For many properties, parking can be one of the most powerful and effective ways to maximize space and generate revenue - especially during events or busy periods when guests are clamoring to visit a destination, but also need the freedom a vehicle provides.
This can be especially impactful in major cities and destinations, where public parking is often at a premium or requires parking several blocks or more away from the properties people have booked.
Our latest study has examined the availability and cost of hotel parking in major U.S. destinations, along with the parking options hoteliers are competing against.
Key Findings
- The average hotel property charges $43.71 per night for parking, with those offering valet parking charging $56.92 per night.
- More than 90% of hotel properties offer parking in some form, with 82% of listings having parking as “on-site”.
- Just under a quarter of hotel properties in the 15 most popular city destinations offer free parking on their websites, with Las Vegas (74%) being the most common.
- The average cost of public parking in the most popular cities is $33.65 for 24 hours, with New York being the most expensive and Dallas the least.
- Nightly parking fees can increase a property's average revenue by an additional 25% relative to the average nightly room rate.
Where Is All The Hotel Parking?
Our analysis of hotel parking across the 15 most popular U.S. city destinations found that 90% of properties listed on Online Travel Agents (OTAs) offer parking, with those in Las Vegas having the highest availability. Nearly 98% of hotels in Las Vegas list parking availability on their booking pages, with the typical nightly parking cost being $20.50.
In comparison, Boston has the least parking among the hotels listed on the OTAs examined. Just 71% of properties say they have parking available; among those that do, nearly 60% offer valet parking, while just 74% have parking “On-site”.
Cities With The Most Hotel Parking
Percentage Of Properties With Selected Features
As the table above shows, Las Vegas and Fort Lauderdale have the highest percentage of hotels with parking listed as available on their booking pages, with Las Vegas (97.73%) slightly higher than Fort Lauderdale (97.67%).
Atlanta and Orlando properties have the third-highest parking availability rates, at 97.38% and 97.12%, respectively.
At the other end of the scale, Boston has the lowest parking availability rate (70.59%), followed by New York (71.32%) and San Francisco (77.70%).
Naturally, parking availability can be heavily influenced and restricted by the infrastructure and environment in which it is built. In destinations such as Las Vegas, parking is a draw for hotel guests and helps differentiate the property and generate secondary revenue from guests passing through the casino.
At the same time, in destinations where parking is limited, and streets are busy and tight - such as Boston and New York - parking can provide a premium extra that many (including residents) can struggle to use. This ‘extra’ creates an opportunity for additional revenue, especially when hotels offer on-site or secure parking.
On-Site Parking Availability
While the majority (82%) of listings with parking have “On-Site” availability, this distribution isn’t even across cities. Listing data showed that “On-Site” parking in New York falls to as low as 15.73%, far below the city with the second-lowest “On-Site” access, Chicago (55.48%).
Even where on-site parking isn’t as easily available, many hotels have found new ways of offering parking. In New York, 71% of hotels reviewed offer parking; however, only one in six have on-site facilities, leading many to partner with local public parking lots or provide a valet service in conjunction with them.
These valet services don’t just help hotels offer a more luxurious service; they also provide a clever way for hoteliers to open a parking revenue stream they would otherwise be locked out of, given the facilities available.
Valet Service Availability
Washington, D.C., has the highest number of hotel properties listing valet services, with more than two-thirds (68.66%) offering valet services on their listing pages; a welcome relief when visiting a city famous for its busy, often disrupted road networks.
Behind D.C., Boston has the second-highest rate of valet parking, with 59.52% of properties listing parking as a feature that offers valet service. Chicago, the city with the second-lowest “On-Site” parking availability, has the third-highest valet service rate (58.22%).
For those visiting and staying in Orlando, fewer than 1 in 10 (8.90%) hotel properties offer valet service, a figure well below the city with the second fewest, Houston (18.82%).
