HOTEL PARKING
whats the cost for valea parking at the westen?
Parking at the Westin I believe costs 22 per day like charlieg said. I personally parked at the Grant Street Transportation center, as it it significantly cheaper and just as close.
Here's the parking facilities located near the Westin:
The parking page gives you various options--the Grant St Transpo Ctr is a good deal and there's also a lot at 11th and
Waterfront that can be affordable. Plus there's an underground parking garage nr the Omni, which can come in handy
if you're there or at the Doubletree. ("It has 1100 spaces and is open 24 hrs a day")
http://www.anthrocon.org/parking
(The one nr the Omni, Mellon Sq., is only $5 on Sat & Sun! Not sure how accurate above info is...
try website for Pitt. Parking Authority for more info)
If we're driving there in a rental car, does the hotel that we are staying at provide parking as a service? I would hope to assume that (meaning that they won't charge me for bringing a car).
Thanks in advance all.
does the hotel that we are staying at provide parking as a service? ... (meaning that they won't charge me for bringing a car).
Only if you're staying in the suburbs. There's no free parking in downtown Pittsburgh, even if you are paying for a hotel room.
the westen charges 20 dollars a day for parking, im not sure on how much valet parking is
Sorry!! I was totally wrong! Lookie here...apparently at the Hampton, parking IS included!
Hampton (1247 Smallman St): $169, Studio $199 (Both include parking, internet and breakfast at no additional charge)
(of course their rates are about $20-$30 higher than the others, but still. Parking IS included!)
Sorry!
One is supposed to keep 'best kept secrets'. I'll say it this way. There is a lot outdoors located somewhere within a block walking distance of the hotel, I wont say which lot and which general direction. But if you silvertongue the lot collector a bit, they MAY make a multiple day parking deal with you for approximate $30 for a multiple day stay. This shaves about $10 off that specific lot usual rate if you had paid each-day-worth. And saves close to $40 or 50 if you had chosen to park hotel or nearby hotel/garages for multiple days. Your deal price may vary depending on how you silvertongue, and how many days you intend to park. (I managed thursday late afternoon start to Monday morning leave on this rate) I wish you luck in finding this mysterious lot where the art of haggling still lives strong. (and provided the same guy still owns/operates the lot for 2012)
I assume that great deal you got by haggling is if you don't want in/out privileges...
Thanks all for the heads up, great to not be suprised on the day of arrival. Heheheh.
i was looking at the westins valet parking for my one car that i would have brought up from home this year, but decided not to. but i will be bring it for 2013 (The Fast and the Furriest). it would fit with next years theam
I take the train in then let Amtrak worry about where to park it. 
So how would one, arriving Thursday, inquire about parking in the hotel's lot or The convention center lot? I want access to the car all the time. I wouldn't, nor do I think i need to, drive in and out once I get there. I just want to have the car in arms reach to move things from it to the room. This will also help when I have to get packed up Monday morning and get on the road. I really don't know how all this works. I'm too used to very small hotels that don't' have this issue.
http://www.anthrocon.org/parking has information about the various parking. The Westin parking fills up quite promptly, but there'll be signage if it is full; otherwise, jsut pull up and enter, take necessary tickets, etc. Pretty much the way all paid parking lots work!
--Chi
So how would one, arriving Thursday, inquire about parking in the hotel's lot or The convention center lot? I want access to the car all the time. I wouldn't, nor do I think i need to, drive in and out once I get there. I just want to have the car in arms reach to move things from it to the room. This will also help when I have to get packed up Monday morning and get on the road. I really don't know how all this works. I'm too used to very small hotels that don't' have this issue.
If I find myself having to drive instead of joining a carpool, I plan to park in the Westin lot Wednesday night so I can unpack, then move the car to a less expensive lot for Thurs. to Sunday, that I can drive in and out if I need to, and back in the Westin lot Sunday night so I can pack again Monday morning. My understanding is that if you pay for a day at the Westin, you have to pay again if you drive out and come back during the day, and the lot may be full if you return on the primary Anthrocon days.
Yea, this is more in line with what I was wondering rather than having a link shoved at me. I figured I'll just pay what ever it is to park either at the Westin's parking lot or the convention center parking lot. From what I see, they are two different things. I wondered how hard or easy it is to access my car when it's parked at either. I had hopes of leaving some things in the car to avoid having them in the room unnecessarily. I don't plan on driving out once I get there, till i'm ready to leave. I just need the car close to unload Thursday because i'm not good at getting everything out at one time when I drive up. I also needed to have something near me so I could start loading up first thing Monday morning to get moving back home.
They are indeed two different lots. The Westin parking lot is located under the hotel, and accessible by the short-transit elevators that cover the 3rd, 2nd, Lobby, and parking garage floors. Unlike the other elevators, these ones are rarely crowded or have a wait. You can indeed access your car at any time to shuffle around objects.
I've never used the Convention center lots; direct information on them is here: http://www.alcoparking.com/parking/DLCC.html I'm not sure if get-stuff-from-car is available in the late evenings.
I'm not sure if get-stuff-from-car is available in the late evenings.
Don't know why not, it's not like the place is locked up or anything; I don't remember how late I've gotten stuff from my car when I parked there (I'm too cheap to do so now unless they bring back the $10 Event Parking rate they had the first year or two we were there).
And wrt Coyoty's post, I don't know that the Westin garage/ramp is any more secure against people breaking into your car than the DLCC's, though I've never been in the former. I assume both have security cameras but I also assume they're the usual low-resolution jokes - has any crook ever been identified from them? 
http://www.anthrocon.org/parking
According to this, $22 per day. No guarantees that this information has been updated for 2012 yet, though.