Thieves steal hundreds of cars from airport hotels, parking lots, KING 5 Investigators find

Hundreds of travelers to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport each year are falling victim to car thieves and prowlers, the KING 5 Investigators have found.

Hotels and motels that offer "park-n-fly" or "stay-n-fly" packages are favorites of car thieves, which routinely target their lots. Some of the best-known names in lodging have the most crimes, and they leave customers on the hook, according to data reviewed by KING 5.

“Something needs to be done,” said Carol Olson of Snohomish County. Her insurance paid for $15,000 in repairs after her truck was stolen from the Seattle Airport Marriott on South 176th Street and trashed in December. She took her grandkids on a trip to Disneyland and returned to an empty parking spot. “This back lot gets hit every other night,” a SeaTac police officer told Olson on a bodycam recording.

The airport Marriott topped the list of hotel and "park-n-fly" lots with the most crimes, according to public records. Data provided by the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) shows the Marriott with 94 car thefts and prowls reported in 2023, including 27 stolen vehicles driven off its lot. In 2022, Marriott customers reported 74 thefts or prowls to police.