These figures further support the idea that, in more condensed cities, valet services are an effective way for hoteliers to enhance their offerings, while in more “spread out” destinations, on-site parking is often viewed as standard.
However, for hoteliers unable to invest large sums in parking or parking lots, offering a valet service can open doors and revenue streams they might otherwise miss.
Free Parking Availability
A little under a quarter of property listings (23%) list free parking as available, the highest figure in Las Vegas. Nearly three-quarters (73.64%) of property listings in Las Vegas with parking have it marked as “Free”. Many of these listings are associated with casinos, where free parking is a key marketing tool to attract players and guests.
Behind Vegas, Houston had the second-highest percentage of listings with free parking (55.94%). Meanwhile, Orlando (44.03%) has the third-highest free parking rate.
OTA figures showed that during the period analyzed, none of the listings in New York City offered free parking on their booking pages. While in Boston (0.84%) and Chicago (1.84%), hotel properties with free parking are few and far between.
How Much Does Hotel Parking Cost In U.S. Cities?
Understanding the availability of parking across hotels in the U.S. is one thing, but for many, the cost is equally important, for both hoteliers assessing potential additional revenue and for guests calculating the total cost of their stay.
Understanding the availability of parking across hotels in the U.S. is one thing, but for many, the cost is equally important, for both hoteliers assessing potential additional revenue and for guests calculating the total cost of their stay.
Reviewing individual parking information for our sample of hotels, we found that, on average, the nightly parking rate in the U.S. was $43.71, representing 25% of the average nightly room cost during the period analyzed ($182.52).
Average Hotel Parking Prices
Figures showed that while San Francisco has the highest average cost ($65.53) to park in or via a hotel-serviced lot, Chicago has the highest additional cost relative to the average night fee. On average, hotels in Chicago charge $147.12 per night and $62.79 per night for parking, representing an additional 43% in potential revenue.
In Las Vegas, the average nightly parking fee yields just over 11% more revenue per night, helping explain how so many properties in the city can charge nothing for parking, while those that do see only a marginal boost in revenue.
While the average charge for parking at hotels across the U.S. is $43.71, this price naturally differs between “self-parking” and “valet parking” options.
The typical price per night for self-parking at a hotel is $34.15, with San Francisco ($55.90) charging the most. In contrast, Fort Lauderdale ($17.17) had the most affordable self-parking among the cities and samples analyzed.
Self-Parking Prices At Hotels
On average, self-parking can increase a property's revenue by 19% over the average nightly cost. However, this pales in comparison to the potential revenue from valet parking (31%).
Valet parking at hotels across the U.S. costs an average of $22.77 extra, with sampled hotels typically earning $56.92 per night based on advertised valet-parking costs.
New York, where the advertised average valet parking cost is $77.50, has the highest valet prices, while properties in Orlando ($33.00) have the lowest.
Valet-Parking Prices At Hotels
Note: Las Vegas price results within the sample size were too small and were omitted.
As the table shows, properties in Chicago can earn up to 49% more revenue by offering valet parking services. The average nightly hotel rate in Chicago is $147.12, while the average valet parking rate is $71.58.
In comparison, properties in Honolulu earn just 18% more from valet parking than from the nightly room rate, a 3% increase on the additional revenue they generate from self-parking (15%).
These figures reveal that, on average, properties can earn an additional 25% in nightly revenue by charging for parking, with this figure rising to as much as 31% when properties offer valet parking.
This additional revenue, especially in congested cities and destinations, can not only help boost profits but also cover much-needed maintenance and overheads. However, hoteliers still need to be aware of their local markets and how parking fees can deter guests.
How Much Does Parking Cost In Popular Cities?
When it comes to parking revenue, properties aren’t just competing with other hotels; they are also competing with local parking options, including public parking lots, which charge an average of $33.65 for 24 hours in the cities analyzed.
