There are situations where valet parking is preferable. For example there could be a district where parking is scarce. If the restaurant secures a parking enclosure that is dangerous to the general public - from an insurance liability perspective - they can still tuck customer's cars away and only have the liability to the valets who are aware of hazards.

Also, in a valet situation they can pack the car in a lot tighter than in a normal parking lot.

I will valet park when I know parking is otherwise hard to find... But I always take the precaution of emptying the car of any valuables, noting the mileage - when the valet accepts the car, and checking it and the general condition of the car by doing a walk around before I get in and drive away. There is always the possibility that I could miss something - but at least they know some customers are checking.

Another thing that is important is to make sure the car is clean and to have a good wax shine - no damage going in. In those cases valets are more likely to keep you car closer to the entrance to the facility to show it off (at least that has been my experience at casinos). Drive into a valet situation at any place with any kind of swank at all in a relatively dirty and/or beat hoopty and you can be sure you car is going to be as far from the front entrance as possible.

I would also suggest that it is more important to tip the guy who takes your car away than to tip the guy who brings it back.

Just walk down there, take a flashlight and cell camera- look for your paint. Dont ask.

You think they'll be MORE friendly after a letter?!

;)

I expect more from BLT/Ritz employees. Good luck, man. BTW, you were literally one block away from me. I'm right on Martine. Next time, wanna buy me a steak at BLT? :D

The way this place is setup, I don't think you can just walk into the garage. I believe it's got garage doors on each side. Then again, I could be wrong...but I'm 99% sure that's how it is. I live a block away from the "scene of the crime."

I'm thinking that chances are slim that there will be a next time. I am not a huge fan of $1k steaks. And yes, you can't walk into the garage. They have doors over the entrance and exits since it's for valet parking only.

That's the case in Chicago, for the most part. Except for downtown, much of the valet parking for restaurants consists of the Valet taking your car and cruising the neighborhood to park the vehicles on the street, as land is too valuable, and restaurant's profits too low, to have a dedicated parking lot/area. A not uncommon complaint is the owner getting a "you didn't pay your parking ticket" letter in the mail from Chicago when the valet parks the vehicle illegally, and throws the ticket away when he retrieves it.

Chicago, of course, doesn't care who parked it, the owner has to pay. And typically an inflated amount, since it wasn't paid on-time. Getting reimbursed by the restaurant/valet service usually can be done, but only after lots of time, effort, many phone calls, and sometimes a complaint to the local newspaper "Consumer Help" column.

Problem Solver: Valet gets parking ticket, hides evidence - Chicago Tribune

Nope, I don't use valet parking.

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Just had the same thing happen to my wife's car...had to Valet for a week during the day at the Eden Roc here during an event (I had no other options, no self park for guests)...went to fuel up one day and noticed rear bumper cover was askew and damaged...when i returned to point it out, they looked at the ticket (which was missing the day before) and said, "ahh no, the damage was marked on this, it was there before you came here"....long story short, I got NOTHING out of them, did a quickie "pop out" of the skin and re-attached the bumper underneath so it looks fine from afar and will keep my fingers crossed at lease turn in....THANK GOD it was not my car, but it still pisses me off....

I disagree. It's impossible to determine the overall competency and professionalism of the person parking your car in the five seconds you have to "build a relationship" with a valet in front of a restaurant or hotel.

Never thought about building a relationship, but the judgement is as to relative risks.

The valet is going to drive your car, and the ones parked on either side of it.

When you self-park, how do you judge the competency of the two drivers who park beside you? You don't get any opportunity to do that.

If the restaurant has a secure parking place for cars that are parked by the valet, then it is often better than leaving it on the street. If the valet is just going to park it on the street, then I don't see any advantage to using a valet.