I tried £217 car park and valet service at major shopping centre — my jaw dropped

I was among the first through the barriers to give it a try

How the other half live. A new car parking and valet service has opened at one of Britain's busiest shopping centres, charging £217 for an "ultra" valet service while you shop.

I was one of the first through the barriers to give it a go. Decked out with freshly laid tarmac, the revamped parking zone comes with more spacious bays designed to tickle the fancy of "premium shoppers" cruising in with their massive cars. It also offers different "luxe" car valet services to suit those with large wallets as well as large cars.

Parking here during the week will set you back £4 an hour, while the price ramps up to £7 hourly over the weekend. That said, the longer you linger, the less you pay, with a full 12-hour stint costing £14 from Monday to Friday and £21 on Saturday or Sunday.

For high-rollers, you can also fork out £96 for "luxe valet" cleaning or get the "ultra valet" service at an astonishing £217 (which includes the parking fee).

Cruising into the Trafford Centre at Manchester, I genuinely could see why you might think it's worth the splurge. Yes, we've all grown accustomed to free parking at the Trafford Centre over the past two decades, with its 11,000 spaces. However, the new scheme offers a prime spot right next to one of the main entrances into the shopping centre, near the upscale department store Selfridges.

More importantly, it saves you from endlessly circling in search of a space. So, it's a matter of deciding whether your time is more valuable than the money in your pocket.

Now, there are 200 parking spaces available that you can either book online in advance or take a gamble and arrive on the day, collect a ticket at the barrier, and pay at the machines inside before leaving.

I was invited down on its opening day, Wednesday, and it was fairly quiet, so I had my choice of the brand-new, rather large red spaces. Naturally, I parked as close as possible to the entrance. I was welcomed by the H20 team, who manage this Premium Parking zone and had booked me in for one of their car valeting services. Had I known, I might have made an effort to tidy up my mum's battered old Honda Jazz that I've been borrowing recently.

With two young kids, the back seats of my car have become a chaotic mix of school homework, Bear Yo Yo cards, and an assortment of Mr Kipling cake crumbs.

However, on the opening day of the car park, the boss of H20 was adamant that I hand over my keys to experience their top-tier Premium service. When I asked what would be done to my car, he revealed it would undergo the "ultra luxe" car valet, costing a whopping £217.

My jaw hit the floor as I tried to fathom what could possibly justify that price tag. But true to their word, they transformed my dusty Honda into a vehicle so shiny and sleek, it was unrecognisable when I returned from a shopping spree in the mall.

They didn't just wash the exterior; they applied an ultra high definition wax so reflective I could see my own reflection.

Inside, every inch of fabric had been shampooed meticulously. They even cleaned the engine, which is quite the achievement considering I've never opened the bonnet.

The interior was immaculate, the cleanest it's ever been and reminiscent of the dramatic transformations you'd see on a Stacey Solomon TV makeover show.

Don't get me wrong, the whole experience was fantastic, and I could not be more grateful for the service I received. But I could not personally justify paying £217 for a car wash, even one as thorough as this, on a regular basis. But I don't suppose the premium valets here are really targeted towards the Honda Jazz drivers of the world.

This was brought into sharp focus when I got home, with the still damp seats (they provided plastic covers for the front seats so I didn't get a soggy bum on the drive home) and realised that condensation was now gripping the windows inside.

For those with "premium vehicles" who have a nice warm garage to park in (and heated seats) I'm sure this won't be a problem. But for me, parking my car in a freezing cold road overnight, this meant waking up with the rather unique situation of having to scrape ice off the INSIDE of my windows as well as the outside.

So ultra luxe valet life is probably not for me. Or at least not until I can trade in the Honda for my own Rolls Royce like the one parked up alongside me when I arrived.

However the flat rate Premium Parking itself might just tempt me back. Particularly if I need to head to the Trafford Centre on the busy days ahead in the run up to Christmas.

Even at the price of £7 for an hour at weekends, it might just be worth it, if it means circumventing the hair-raising race for a space at peak times.