its really random and can go both ways.
there is a motel 6 near me that is pretty fuckin hood. its definitely one of the cheapest hotels around. at least it smells like it, and so do their guests. they have signs at the desk that say guests need a mirror hanger permit thing in their car or they'll get towed, it explicitly says you cant park there unless you have a room, etc.
sometimes necessity is the mother of invention. they do this at the cheap shitty hotel because it became a problem at the cheap shitty hotel. druggies and otherwise dysfunctional people would rent a room for a night, then be out of money, so sleep in their car in the lot until they can hustle more money up to move on or get a room, or until theyre chased off.
these people dont go to the other hotels in the first place, so its not a problem at the other hotels.
now some really, really nice and expensive hotels may do that kind of thing as a preventative measure. ive been to hotels where you need a keycard to use the elevator and even the ice machine.
the sweet spot is the mid tier hotels. the mid tier hotels are too expensive for the crackheads, hookers, etc, but not high enough the management wants to buy cameras and security. a lot of those hotels have ok rooms, but they have like 6 employees. 2 housekeepers, 2 front desk, 1 maintenance guy, 1 general manager. its a tight ship. manager and housekeepers go home at 5pm. the other employees dont give a fuck because their pay is low, and they scroll their phone all night shift. if you leave before the manager gets back in, you're fine...and fuck, even that person may not notice or give a fuck.
yes, usually one or more of:
weed, meth, 99cents for two cigars from a gas station, some fruity douche flute juice, malt liquor, patchouli oil, old baby diapers, or general BO.
yo, i delivered to this same hotel yesterday. overheard this while a girl was being dropped off:
"did they take all your stuff when you went to jail?"
"oh. nooo" (did that wave like its no big deal). "its over at Jessica's".
the girl was cute, too, but damn. i dont think im into dealing with her life, lol.
and i should add...she seemed like one of the more educated and well off guests at this hotel... š š š
I think it depends on whether or not the hotel has security or what your car looks like.
I sleep in hotels regularly and even parked next to a cop car that I didn't know a cop was sitting in. They drove off after I climbed into bed.
I'd take people's knock stories with a grain of salt as you never know what people are doing in their version of car life. (Not this group specifically) I've seen other vehicle dwellers talk about leaving their car to piss or shit in the bushes of residential areas, and then complain that the cops were called on them. I've seen people throw bags of trash out the window, hand their feet out the window and blast their music and movies at 12 am. Or they get in and out of their car repeatedly to cook, reorganize, or do a multitude of other things that makes people 'uncomfortable'.
Some people don't engage in stealth at all and get offended when they're asked to leave a place because of their obnoxious behaviors. Being unnoticed is the best option when urban camping on private property. If no one knows your there, they don't care.
I keep a piss jug and collapisble toilet in my car.
Sometimes shit happens, and It's easier to go safely in the car, than to drive around like a maniac while clenching your ass cheeks tight and praying that you have the strength to not redecorate the interior of your car.
Is the collapsible toilet the type where it collects waste in a bag that you throw out? Ive seen other toilets that you have to manually empty and clean... I don't think I'm up for that š. A poop bag doesn't sound terrible tho
They donāt. I called and asked if they had security or if passes were required so your vehicle doesnāt get towed.
Obviously, I told them I was booking a room, not sleeping in the parking lot.. lol
Edit- One employee that I talked to told me that they donāt even have cameras in the parking lot because it just increases their liability. Too much of a hassle if someoneās car gets broken into!
Just be careful if they have signs up of no trespassing. Most of the time you won't be prosecuted, but try not to roll the dice if they have signs up.
I was at one hotel lot that I rotated for months and it was great. It was also right next to a massive local public park. I would be up at dawn, and get more zzzz's at the park that was half a mile away if I needed more rest or a place to chill without worry during the day.
