My valet parking experience at different places in Delhi-NCR

At a restaurant in Mehrauli, I gave a valet card for a 2008 Maruti SX4 and got a brand-new 2023 Tata Safari presented to us!

BHPian rayjaycleoful recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Very sorry to hear this and kudos to your cousin for being brave. Most of the banquet/ shaadi type valets are hired just for the night and have nothing to lose with any car damage or even human damage.

I forgot about this thread but as someone who goes out often in Delhi and Gurgaon maybe my experiences which I can remember / suggestions below would help BHPians reading this.

TLDR - Park your car yourself to save the car and time / don't give keys to anyone / pay a small tip and you will have a parking slot open up on the porch. If anything happens to your car, no one will take ownership. I think I read this on TBHP only but basically, Valet in India means we don't have enough space for comfortable parking so will stick cars to each other.

Personally, I like to keep my cars for very long - in shiny and clean condition. As much as possible (almost always actually now), I refuse to hand over the keys at any hotel/ restaurant/ market/ marriage, etc because of misuse and how much time it takes to get the car back. At some places where self-parking is absolutely not possible, I think it's better to take a trusted driver/ BluSmart.

Hotels

Leela Delhi, Taj Palace, Grand Hyatt Gurgaon, Pullman Gurgaon

You can go down to the basement, park your car, and take the lift up which comes out right at the lobby (where they take your car). No one can stop you from doing this. I usually ask the guy who comes to take the car where I can park, if they guide me well (they usually will), the guy gets 100 Rs. Unnecessary, I know, but I'm happy to pay a small amount for the security of my car and the convenience of getting it in ~2min. Sometimes while leaving at a peak time - there are too many cars for you to get back within 5 minutes; sometimes in the middle of the night, there is no one awake to get your car. If the guys don't guide you, simply ask for the manager

Radisson Gurgaon/ Delhi, Trident Gurgaon, ITC Maurya

Surface parking available; or tip the guy to make a spot available for you

Why do I do this at "5-star" hotels?

Because things aren't like they used to be - no elderly/ experienced drivers. Accidents can happen anywhere but now these are all young guys contracted via some vendor and handed a white cap to park cars. You will see your own car wheel spinning on the lobby floor, automatic cars with gears being changed in motion, etc. The valet slip also says they are not responsible for anything! Go figure.

Restaurants/ Marketplaces

• 32 Avenue - Disastrous situation. Car is taken to the road/ some dusty lot outside with the same entry/ exit gate
• Dhan mill - Again cars are entering/ exiting from the same place and no idea where they go
• Mehrauli restaurants - Very congested place overall. Some places have parking right in front, some do it on the footpath, and some take it far away

Some stories I have to share

• Olive Mehrauli- Told the dude I'm either parking on the porch or parking myself. They resisted and I asked the restaurant person at the door - They said I can go park myself. On a different occasion, I gave the car and got it back with a puncture at 1 AM. Punctures can happen anywhere but considering I saw their unkempt yard, I believe it happened because of them.
• One of the many Mehrauli restaurants that share parking at OneStyleMile. Valet gave us the key to fetch the car (parked on a footpath if you may). As soon as we got in the car, another valet hit a car (dented their door) into our stationary car (broke our bumper). Vendor and drivers tried to dismiss it/shoo us away but we were a couple of guys - finally, it came down to the driver is poor, please let him go, etc.
• Different Mehrauli restaurant - Gave a valet card for a 2008 SX4 and got a brand new 2023 Safari presented to us! Valet cards getting swapped is very very common
• Leela Gurgaon - Gave my car and later wondered where it went because of the very long time it took to get it back. It was parked in Ambience Mall - I could have done it myself
• Taj Huda - Gave a valet card for my Creta and got a Honda City in return… The guys were super overworked. One of them sat in a guest's car, gassed it as soon he got in but the wheels very fully turned so he almost hit another car
• 32 Avenue - Was waiting at the main gate for a friend to leave (parked on the road, best alternative) and saw 7 valets get into a Figo to get lunch, haha
• Grant Hyatt Gurgaon - Friend and I both leave at the same time; I go to fetch my car myself and the parking guy gets his new Hector, except the guy does a nice burnout-brake-burnout type thing in the basement in front of me.

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