How Opening Parking to the Public Boosts Hotel Parking Revenue
Hotel parking lots are valuable real estate — but for large portions of the day, they sit mostly empty. After morning check-outs, mid-week lulls, or off-season slowdowns, dozens of spaces (if not more) sit unused, leaving potential hotel parking revenue untapped.
So why should hotels open their parking to the public? Opening parking to the public not only helps monetize hotel parking but also boosts hotel brand visibility, while supporting the local community and making parking operations more efficient. With ParqEx’s hotel parking management software — from its Marketplace parking platform for public listings to GuestParq, Access+, LPR, and AI Dynamic & Predictive Pricing — hotels can increase hotel parking income without sacrificing guest satisfaction.
1. Turning Underused Spaces Into Steady Hotel Parking Revenue
Many hotel parking lots and garages have very predictable low-occupancy periods:
- Mid-mornings after check-out.
- Mid-week, when guest counts drop.
- Off-season months with fewer travelers.
- Daytime hours when guests are offsite.
How ParqEx helps hotels monetize parking:
- Marketplace: List unused spaces publicly (using the custom listing option for low-occupancy periods) in real time to open hotel parking to the public.
- AI Dynamic & Predictive Pricing: Automatically adjust parking rates to match demand and forecast occupancy.
- Parking Analytics Dashboard: View hotel parking trends to optimize pricing and availability for maximum hotel parking revenue.
- Automated payments: Parking income flows directly to the hotel without any manual processing.
2. Enhancing the Guest Experience While Monetizing Parking
Guests expect convenience from the moment they arrive — and parking is usually the guest’s first impression. Common hotel parking headaches include:
- No guaranteed spaces during peak check-in.
- Traffic congestion at entrances/exits.
- Delays waiting for the valet or key cards.
- Confusion about where to park.
How ParqEx’s hotel parking solutions protect guest parking:
- GuestParq: When guests book their room with your hotel, GuestParq will also allow them to reserve parking spaces in advance. (This feature can also be used to event attendees.)
- Access+/LPR: Provide secure, contactless gate and garage entry via smartphone or license plate recognition.
- Digital permits: Guests receive parking access codes before arrival, bypassing the front desk.
- Parking Analytics Dashboard: Hotel staff can track guest vs. public parking space usage to ensure guests always have priority, even when you open hotel parking to the public.
3. Building Community Connections & Local Awareness
Public parking draws in locals and visitors who might otherwise never set foot on the property. Potential repeat parkers include:
- Event-goers at nearby stadiums or theaters.
- Shoppers and diners who are visiting nearby businesses.
- Commuters needing reliable and safe weekday parking.
- Visitors to nearby tourist attractions.
How ParqEx’s hotel parking management software builds local engagement:
- Marketplace: Make your lot visible in public parking searches and on parking apps.
- White-label solutions: Offer a hotel-branded parking portal and platform for locals and guests.
- Targeted availability: Monetize hotel parking only during off-peak guest hours.
- PARCS (Parking Access & Revenue Control Systems): Seamlessly manage paid parking for both guests and the public.
4. Streamlining Operations & Boosting Hotel Parking Revenue with Smart Parking Technology
Opening parking to the public can be profitable and worth the effort — but without the right systems, it can lead to operational challenges. A few challenges you might face when not set up with the proper tools and technologies are:
- Unauthorized vehicles or double-bookings
- Manual permit checks and parking enforcement eating into staff time
- Parking space allocation disputes
- Difficulty balancing guest and public demand
How ParqEx simplifies public and guest parking management:
- Parking Zone Management: Define and enforce zones for guests, public users, hotel EV charging, and staff to maintain order — even with dynamic pricing in play.
- License Plate Recognition (LPR): Instantly verify authorized vehicles, detect violations, and gate-keep unauthorized users.
- Enforcer App: Give staff and enforcement mobile hotel parking enforcement tools for real-time enforcement and violation tracking.
- Internal Tenant Management Platform: Oversee hotel guests, event attendees, staff, and public drivers from a unified dashboard.
- Access+: Control parking gates and garage access remotely and securely.
- Instant allocation changes: Shift balance between guest and public parking on the fly using occupancy insights.
The bottom line is this: With ParqEx’s full suite of hotel parking solutions, properties can confidently open hotel parking to the public, maximize guest satisfaction, build stronger community ties, boost hotel branding, and grow hotel parking revenue — all while running their parking more efficiently and effectively. Ready to take that next step? Book a demo with ParqEx today.