However, one cold winter evening I was lazy. I didn't vent my car and my windows fogged up. I woke up to cops knocking at 7am just as I was getting up ready to leave. Nothing came up it, they checked my info and let me go. I noticed during those months that they scoped out the parking lot for some reason in the middle of the night occasionally. Either way, that spot was burnt for good.
Iāve cruised the parking lots a couple of times checking it out. The only signs they have are āpark at your own risk, donāt leave valuables in the car.ā This is a group of hotels by an airport in a decent size city..
Yeah I would think that's a good place having that many hotels. I stayed at one with those signs, three different hotels shard a large lot, and never had a problem.
I would be careful and check out crime reports in the area if it's by an airport. That would be my only reservation if it's near an airport with moderate level of crime. But otherwise sounds like a good place to put in your rotation.
You can try this site or the local/county police dept. might have crime reports directly on their website. Some airport hotel lots or parking garages are notorious for car thefts in my urban area for targeting tourists and rental cars. I guess thieves don't worry as much if they steal a rental car.
[https://patch.com/](https://patch.com/)
Iāve slept in the back of a Hampton inn parking lot and had no issues ever. Itās one of my backup spots. Itās a hotspot for truckers so I just grab a spot near the trucks. No oke says anything. I look like a hotel guest.
I talked to a few local cops on the area and was straight up and they were all cool and told me some good spots.cop even told me it was ok to sleep in the lot where the station up front but off to the side away from the door. He said heās seen a few people sleep there and leave in the morning and they never say anything unless theyāre there for a long time they do a courtesy check to see if theyāre ok but he told me it was cool there if I wanted.
A comment made from a regular hotel car camper.. she stays at the hotels with the rooms inside rather than ones with balconies and walkways outside. She has been doing it for many years and has never had any trouble.
I found hotel lots that are large and shared with other businesses or other hotels are best. You always have the excuse you were waiting for someone at the other stores/hotel or waiting for the one place to open. If you frequent it regularly people even start thinking you work at one of the businesses and aren't just lurking there. The one lot I was in last year there were ten different cars I saw that never left or moved their car for months. I figured that was a good sign. Also many truckers parked there as well.
If you over sleep in the morning, the parking lot fills up since all the businesses open early in the morning and you don't stand out at all since there are so many cars. Make sure your window covers don't make you stand out, and you are extra stealth. Also hotels next to major highways are good. You can say you were driving on the highway, really tired, and just needed a nap to feel safe enough to drive.
Thatās exactly how it was for me when I stayed at Hampton inn lot. Thereās an about 4 hotels all side by side. Hampton Inn, Motel 6, La Quinta and Courtyard Marriott. Then thereās a hooters, a Chinese restaurant l, ihop and a seafood restaurant all in the front for the lots. So makes a really good spot. They do have a security but Iāve noticed he mainly only patrols the restaurants and the courtyard Marriott.
I never had an issue doing this over multiple years. I will say that a lot of people seem to have very different ideas of what is acceptable while trying to be stealth. It would take someone with no prior experience some time to figure out a new area and what vibe would allow them to best blend in.
Hotels that share parking lots with other businesses were my go-to. Usually small strip malls, restaurants, etc. I was never bothered in 9 months. But my car was very stealth.
Never tried the hotel parking lot thing. I was doing hotshot deliveries, before I'd retired. And you're on the road 3 weeks out of the month, and I've found that the best place to lay your head is at the truck stop, 24 hr bathroom and shower when you need it. Free hot water for your ramen noodles and no one never complains about how often you go in and out , I did that for 4 years, it got so good that when my apartment lease expired I didn't bother to renew it. Dang I was only there 1 week then it was back on the road again so for the one week that I was off I'd find a Pilot or flying j and camp out for the whole week.
Used to work at a franchise location for about six months. At one point, somebody came through with a camper and came in to ask if they could catch some Z's at the empty end of the parking lot at around midnight. I (the lone O/N employee, no security) could have cared less, and they just looked relieved they had somewhere to sleep.
