security that it's ok to be parked for a length of time. Usually the deal extends for 5 days (after that time you can pay a small fee per day), but it may be different hotel to hotel.

"For example, I'd never leave my car in an unsecured lot in Miami."

I totally agree with you there!
Actually it would be a 3 star hotel in Atlanta near the airtport

The best thing to do is call that hotel specifically and ask their rules. Some hotels charge for the parking, others offer a limited number of days (I've seen 3, so it's not always 5) if you stay one night before departure. But a simple phone call should end all confusion for your particular situation.

Thanks for all your help.

If you are a guest of the hotel before your trip, then by all means inquire with them as to what their policy is regarding parking.

They may not mind at all and tell you it's free, or they may have a nominal fee that would probably still be cheaper than the airport partking lot, or they may say that they don't allow it at all (in which case I wouldn't risk being towed by parking there anyhow).

I also agree with GoTravel that my decision would depend on the area of town, as well as the hotel's security.

Obviously I was typing while everyone else was posting. :) I didn't intend to repeat previous advice in my post.

We have done this frequently in Indy and have always been permitted 7 days and might have been able to pay for more. What I like about the program is that the hotel will also pick you up on return and bring you directly to your car.

I have an email into the hotel and we'll see what happens! I hate to have to pay for parking at the airport, it's outrageous! Thanks again everyone!
Have a great Christmas!

Many airport hotels/motels have a "stay&park" rates. What's really surprising about these rates is that more often than not, the "stay&park" rates are less than the lowest nightly rates. I can't explain it, but it's true.

Used the "stay&park" rates many times and I didn't have a car....

I use the park-n-fly hotels around the Cincinnati airport. I usually book the hotel for the night before my flight. It ends up being cheaper than paying long term parking.

Don't trust email to a hotel. Often the e-addresses are inactive or terminated accounts, or even when they're valid accounts, often no one gets back to you.

Spend the money to call the hotel directly and speak to someone. Remember, it's easier to say "sorry, NO" to a keyboard than to a voice on the other end of the phone.