This means the average hotel property charges $10.06 more than the average public parking lot. However, for typical self-parking at major tourist destinations, the 24-hour rate is $31.67, $2.48 less than the average nightly hotel parking fee.
For valet services, the average public parking lot costs $44.25 per 24-hour period, making hotel valet parking about $14.77 more expensive on average.
It’s worth noting that the largest difference between hotel and public parking is in Washington, DC, where hotel properties typically charge $21.81 more than the local 24-hour parking rate. While in Miami, hotel parking is, on average, $6.67 lower than public parking options listed locally.
Average Differences Between Hotel And Public Parking Options
Note: Where ‘N/a’, data was not available among randomized city samples.
In all but three of the cities analyzed, hotel parking charges more than the local public parking average. Only Miami, Las Vegas, and Orlando have hotel parking rates below the local public average.
However, these figures don’t reflect how providing on-site and close-proximity parking can enhance guests' hotel experiences, saving them time and money by avoiding the commute to a public parking lot.
Compared with the average nightly hotel cost, public car parks reported to be staffed are just $7.05 cheaper per 24-hour period. However, on-site staff availability was often limited, suggesting there were periods when staff weren’t present or when CCTV wasn't being monitored.
Uncovered public parking, such as at strip malls, costs an average of $9.85 less than hotel parking. But with many of these sites and locations being less secure and often farther from the city's central tourist areas, this comes at a cost in terms of distance, transport, and security.
And, for those staying over multiple nights, in-and-out allowances are needed. Figures for public parking lots that allow this were often limited, and while cheaper by $9.63 than the average nightly hotel parking fee, multiple trips back and forth to a public lot will become more expensive in time and/or money when commuting to the lot.
Average Public Parking Costs Broken Down By Service
Note: Where cells are marked * data for those cities was unavailable.
Conclusion
For hotels looking to expand their revenue-generating services, parking can be incredibly profitable. By understanding the local market, other properties in the area, and parking availability, hoteliers can make themselves competitive and profitable by adjusting accessibility or parking types.
Availability figures show that, for around a quarter of property listings, owners may be leaving revenue on the table, especially in areas where parking fees are the norm or expected. However, this shouldn’t be done at the expense of the guest experience for properties that include parking, but even a small fee can help hoteliers improve guest services and experiences elsewhere by generating additional revenue.
For properties that may not have access to their own parking lots, understanding the parking market and what is available nearby can create opportunities to partner with a local secure parking facility. This can take the form of offering validated or discounted parking for guests, or even a complete valet parking service that guests can book in advance. By expanding and working with 3rd party parking providers, hoteliers, even in busy and congested areas, can attract guests with an additional level and layer of service
Methodology:
Our analysis of hotel parking availability examined the 15 most popular U.S. cities for overseas travelers, according to the International Trade Administration. We used Online Travel Agent (OTA) search data for each city to collate the number of hotel properties (three stars or higher) and the counts and types of parking available. As part of this analysis, we collated the average nightly room price for two people on a weekend date in October, November, or December 2025.
Taking a random sample of 25 or more hotel properties in each city destination, we then reviewed the individual hotel policies and parking prices, providing us with insight into the average parking cost at hotels in each destination. Our hotel parking insights also identified the costs, noting whether hotel properties listed ‘Self Parking’, ‘Valet’, or both Self Parking and Valet options. All figures were taken from their lowest “from” price.
Our analysis of local and public parking examined the prices and availability listed on SpotHero. It collated the average cost to park during the weekend of November 15th to 16th, 2025, from 1 pm to 1 pm the following day. To better understand how public and local parking compare with hotel properties, we also collected average figures for ‘In/Out Allowances’, ‘On-site Staff’, ‘Self Parking’, ‘Valet Services’, and the cost of ‘Uncovered’ parking.
Analysis of these data points revealed the cities where parking is most available and attractive to guests, and where, for hotel properties, money is being left at the door by failing to actively leverage parking availability to maximize potential revenues.