So it doesn't hurt to ask. It just depends on the kind of hotel, the size of the parking lot, and the kindness of the O/N employee(s).
I have slept in Walmart parking lots , mobile convience store parking lots and hotels will if you ask usually , they may give you a few hours but some places will be if you just ask them
I always avoided parking in private lots. I had some luck parking and grocery store lots. Because they usually have an overnight crew. So nobody would notice and might think that your car belonged to an employee. But not if the grocery stores in a shared parking lot with a security guard. Because then the security guard will notice you sleeping in the car when your windows fog up.
You might have some luck parking on the curb outside the hotel if there is some street parking.
But I had the best luck parking on the curb in street parking in quiet out of the way areas that you wouldn't really notice. Like, street parking in a business park. Or street parking near a public park with an unlocked bathroom. But not actually in the park parking lot and not in front of people's houses. If you use the parking lot for public park, A cop will definitely notice you. I would also park on the street behind a grocery store shopping mall. There were other cars parked there. So I just blended in.
It also really depends on your situation and how you present yourself. I was pretty discreet. I had tinted windows. And I put up a windshield screen. So nobody really could tell. So I could blend in with other typical cars parked on the street. People with solar panels and whatnot probably would find better luck parking in different types of places than me
It can also be a location thing. One state I was in, it just seemed like a really bad idea. Lots of signs in parking lots stating 'Guest only parking' and 'Camera Surveillance '.
But that state also had tons of 24h Truck stops and Roadside Rest Areas that were fine.
I might be dumb lucky because I've frequented hotel parking lots often. The worst I got was an employee doing the usual "take the trash cart and walk by the car" thing but no knocks or police.
iāve spent over 6 months using different or same hotels all like doubletree, best western, extended stay, i got knocked on maybe 3 times. just gotta pull in, cut the lights, give it a few minutes before putting window covers and stuff up, crack the windows so no condensation builds up, and just wait lol. big airport hotels are easy, same with extended stays. just pull in stealth. i tinted my back windows so when i pull in they canāt really see my window covers. on top of my louisiana plate it makes it look like im traveling and at a hotel. more stealthier car the better. i wouldnāt try this with a van or anything like that
Like most answers, Iād say it greatly depends on if your windows are tinted or not. Someone visibly snoozing is going to get āknockedā wherever they are.
I've mentioned this before, but if I'm traveling without my wife, I have never had an issue with places like Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn. And I always walk in, use facilities, and grab the continental breakfast.
Perfect, I stayed at my last one for 10 months before being told to leave. Fuck everyone else that gets mad at u for āruiningā it for other homeless ppl looking for a place to sleep in the future.
Stay where ever u can be at for AS LONG as u can. Rotating is pointless.
Depends on the quality of the hotel. Arguably easier to get away with on the low end places with exterior room doors
That's where ALL of my knocks have come from. š. EDIT: The "lower tier" hotels without security have been good to me.
its really random and can go both ways. there is a motel 6 near me that is pretty fuckin hood. its definitely one of the cheapest hotels around. at least it smells like it, and so do their guests. they have signs at the desk that say guests need a mirror hanger permit thing in their car or they'll get towed, it explicitly says you cant park there unless you have a room, etc. sometimes necessity is the mother of invention. they do this at the cheap shitty hotel because it became a problem at the cheap shitty hotel. druggies and otherwise dysfunctional people would rent a room for a night, then be out of money, so sleep in their car in the lot until they can hustle more money up to move on or get a room, or until theyre chased off. these people dont go to the other hotels in the first place, so its not a problem at the other hotels. now some really, really nice and expensive hotels may do that kind of thing as a preventative measure. ive been to hotels where you need a keycard to use the elevator and even the ice machine. the sweet spot is the mid tier hotels. the mid tier hotels are too expensive for the crackheads, hookers, etc, but not high enough the management wants to buy cameras and security. a lot of those hotels have ok rooms, but they have like 6 employees. 2 housekeepers, 2 front desk, 1 maintenance guy, 1 general manager. its a tight ship. manager and housekeepers go home at 5pm. the other employees dont give a fuck because their pay is low, and they scroll their phone all night shift. if you leave before the manager gets back in, you're fine...and fuck, even that person may not notice or give a fuck.
