Five Star Hotels In India Hate Two Wheelers: Proof [Video]
If you are a biker who has travelled long distances on your motorcycle and stayed in expensive hotels, you'd probably relate to this- Five-star hotels hate two-wheelers in India! Many such hotels and stays offer limited access to two-wheelers inside their premises, forget parking near the lobby. In a recent video, vlogger MSK has detailed this issue. He was on a bike ride to the North East when he had a bitter experience at a hotel in Raipur.
MSK's Bitter Experience In Raipur
MSK booked his stay at Hukam's Lalit Mahal, an expensive 5-star stay. He reached the hotel riding his Triumph Tiger, where the security stopped him at the gate. He was told that 'bikes were not allowed near the lobby'. He would have to park the Tiger at a different parking lot and walk his way to the lobby.
In the video, he can be heard saying that there is no respect for two-wheeler riders at expensive stays such as this. Disturbed by the 'policy', the vlogger even thought of cancelling his booking. However, the hotel management soon got things sorted and let his Triumph inside.
The Larger Picture
Now let's look at the larger picture. This isn't a one-off case or experience. Many expensive stays make two wheeler riders park their vehicles at dedicated two wheeler parking lots, which is often one that's shared with the staff parking. Some hotels even deny two-wheelers parking inside their premises!
Most star hotels discriminate. Previously, we had reported a case in which a Royal Enfield rider was restricted from entering Radisson Blu Jodhpur with the motorcycle, which he had booked a stay in. It again had to do with the internal policy of the hotel. The key issue with such policies is that riders often travel with luggage, which they'd need to carry to their room. These could be heavy and carrying it from a far-away parking lot can be cumbersome.
If you own an expensive motorcycle/ superbike, the lack of proper, safe parking can be a big issue. It is thus important to ensure the availability of proper parking for your bike before booking your stay.
Things get even worse for cyclists. Professional cyclists often book cozy stays on their trips. 5-star hotels often have a complete no-no policy towards them. Despite their cycles costing lakhs of rupees, many cyclists meet with cold treatment from the gatekeepers and security staff of star hotels. Many users have reported such incidents on various forums and discussion groups.
Star Hotels May Love Superbikes
We have also observed that some star hotels often let superbikes to be parked near their lobby- just like how they'd like a Porsche parked near the entrance- so that the onlookers know that the hotel's clientele is rich and luxe-savvy, in other words, High Networth Individuals (HNIs)- sheer showboating ! This would in a way, get them more business as well.
In most such cases, the customers will have the hotel's loyalty membership or cards- like for example, Bonvoy for the Marriot chain of hotels and resorts. It is rare to find a random rich guy getting to park his expensive ride without a word or two with higher authorities first.
Why Star Hotels Love To Have Expensive Cars Near The Lobby?
One reason for this is the showboating opportunity we talked about. A second reason could be the time and convenience sensitive nature of the patrons. The affluent always prefer their rides in a 'ready to go' state at the lobby. Long walks to the parking/ basement or waiting for the car to arrive can all be unpleasant for many.
Parking at the lobby can also curb the possibilities of valet parking mishaps. We have seen multiple such incidents including one in which a valet crashed a brand new Mercedes Benz EQE into a wall at a restaurant in Bengaluru. Another reason is safety. When the car is very expensive, it is always a better practice to park in open view than basement, under the supervision of the staff in the lobby.