THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 102 FEBRUARY 28, 2018
HART: JEFF SPICER/GETTY IMAGES. ROMIJN: JEROD HARRIS/WIREIMAGE.Illustrations by Tim PeacockThe Agony of Awards-Season Valets
TH R’s definitive guide to parking during the party-filled run-up to Oscars reveals the wait times at six of L.A.’s busiest
hotels, the etiquette of ditching an event early and the secret to getting that sweet spot up front By Ramona SavissW
hen parties and awards
shows take over L.A.’s
top hotels in the run-
up to the Oscars, valet parking
can become an endurance con-
test. Most stars avoid the wait,
like Kevin Hart, who says: “I don’t
drive! I have a guy that’s in the
car who nine times out of 10 just
pulls up.” Others opt for alter-
natives. “We always find street
parking,” says Rebecca Romijn,
referring to herself and husband
Jerry O’Connell. Others just may
not bother, like awards consul-
tant Fredell Pogodin (who repped
2017 best foreign-language film
The Salesman). “There’s always
a traffic jam when you pull into
the Marmont and the Sunset
Tower,” she says, “so sometimes
I skip events there.”
To test the waiting times and
service of L.A.’s A-list awards-
season venues, THR sent out
10 different vehicles over three
consecutive weekends — both
supercars (an Audi R8) and jalopies
(think: Honda Accord with a duct-
taped mirror). Drivers also looked
for details such as which offered
complimentary water
and whether settings
were changed in
the car (who wants
to readjust her
seat?). For the most
part, valets did not
discriminate against
older, less fancy vehi-
cles — and when not
hosting an event, gave
top-level service to all. Yet the con-
sensus, as Romijn says, remains:
“We hate waiting for valet!”THE BEVERLY HILTONHome to the Golden Globes, TCAs,
guild awards and many other
events, L.A.’s busiest ballrooms —
from the rooftop Stardust to the
massive International — are here.
“For the Globes, the Hilton is a
nightmare,” says Pogodin. “I Uber
and walk a block.”
SERVICE Maddening lines snake
around the turnabout after majorevents, and even the complimen-
tary coffee and hot cider stations
only help so much. Recently, one
attendant didn’t charge a patron
after a heinous wait, while another
volunteered to keep an Audi R8
Spyder out front during the DGA
Awards, explaining, “It’s such a
mess here tonight.” Adds Strategy
PR’s Jonathan Epstein: “Fromwhat I can tell, they are way
understaffed. It always seems like
chaos.” Still, service is profes-
sional and friendly.
WAIT TIME ON ARRIVAL THR’s d r ivers
idled in line about five minutes on
average, but sometimes the wait
was up to 15 minutes.
WAIT TIME AT DEPARTURE Four min-
utes to 40 minutes after an event.E
tiquette expert Lisa Gache, founder of Beverly Hills
Manners, says that standard tips these days should
range “between $2 and $5.” Adds Ari Hodosh, a valet
veteran and former owner of C&A Valet, “If you spend
$700 on a meal at Spago and you tip the valet $2, there’s
something that’s not right there.” If you’re expecting top-
level service, Gache suggests tipping the valet captain upon
arrival “anywhere from $10 to $20. And make sure to tip the
valet attendant the same amount [when exiting] as a sign of appreciation.” Adds Fox
Sports executive vp content Charlie Dixon: “I always pre-tip. You get much better ser-
vice.” While this sort of pre-tipping doesn’t guarantee that your car will be left up front,
it likely will be nearby for easy retrieval when you depart. Large events generally will
make for longer wait times, Gache cautions, and that doesn’t mean you should tip less.
“Tipping is a sign of appreciation for excellent service delivered regardless of the sea-
son or size of the event,” she notes. Tip less than usual, she adds, only if “the attendant
is less than polite.” Stars and recognizable execs should definitely think twice before
stiffing an attendant. “In the digital age,” says Gache, “a lousy tip can go viral.” — R.S.What’s the Correct Amount to Tip?
HartRomijn