SpotHero Review [2024]: Is The Stress-Free Parking Legit?

Public transport can be an excellent option to travel from destination to destination, but sometimes, there aren't any good options around.

Maybe you're heading to Canada on vacation and need a car rental, or you've met in New York City and decided to tour the United States by car. Until you can shrink-ray your vehicle into your purse, finding a parking spot is a must!

But that's sometimes easier said than done, especially if you're heading to a popular event or in unfamiliar territory. Additionally, running back and forth to pay for a parking meter can quickly become very expensive. This is where a service like SpotHero can help you out.

SpotHero addresses the issue many car rental companies don't even consider: Accessible parking.

But SpotHero isn't the only of its kind. An alternative is ParkWhiz, an app that also offers similar parking services.

So, is SpotHero any good? Can you safely rely on SpotHero to find accessible parking when you're traveling with a car? I was curious, so I tried it out. This review of whether SpotHero is worth using will help guide your choice. So, let's dive in!

What is SpotHero?

SpotHero is a service that claims to help you find and book parking spots in thousands of garages and parking lots all over major cities in the United States.

They also recently acquired Parking Panda and Rover. So, if you're heading to Canada, you can use their service in many places, such as Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba, to name a few. You can peruse their page for a list of cities they're available in.

While the service is most easily found in bigger cities like Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, or NYC, SpotHero continually expands and grows into new markets in North America. In fact, SpotHero recently opened its headquarters in Chicago!

Chances are that if they're not already there, you'll most likely be able to locate parking nearby soon enough.

How does SpotHero work?

You've got a couple of options to choose from when you use SpotHero.

You can book directly on their webpage, or you can download the parking app to use from your phone. The SpotHero mobile app is available for iOS and Android devices.

Speaking of Apple, if your car can use Apple CarPlay, you can use the app directly through your in-dash touchscreen without picking up your phone!

The service itself is user-friendly and easy to use. As a guide:

• Start off by clicking on the "Find Parking" button in the bottom menu
• Choose your parking location (an address, venue, or airport.) The app also gives you suggestions as you type, so you can easily find what you're looking for
• Set your booking time and date and click search to see the result
• An interactive map with locations of available parking will become available to you to make your choice.
• If you input a time frame that you're looking to book, you'll see the total price for each slot during this time frame (if not, you'll see the minimum price for a booking)
• After picking your spot, you can reserve it and prepay it. You can pay through your phone, PayPal, or credit card
• When payment is received, usually in a few minutes, you'll instantly receive your Parking Pass ticket.

In many ways, it's similar to booking a hotel. The one difference is that you can cancel your parking reservation at any time up to the minute when your booking is scheduled to start and get a full refund.

When you receive your parking pass ticket for your SpotHero reservation, you'll receive important helpful information, such as parking receipt, parking facility address, fees and policies, and how to get there.

Oh, you can also list your parking spot to rent out for others to park as well! If you have a specific timeframe for your parking spot and like to rent it out, feel free to sign up and see if you're eligible!

SpotHero's parking options

Whether you're heading on a weekend away to British Columbia or looking for something a little closer to home, you can find various options with SpotHero. Everything from short-term hourly parking to monthly passes.

You can also choose between covered and uncovered options and even charging stations for electric vehicles. Note that some of these parking spots, especially in garages, have attendants, and some don't, so check the details.

SpotHero also offers street parking reservations, so if you're circling around the block looking for spots to park, try using SpotHero app for parking.

Airport Parking

Finding a parking spot at the airport can sometimes be tasking. But, with the help of SpotHero, you can easily book long-term parking at the airport of your choice.

Aside from the parking, SpotHero also shows you options for free shuttle services to your desired terminal.

Keep in mind these parking fees might differ from hourly or daily parking fees as airport parking sometimes comes at a premium price point.

Hourly parking

Whether you're going to an event or a meeting somewhere, you can easily book hourly parking through the SpotHero app. Your reservation works essentially in the same way as a hotel reservation.

So if you made a booking for 1 pm - 7 pm, you're free to show up anytime after the 1 pm start time and leave any time before 7 pm end time.

You'll have to pay extra for the parking garage if you leave later than your scheduled time.