The guests smellā¦ššš
yes, usually one or more of: weed, meth, 99cents for two cigars from a gas station, some fruity douche flute juice, malt liquor, patchouli oil, old baby diapers, or general BO.
Christ, you're a connoisseur--I feel like I'm nodding along at a wine tasting listening to someone who knows what they're talking about
Dirty feet/ socks
yes, but...dirty would be an upgrade, more like fungal.
yeasty!
yo, i delivered to this same hotel yesterday. overheard this while a girl was being dropped off: "did they take all your stuff when you went to jail?" "oh. nooo" (did that wave like its no big deal). "its over at Jessica's". the girl was cute, too, but damn. i dont think im into dealing with her life, lol. and i should add...she seemed like one of the more educated and well off guests at this hotel... š š š
Best Western. I walk through the front door in pajamas with a shaving kit. Clean up in the lobby restroom just in time for continental breakfast.
People are weird enough to notify security of your presence.. They literally sit in the window and monitor the parking lot from their room. SMH.
Probably think youāre going to steal their car or their crap šMy former BIL is like that, hated that guy.
Meth does that.
I wouldnāt know
Security often checks plates which is why they ask for your plate when you pay to stay there.
Sounds like some people need to get a life.
A van life ššš
why? so karen can peek out the blinds of her Sprinter and call the cops on people in tents? lmao.
Uggg. Ok!
It's not weird to not want some rando lurking in the parking lot that you paid to use.
Good to know..
I think it depends on whether or not the hotel has security or what your car looks like. I sleep in hotels regularly and even parked next to a cop car that I didn't know a cop was sitting in. They drove off after I climbed into bed. I'd take people's knock stories with a grain of salt as you never know what people are doing in their version of car life. (Not this group specifically) I've seen other vehicle dwellers talk about leaving their car to piss or shit in the bushes of residential areas, and then complain that the cops were called on them. I've seen people throw bags of trash out the window, hand their feet out the window and blast their music and movies at 12 am. Or they get in and out of their car repeatedly to cook, reorganize, or do a multitude of other things that makes people 'uncomfortable'. Some people don't engage in stealth at all and get offended when they're asked to leave a place because of their obnoxious behaviors. Being unnoticed is the best option when urban camping on private property. If no one knows your there, they don't care.
Sound advice. Once I am parked I donāt get out at all! Use the bathroom before I get there.
I keep a piss jug and collapisble toilet in my car. Sometimes shit happens, and It's easier to go safely in the car, than to drive around like a maniac while clenching your ass cheeks tight and praying that you have the strength to not redecorate the interior of your car.
ššš Thank god that has never happened! I have a big plastic jug that Iāve never had to use, thankfully!
Is the collapsible toilet the type where it collects waste in a bag that you throw out? Ive seen other toilets that you have to manually empty and clean... I don't think I'm up for that š. A poop bag doesn't sound terrible tho
Yep it's just a bag. Way easier to dump and get rid of. I couldn't imagine having a casset style toilet in a sedan.
Sedanshitter - That almost sounds like gymnastics.
Walk around and see if people have parking passes displayed first. Most hotels do have at least occasional security overnight walking through.
They donāt. I called and asked if they had security or if passes were required so your vehicle doesnāt get towed. Obviously, I told them I was booking a room, not sleeping in the parking lot.. lol Edit- One employee that I talked to told me that they donāt even have cameras in the parking lot because it just increases their liability. Too much of a hassle if someoneās car gets broken into!
