A woman identified as Zhao and her husband encountered an unexpected expense during their stay at the Landmark Residence Hotel Apartment in Suzhou's East Gate. They were shocked to discover that their 18-hour and 6-minute parking session resulted in a charge of 380 yuan, which even exceeded their room rate of 360 yuan for the night.

According to Zhao, the hotel failed to clearly inform them that they needed to park in the underground garage to use a special discount coupon. This coupon, priced at 30 yuan, offered parking for 12 hours and was not valid for surface-level parking spots. She described the situation as encountering a parking fee "ambush," feeling that the charges were unreasonable and unexpected.

When approached for comment, the hotel explained that the parking fees at Suzhou East Gate are set by the property management company. Surface parking costs 20 yuan per hour, while underground parking is 10 yuan per hour. Hotel guests have the option to purchase parking discount coupons at the front desk, which allow 12 hours of parking for 30 yuan. These coupons can be stacked for longer stays, but they must be used in the underground garage.

The hotel acknowledged that parking guidance was sent to Zhao upon her check-in, but she had already parked in a surface-level spot. The hotel stated it could not resolve the issue because the parking fees are collected directly by the property management, and the discount vouchers are only applicable to their designated underground parking area.