You can extend or change your booking in the app if you're running late or, for whatever reason, need to change your reservation.

Daily Parking

Daily parking for SpotHero mirrors the policies set with Hourly Parking, where you book a start and end time for the parking spaces available.

This can come in handy if you're looking for parking downtown, at the airport, or at an event venue for the day. This is also helpful if you're taking the car out on a day trip and need a spot at the destination to park.

Monthly parking

With COVID mostly gone, you're probably back to working physically in the office. If that's you, being a digital nomad is perhaps not in the cards right now.

Whether for work or if you don't have parking at home, SpotHero offers monthly options to solve the problem. Other than not worrying about parking space, it can also be a great way to save money in the long run rather than paying a meter.

Is SpotHero parking legit?

Yes, SpotHero is a legitimate service. Of course, it doesn't mean you might not have issues while using their service. The better question to ask then is if they're reliable or not.

Some SpotHero customers have reported issues like reserved spots parked, prepaid ticket scanner issues, and the lack of updated data in their app as feedback directed towards the app.

SpotHero also offers valet parking when it's available but the fees for valet parking won't be included in your bill.

While it seems like SpotHero has upped its game in recent years, you'll still find online complaints about users having issues with their reservations and overbooked or closed garages.

Is SpotHero Parking Guaranteed?

SpotHero does offer a guarantee on your reservation. As part of SpotHero's guarantee, your money will be refunded if you find your parking spot unavailable. If you show up and can't use your parking spot, You'll also get a full refund.

Still, that will probably be of little comfort if you're running late to a meeting or concert and need to find a different parking spot. This has, unfortunately, happened to several Spot Hero customers.

Speaking of Customers, let's get into how well SpotHero runs their customer support.

Is SpotHero a good service?

A quick Google search will give you a mixed bag of reviews from its users. SpotHero calls their customer support "Customer Heroes," they can be directly contacted through email at support@spothero.com.

While some love the service, others have had terrible experiences. SpotHero does claim to improve its service continuously. Still, actual testimonies indicate that it can be a hit-or-a-miss experience using the app.

That said, they offer full refunds if you encounter issues while using their service. They'll also reimburse the difference if you have had to pay extra for parking elsewhere.

Cancellation Policy

SpotHero's cancellation policy is quite generous, they offer cancellations all the way up until the minute before your reservation takes place for full refunds. This is because a lot of users have found garages to be full even though users placed a reservation on a spot.

While they "guarantee" a spot for you on the app, they can't physically help you hold a spot, so that's where the cancellation policy kicks in.

While this is nice to have, some reviews have mentioned not wanting full refunds and just a vacant parking spot to arrive at so they won't miss their concerts, festivals, or meetings.

Is SpotHero worth it?

The final verdict about SpotHero is that it has lots of potential! If you're willing to overlook a few bumps and possible misses along the way, you could get a lot of value from using an app like SpotHero.

SpotHero is an excellent option if you're looking for parking near you and want to save time searching for a spot when you arrive at your destination. However, suppose you don't like to deal with possible common inconveniences experienced by other users. In that case, consider waiting a few years while the company continues to improve its services.

While it has gotten better in recent years, some reviews don't agree as much. SpotHero still does seem to have a problem with overbooking or allowing reservations at closed or otherwise unavailable garages or lots.

If you're okay with taking the risk, you'll probably save a substantial amount of money! How much you'll actually save varies greatly depending on the location. But generally, you can save between 40-60% using the SpotHero app.

This is not always the case, though. Some users have commented on finding certain lots to be more expensive in the SpotHero app than without a booking.

Our rating: 3.6/5

Pros:

• Easy to use and user-friendly
• Free!
• No hidden charges
• Discounts and promo codes
• Guaranteed full refund
• 24/7 customer service

Cons:

• Not available everywhere
• Not always the best choice (especially for popular events or destinations)
• Overbooking or unavailable garage reservations

Plan with Pilot!

If you're an avid traveler, you've likely needed to consider using parking services abroad. Whether you decide to wing it or try out the SpotHero app, I wish you safe driving travels.

Planning in advance can lessen your stress and possibly have a more successful, safe adventure. I'm talking about more than just pre-organizing your parking!