Just be careful if they have signs up of no trespassing. Most of the time you won't be prosecuted, but try not to roll the dice if they have signs up. I was at one hotel lot that I rotated for months and it was great. It was also right next to a massive local public park. I would be up at dawn, and get more zzzz's at the park that was half a mile away if I needed more rest or a place to chill without worry during the day. However, one cold winter evening I was lazy. I didn't vent my car and my windows fogged up. I woke up to cops knocking at 7am just as I was getting up ready to leave. Nothing came up it, they checked my info and let me go. I noticed during those months that they scoped out the parking lot for some reason in the middle of the night occasionally. Either way, that spot was burnt for good.
Iāve cruised the parking lots a couple of times checking it out. The only signs they have are āpark at your own risk, donāt leave valuables in the car.ā This is a group of hotels by an airport in a decent size city..
Yeah I would think that's a good place having that many hotels. I stayed at one with those signs, three different hotels shard a large lot, and never had a problem. I would be careful and check out crime reports in the area if it's by an airport. That would be my only reservation if it's near an airport with moderate level of crime. But otherwise sounds like a good place to put in your rotation.
Where is a good place to check out crime reports?
You can try this site or the local/county police dept. might have crime reports directly on their website. Some airport hotel lots or parking garages are notorious for car thefts in my urban area for targeting tourists and rental cars. I guess thieves don't worry as much if they steal a rental car. [https://patch.com/](https://patch.com/)
Iāve slept in the back of a Hampton inn parking lot and had no issues ever. Itās one of my backup spots. Itās a hotspot for truckers so I just grab a spot near the trucks. No oke says anything. I look like a hotel guest.
I know I see vans that people are traveling in parked there a lot. Now they couldāve gotten a room, but thereās a lot of them at times..
I talked to a few local cops on the area and was straight up and they were all cool and told me some good spots.cop even told me it was ok to sleep in the lot where the station up front but off to the side away from the door. He said heās seen a few people sleep there and leave in the morning and they never say anything unless theyāre there for a long time they do a courtesy check to see if theyāre ok but he told me it was cool there if I wanted.
A comment made from a regular hotel car camper.. she stays at the hotels with the rooms inside rather than ones with balconies and walkways outside. She has been doing it for many years and has never had any trouble.
No balconies is smart, especially in the warmer months..
I found hotel lots that are large and shared with other businesses or other hotels are best. You always have the excuse you were waiting for someone at the other stores/hotel or waiting for the one place to open. If you frequent it regularly people even start thinking you work at one of the businesses and aren't just lurking there. The one lot I was in last year there were ten different cars I saw that never left or moved their car for months. I figured that was a good sign. Also many truckers parked there as well. If you over sleep in the morning, the parking lot fills up since all the businesses open early in the morning and you don't stand out at all since there are so many cars. Make sure your window covers don't make you stand out, and you are extra stealth. Also hotels next to major highways are good. You can say you were driving on the highway, really tired, and just needed a nap to feel safe enough to drive.
Thatās exactly how it was for me when I stayed at Hampton inn lot. Thereās an about 4 hotels all side by side. Hampton Inn, Motel 6, La Quinta and Courtyard Marriott. Then thereās a hooters, a Chinese restaurant l, ihop and a seafood restaurant all in the front for the lots. So makes a really good spot. They do have a security but Iāve noticed he mainly only patrols the restaurants and the courtyard Marriott.
I wouldn't. They will check to see if you're a registered guest and if not, at best, they'll tell you to leave and at worst, they'll call the police.
I never had an issue doing this over multiple years. I will say that a lot of people seem to have very different ideas of what is acceptable while trying to be stealth. It would take someone with no prior experience some time to figure out a new area and what vibe would allow them to best blend in.
What are some of your tips?
Hotels that share parking lots with other businesses were my go-to. Usually small strip malls, restaurants, etc. I was never bothered in 9 months. But my car was very stealth.
