WILL SEBERGER/Arizona Daily Wildcat The Marriott is leasing 60 parking spaces from the UA on the east side of the second floor at the Main Gate Garage. That makes some UA students upset because they're subject to tickets for parking in the reserved spaces.

When Nikki Best went online to check her e-mail Feb. 4, she discovered she had a ticket warning her to move her car in Main Gate garage, even though she had paid $450 to park there.

The citation said she had one day to move her car before it was towed.

Just two days earlier, Parking and Transportation Services designated the spaces on the east side of the second floor of Main Gate garage for Tucson Marriott University Park valet parking.

Students like Best, who live in the residence halls, said they were unaware of this change because they do not use their cars until the weekends.

"I was mad," said Best, an international studies sophomore, "I could have been towed."

Patrick Kass, director of Parking and Transportation Services, said the garage was originally built to provide parking for the hotel.

Joe Armbrust, Marriott's general manager, said the Marriott has to pay nearly 100,000 each year for the parking spaces in the garage.

But before Feb. 2, valets parked cars anywhere in the garage, making it hard to keep track of them.

"We have taken cars that were parked all over the garage and designated an area for them," said Kass.

Kass added that safety was part of the reason PTS moved the Marriott spaces to the second floor from the fifth floor.

"One of the reasons is for safety because valet drivers were driving quickly down the fourth and fifth floors," Kass said.

Joe Armbrust, general manager of the Marriott, said the second floor was chosen for Marriott guests because it is more convenient to go down two flights of stairs to the hotel.

"It's easy for (the guests) to find and come down the stairs with their luggage," said Armbrust.

Armbrust also said he did not want his valet staff to deliver the cars faster than they should.

"I did not want it to become a safety issue in order ... to expedite delivery of the car to their customers.

Armbrust said he does not know of any accidents in the garage involving Marriott valets.

Although some spaces in the garage have been reserved for Marriott guests, Kass said the number of permit spaces has not been reduced.

A limited number of garage parking spaces are designated for visitors, and out of those, 66 are for Marriott guests. The Marriott spaces have just been moved to the east side of the second floor, he said.

"It seems to be the best location. It's where a lot of guests seem to be parking at night," Kass said.

Some students said they are frustrated that they paid $450 to park in the garage but now have to park on the fifth floor.

" I think it's ridiculous because we paid all that money. Now I'm restricted to parking on the top level, which in the summer is going to be hot," said Hilary Hogan, a retail senior.

Justin Coleman, an optical engineering sophomore, said it was inconvenient for him to find another parking space.

"It takes time to get here and to find out that you can't use that side. ... It's a ... hassle," said Coleman.

Best said she was annoyed those spaces are now reserved for Marriott guests.

"I paid $450 for that spot. That's where we like to park," said Best, referring to her friends in Yuma Residence Hall who also have permits at Main Gate.

Best said she was not aware of the change, and the e-mail was the only form of communication that alerted her to it. She said she had to move her car before Feb. 5 or face a fine and possibly have her car towed.

E-mails have been sent to permit holder in the garage and fliers should have been placed on all the cars, Kass said.

"We try to give everyone as much notice as we can," he said.