Hotel and Motel Parking Lot Striping: Guest Experience, ADA, and Night Visibility

First Impressions Start in the Parking Lot

For hotels and motels, the parking lot is the literal first impression. Guests arriving after hours of travel judge the property the moment they pull in. Crisp, well-maintained lot markings communicate professional management. Faded, confusing markings communicate deferred maintenance — and guests begin wondering what else the property has neglected.

Beyond aesthetics, hotel parking lots have unique operational requirements. Most guest arrivals and departures occur during low-light hours. Guests are unfamiliar with the lot layout and navigate it while tired. Luggage carts and families with children create high pedestrian activity. ADA compliance serves a guest population that includes travelers with disabilities. These factors demand parking lot markings that perform at a higher level than typical commercial lots.

Nighttime Visibility Is Critical

Hotels receive a disproportionate percentage of their traffic during low-light conditions. Check-in often peaks between 4 PM and 10 PM, and check-out between 6 AM and 11 AM. During fall and winter months in Oregon, both of these windows involve darkness or near-darkness.

Parking lot markings must be clearly visible to tired drivers navigating an unfamiliar lot at night. This requires high-quality retroreflective glass beads on all painted markings, well-maintained lot lighting that illuminates the pavement surface, reflective pavement markers at key decision points — lot entrance, main aisle intersections, and building approaches, and high-contrast markings — white on dark asphalt provides the best nighttime visibility.

Thermoplastic markings with embedded glass beads provide the highest and longest-lasting nighttime reflectivity. For hotel properties, the premium cost of thermoplastic is justified by the importance of nighttime performance.

Guest Wayfinding Markings

Hotels need more extensive wayfinding than typical commercial lots because every guest is navigating the lot for the first time.

Entrance markings. The lot entrance should have clear lane markings, directional arrows, and — for larger properties — a "REGISTRATION" or "CHECK-IN" directional marking guiding guests to the lobby entrance.

Building identification. Multi-building hotel properties need building number or name markings at each parking area, connecting guests to the correct building for their assigned room.

Floor-level markings. Hotels with parking garages need clear floor identification (Level 1, Level 2, etc.) on the pavement and at elevator/stairwell locations to help guests find their vehicles after unfamiliar stays.

Exit markings. Clear exit directional markings guide departing guests out of the lot efficiently, preventing confusion and wrong-way travel.

ADA Compliance for Hospitality

Hotels and motels must provide accessible parking based on total lot capacity, following the standard ADA scale. Additionally, hotel-specific ADA requirements include accessible spaces near the registration entrance for check-in access, accessible loading zones for luggage loading and unloading, accessible routes from parking to all guest room buildings, and accessible van-accessible spaces with adequate vertical clearance for wheelchair vans.

For hotels with valet parking, the valet drop-off area must also be accessible, with an accessible route from the valet area to the lobby.

Specialty Markings for Hotels

Valet parking zones. Hotels offering valet service need marked valet staging areas with "VALET PARKING" stencils, clear guest drop-off and pick-up zones, and separated valet traffic lanes from self-parking areas.

Shuttle and bus parking. Hotel airport shuttle buses and tour buses need oversized parking spaces (12 feet wide by 40 to 60 feet long) with "BUS PARKING" or "SHUTTLE" markings near the lobby entrance.

Loading zones. Luggage loading zones at building entrances should be marked for short-term use with time limits and "LOADING ZONE" stencils. These zones need to be wide enough for guests to open trunk lids and rear hatches without blocking traffic.

Pool and amenity areas. Hotels with pools, fitness centers, or conference facilities may have secondary parking areas serving these amenities, each needing appropriate markings and ADA access.

EV charging. Hotels increasingly install EV charging stations to attract environmentally conscious travelers. EV spaces need appropriate green markings and "EV CHARGING ONLY" stencils.

Fire Lane Requirements

Hotels are classified as assembly or residential occupancies depending on their configuration, and face strict fire lane requirements. Fire lanes along all building frontages, at fire hydrant locations, and along emergency access roads must be marked with red curbing and signage. Hotels with porte-cocheres must maintain fire lane access through the covered entrance area.

Maintenance Standards

Hotel lot markings should be maintained to a higher visual standard than typical commercial lots because appearance directly affects guest perception and revenue. Plan for annual re-striping assessment with immediate action on any markings that fall below 80 percent visibility. Coordinate striping with sealcoating through a sealcoating and striping package for the best appearance and value. Schedule work during low-occupancy periods to minimize guest disruption. See our parking lot striping cost in Oregon guide for pricing.

Motel-Specific Considerations

Motels with exterior-corridor designs have parking directly outside guest rooms, creating unique requirements. Space numbering matched to room numbers helps guests park near their rooms. The proximity of parking to guest room doors means extra attention to noise-reducing traffic flow design. Pedestrian crossings between parking and room entries must be clearly marked because guests walk directly from car to room, often crossing drive aisles.

See our complete striping guide for material options.

Hotel Striping by Cojo

Cojo provides striping services for hotels and motels across Oregon, with attention to the nighttime visibility, wayfinding, and aesthetic standards that hospitality properties demand.

Contact Cojo for a free hospitality property assessment.