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THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 104 FEBRUARY 28, 2018
HILTON: COURTESY OF HILTON HOTELS + RESORTS. WILSHIRE: DON RIDDLE/COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS. SUNSET: FACE TO FACE/ZUMA PRESS/NEWSCOM. AUDI, ALFA: COURTESY OF BRAND. CHATEAU: FG/BAUER-GRIFFIN/GC IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES. TYLER: JON KOPALOFF/FILMMAGIC. ELLIS: EMMA MCINTYRE/GETTY IMAGES FOR ESQUIRE. ASENCIO: TRISTAN CASSEL.HangoutsANYTHING CHANGED IN THE CAR?
Nothing was changed inside.
PARKING TIPS “A lot of people self-
park” at the Hilton, says Epstein.
Make a quick right when enter-
ing the driveway. Or park in the
nearby residential neighborhood
off of Whittier and walk over. If
there’s a prepaid parking option,
take it. And here’s an insider
secret for all of these hotels: Snag
a validation from the lobby con-
cierge or restaurant (all you have
to do is ask), as parking prices
for events are higher.
COST $7 for first four hours (valet
or self-parking) with lobby-bar
validation.
BOTTOM LINE Self-park over
valet, even though the service
remains professional.BEVERLY WILSHIREShowbiz events from charity
galas to Oscar parties — includ-
ing THR’s 2018 Nominees Night
— book this hotel year-round.
SERVICE The valet stand is equipped
with heaters and citrus-flavored
spa water. On one occasion, an
attendant noticed cash in a car’s
back seat and alerted one of the
passengers.
WAIT TIME ON ARRIVAL Two to five
minutes.
WAIT TIME AT DEPARTURE Six min-
utes, up to 40 minutes following
an event (including up to 16 min-
utes in line just to pay).
ANYTHING CHANGED IN THE CAR?
Driver’s seat window pulled
down; seat moved.
PARKING TIPS While there’s lim-
ited metered parking nearby,
it’s worth a look. During events,if there is a table set up near
the ballroom entrance to prepay
parking, do it.
COST $16 for the first three hours
with validation; $4 for each addi-
tional hour; $52 maximum.
BOTTOM LINE To avoid
the long waits as the
880-person ballroom
empties out, get cre-
ative. One woman
attending the recent
AARP Movies for Grownups gala
gave $20 to the valet to have her
car ready, but still ended up wait-
ing 20 minutes for her BMW i3.If you choose to Uber or Lyft, make
sure to be picked up and dropped
off on Wilshire Boulevard; do not
let the driver pull into the valet
as it’s often at a standstill because
of the foot traffic across the car
lanes between the hotel’s two
buildings. “The Beverly Wilshire
is notoriously challenging getting
in and out,” says Aisha Tyler, who
always Ubers.CHATEAU MARMONTThis legendary hotspot hosts such
events as Cadillac’s pre-OscarsA
s lead valet at the Beverly Wilshire for nearly four decades, Ervin R. Asencio, 61,
has seen his fair share of dignitaries and personalities, from Margaret Thatcher
to Roger Moore — the one person who left him starstruck. “He was a very nice guy,”
says Asencio. Over the years, the valet scene has greatly changed, from the rise of ride-
sharing apps (Asencio observes Uber and Lyft drivers are nicer than cabbies) to the
decline in tips, saying, “In the beginning, people sometimes gave $100. Now it’s just
like everybody’s getting tight.” The Guatemala native shares that “for people who pay
attention, this is like a school,” where he admits to learning “everything” from manners
to crowd control to how to approach people. “I love people,” he confesses. “We don’t
do it for the money; we do it to provide the service and they come back again.” — R.S.A
s THR’s resident automotive authority — and someone
who has been writing about cars since 2004 — I have
been lucky to enjoy my fair share of over-the-top cars thrown
my way by makers, usually for a week at a time, for testing. By
my estimation, some 700 cars — worth more than $30 million
in total — have passed through my driveway. I’ve valet parked
everything from a nearly $400,000 Bentley Mulsanne to a
$240,000 Day-Glo Alien Green Mercedes-Benz G65S at Los
Angeles’ hotels, restaurants and shops over the years.
Since parking lots in the city tend to be small, some of what
gets left up front is by chance — I’m looking at you, 2012 Dodge
Caliber in front of the Waldorf Astoria — but most of the time,
you can get your car parked up front two ways.
Either you’re a regular who tips very well, say, at least a
double sawbuck each time you come. Or the car you show
up in is outrageous or aspirational. When I valeted a 2017 Audi
R8 Spyder during the DGA Awards at a very busy Beverly
Hilton, the solicitous valet told me he would leave it “right up
front, friend, where you can keep an eye on such a pretty car.”
Valets tend to park the most stylish, the rarest and the most
exuberant cars out front because these four-wheeled luxury
Veblen goods add a sense of panache even standing idle in
front of a luxury hotel.fete and WME’s Globes party.
While THR enjoyed brief
wait times, not everyone shares
the same experience. “The
Marmont is a beautiful old hotel,
but it wasn’t set up for the traf-
fic that an event brings,” notes
Pogodin. Adds Insecure’s
Jay Ellis, “Chateau is one of the
hardest to get out of.” Before dis-
embarking, you will be quizzed
regarding your purpose: If you
don’t name an event, you will
be told that nightly valet parking
is only for those with restaurant
or hotel reservations.Flashy sports cars score the pole positions,
of course, but big tips don’t hurt By Jon Alain Guzik40 YEARS IN YOUR FRONT SEAT
How to Get Your Wheels
Parked Right Up FrontI once arrived at the Hotel Bel-Air in a $285,000 fluores-
cent orange Lamborghini Huracan, and two attendants
came running to park my car a mere three feet away. Another
time, I drove to The Peninsula in a $73,000 Alfa Romeo Giulia
Quadrifoglio, which the valet parked in front next to a Ferrari
California T, saying, “Bella Italiano — they belong together.”
Valets in L.A. have seen every shade of amazing. So while
you think the $190,700 Porsche 911 Turbo S you drive is
worthy of up-front treatment, they will usually choose that ultra-
rare $187,500 Lava Orange Porsche 911 GT3 RS instead.
You’re proud of the $81,200 Ibis White Audi S7 you’re driving?
Well, here’s a tricked-out $130,700 Nardo Grey Audi RS7
coming down the pike.
That doesn’t mean something less pricey won’t occa-
sionally make the cut. Last year, the valet left my loaner
— a $39,375 Lapis Blue Metallic Volkswagen Golf R, a neat
little Fast & Furious inspired hot hatchback — smack in
front of the Beverly Wilshire, displayed among the million-
dollar supercars with Saudi plates. When I asked him why, he
said he really wanted one.
If you are lucky enough not to get charged because you
have a set of swell wheels — which happens to me more
times than not — do what I do: Tip the valet what you would
have paid in the first place. No one likes a cheapskate, even
if he drives a really cool car.↑ This $177,100 Audi R8 v10 Spyder got up-front treatment at The
Beverly Hilton during the DGA Awards. Below: A $73,000 2018 Alfa
Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio made the grade at the Peninsula.Asencio, who values giving a
high level of service and getting
to know patrons personally,
valets at the Beverly Wilshire.Ellis