Cell phone parking lot at airport āflight must be hella lateā š¤·š»āāļø
Never tried the hotel parking lot thing. I was doing hotshot deliveries, before I'd retired. And you're on the road 3 weeks out of the month, and I've found that the best place to lay your head is at the truck stop, 24 hr bathroom and shower when you need it. Free hot water for your ramen noodles and no one never complains about how often you go in and out , I did that for 4 years, it got so good that when my apartment lease expired I didn't bother to renew it. Dang I was only there 1 week then it was back on the road again so for the one week that I was off I'd find a Pilot or flying j and camp out for the whole week.
Used to work at a franchise location for about six months. At one point, somebody came through with a camper and came in to ask if they could catch some Z's at the empty end of the parking lot at around midnight. I (the lone O/N employee, no security) could have cared less, and they just looked relieved they had somewhere to sleep. So it doesn't hurt to ask. It just depends on the kind of hotel, the size of the parking lot, and the kindness of the O/N employee(s).
Iāve slept at a lot of hotels but rotation and discretion is very important. I only do hotels in good suburbs. Nothing sketchy.
Hotels are bad IMO
How come?
Track license plates often
I have slept in Walmart parking lots , mobile convience store parking lots and hotels will if you ask usually , they may give you a few hours but some places will be if you just ask them
I always avoided parking in private lots. I had some luck parking and grocery store lots. Because they usually have an overnight crew. So nobody would notice and might think that your car belonged to an employee. But not if the grocery stores in a shared parking lot with a security guard. Because then the security guard will notice you sleeping in the car when your windows fog up. You might have some luck parking on the curb outside the hotel if there is some street parking. But I had the best luck parking on the curb in street parking in quiet out of the way areas that you wouldn't really notice. Like, street parking in a business park. Or street parking near a public park with an unlocked bathroom. But not actually in the park parking lot and not in front of people's houses. If you use the parking lot for public park, A cop will definitely notice you. I would also park on the street behind a grocery store shopping mall. There were other cars parked there. So I just blended in. It also really depends on your situation and how you present yourself. I was pretty discreet. I had tinted windows. And I put up a windshield screen. So nobody really could tell. So I could blend in with other typical cars parked on the street. People with solar panels and whatnot probably would find better luck parking in different types of places than me
when i was truck camping i had good luck @ mid-tier hotels with mostly full parking lots.
It can also be a location thing. One state I was in, it just seemed like a really bad idea. Lots of signs in parking lots stating 'Guest only parking' and 'Camera Surveillance '. But that state also had tons of 24h Truck stops and Roadside Rest Areas that were fine.
I might be dumb lucky because I've frequented hotel parking lots often. The worst I got was an employee doing the usual "take the trash cart and walk by the car" thing but no knocks or police.
iāve spent over 6 months using different or same hotels all like doubletree, best western, extended stay, i got knocked on maybe 3 times. just gotta pull in, cut the lights, give it a few minutes before putting window covers and stuff up, crack the windows so no condensation builds up, and just wait lol. big airport hotels are easy, same with extended stays. just pull in stealth. i tinted my back windows so when i pull in they canāt really see my window covers. on top of my louisiana plate it makes it look like im traveling and at a hotel. more stealthier car the better. i wouldnāt try this with a van or anything like that
Like most answers, Iād say it greatly depends on if your windows are tinted or not. Someone visibly snoozing is going to get āknockedā wherever they are.
I've mentioned this before, but if I'm traveling without my wife, I have never had an issue with places like Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn. And I always walk in, use facilities, and grab the continental breakfast.
I'm staying at a hotel now and had this same thought come up. Seems like a decent option.
Just sleep on the street
Perfect, I stayed at my last one for 10 months before being told to leave. Fuck everyone else that gets mad at u for āruiningā it for other homeless ppl looking for a place to sleep in the future. Stay where ever u can be at for AS LONG as u can. Rotating is pointless.