Hotel Valet Checks Guest’s $175,000 Ferrari Into a Tree

You don’t see a $175,000 Ferrari 355 GTS every day. Apparently neither had a parking valet at the posh Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.

After parking the car for a hotel guest, the 20-year-old was evidently overcome by the urge to drive the sports car. About 1 a.m. Friday he hopped in for a joy ride--and smashed the car into a palm tree only 30 feet from the hotel entrance, sheriff’s investigators said.

The car may prove to be a total loss.

The two-seater is so powerful that it can accelerate to 60 mph in less than five seconds and reach a top speed of 183 mph, according to Ferrari.

“If you’re not familiar with the power, it’s going to get away from you,” said Garry Roberts, who repairs Ferraris in Costa Mesa. “It can become uncontrollable.”

Neither the valet nor a co-worker who went along for the brief ride was injured.

The car’s owner, a San Diego resident, would not comment.

Roberts said that “every few years” he is called on to repair a Ferrari damaged by a valet.

Officials at the Dana Point hotel, however, said they believe that this is the first such accident in the resort’s 16-year history.

“We park hundreds of thousands of cars each year without a problem,” said Bryan Austin, an executive assistant manager.

Austin said the hotel is investigating the accident before considering disciplinary action. He would not say whether the hotel will pay for the damage.

Investigators did not arrest the valet but referred the case to the district attorney’s office.

“I always suspected that these guys’ mouths water when they see a Ferrari or another nice car,” said Gary Chiate, a Ritz-Carlton guest who had just had his Infiniti sport utility vehicle valet-parked. “I’m going to go out and check to see if he’s drag-racing right now.”