In Mar. 2008 my wife and I, and another couple, flew out of Charlotte for a 10 day dive trip to the Caribbean. On the other couple's recommendation, we decided to stay overnight at the Day's Inn Airport, 3101 Scott Futrell Dr., as they had stayed there before and had good experiences. When we got there our friends noticed that there was new management and staff. The management told me that I could leave my vehicle parked there while we were gone, that the hotel shuttle would deliver us to and pick us up from the airport, saving the long term parking fee. I was told a specific spot to park in, being told that it was "in front of the office where they could keep and eye on it." The overnight stay was adequate, on par with most of the hotels that are being bought out/managed by families. I felt like we had gotten a good deal, and believed the hotel when they told me that my vehicle would be ok while I was gone. I left nothing visible, and there was no outward indication that these items were in the truck. The parking space was in a direct line of sight with the office window, about 40' from the front door, and there were no other vehicles blocking the view.
When I returned at 1:15AM, 10 days later, I found that my truck had been broken into, GPS and checkbooks stolen, our friends' clothes bag had been taken, and the door lock had been damaged. Upon questioning the manager, I was told that what happens in the parking lot is not the hotel's responsibility. I demanded that the police be called, and was informed that the CMPD wouldn't come out for a car break-in, because they were so prevalent in the area. It turns out the Charlotte as a whole is one of the hottest spots in the nation for GPS theft. I left Charlotte, made the 3 hour drive home and had to make my complaint with the CMPD the next morning by phone. After looking at the crime map I discovered that car break-ins in that area were far and away the most frequently reported crime.
I have persued the matter with the hotel management, explaining my belief that they ARE responsible for what happens in the lot, especially when they told me to park in a specific place so that they could keep an eye on it. The manager agreed to talk with his boss to determine if the hotel would cover my losses and damage, which totaled about $800.00. He was supposed to call me back within ten days but 30 days later I have heard nothing. I don't expect to, either, based on the indifferent attitude that was displayed throughout by the hotel staff.
Shortly after my trip, a co-worker of my wife was going through Charlotte and had planned to stay and park at the same hotel. After hearing our story, they decided not to park at the hotel, but to use the long term parking at the airport. They later reported to us that during the night they stayed at the hotel, car alarms went off in the parking lot about 3 AM, making them glad that they didn't decide to park there during their trip.
My recommendation to you - don't park there, don't stay there, and don't expect them to be held responsible for anything.
The president of the Day's Inn knows about this incident, but says that it is up to the individually owned hotel to decide what it will do.
I know what I WON'T do - I'll never stay at a Day's Inn again, anywhere, anytime. I travel with sufficient frequency that this will be a significant amount of money going to other hotels.