Colonial Parking

Review is for the underground garage at 100 M St SE
Paid the standard $ 25 fare to park for the Nats game. Garage was clean and well lit. Took the elevator up and outside. Then the game gets canceled because of rain and we make our way back to the car. Try to open the door we exited and it was locked. It’s currently 7:30. I try using the call box to get let in since I could see someone sitting at the desk. They don’t answer. We enter the lobby as a delivery person is exited. As we make our way to the elevator I ask the now 2 people at the desk if there was another entrance I didn’t see. They tell me in a rude tone that I need to enter the garage the way I did at the beginning. Which is to say we were supposed to walk down a car ramp without a pedestrian walkway that is now soaking wet because of the rain.
If a garage is going to be banking money on baseball games then they need to stay open until cars have been collected. Dodging cars and scaling down a parking ramp in unacceptable.

If you drive into DC, you will likely park in a Colonial lot. Expensive. Expensive and Expensive.

Terribly inept garage. Paid $ 15 flat rate for game day. Walked back to the garage immediately after the game ended only to find the garage shut down with my car locked inside. The person on the phone was unhelpful and rude. We had to wait nearly 45 minutes for an employee to arrive to let us in, and when he did he just sat in his car for 10 minutes fidgeting around with his iPod. When he finally got out and walked away without so much as a word, I called back right there to complain about his unprofessional behavior. The second person we got on the phone was even worse, saying she didn’t know anything about sending someone out. She hung up on me before the problem was solved. The guy eventually opened the door and still without a word, we managed to get out, now nearly 1 hour after the game was over. Not exactly how you want to wind up your night at midnight in Southeast… By far the wost Colonial experience I’ve had so far, and can’t really claim to have ever had a good experience with them anywhere in the city.

My review is for the dirt lot. Yes, the dirt lot where they charge $ 40 for a Nats game, despite the lot that’s closer to the ballpark and much more convenient, as well as paved, only charging $ 25 for game parking.
Colonial employs some not-​so-​bright people. ie, the guy that put a sign that read, «$ 40 cash lot,» out at 1pm, but said he couldn’t collect my money until 4pm. W.T.F.
This is the same employee that at 9am told me he couldn’t collect $ 47 for the whole day. Here’s a place where I want to do business with them, but they go out of their way to make it complicated.
Regardless, I grabbed my car, and went across the street.

Expensive and muddy when it rains. But I wouldn’t trade it for the other lots which are either inconvenient or packed.

If you’re headed down to the Navy Yard, parking here should not be your first option. I was going to park in the open, gravel lot across the street for a $ 6 flat rate, but they only accept cash upon entry. Cashless and with no ATM in sight, I opted for the Colonial Parking garage in the building across the street.
This garage is a little tight, but my true gripe is how inconvenient parking is within. The only spots to park where your car would not be blocked in or blocking someone in, were the limited reserved spots. So basically, your choices are to:
1) Park along the wall and be blocked in by someone that parks after you. When it’s time to get your car, you have to try to find a parking lot attendant to move the car in front of you so that you can exit.
or
2)Park in front of a parked car, leave your keys in the ignition and trust that a parking lot attendant will be by?
Option #2 wasn’t going to fly for me, so I decided to catch instead of pitch. At least my car wouldn’t be jacked.
When it was time to leave, I found a parking lot attendant and she moved the Jeep that was parked in front of me. She did not whip that car around confidently. I drove up to the parking attendant booth to pay, only to find out that they did NOT accept credit cards. What kind of major/​chain garage does not accept credit cards?! Grr. Luckily, there was an ATM inside that building. I get some cash and return to find out that parking cost $ 15 for the 3−4hrs of parking.
Although I’ve seen worse, I felt that was a rip off for such a bootleg garage. If you’re around the way, bring some cash and save your money and time by parking in the lot across the street.