The term "valet" originally referred to a male servant who attended to his employer's clothing, personal needs, and even his horse. In the early 20th century, hotels and restaurants in urban areas began offering a parking service to their customers, and they used the term "valet parking" to describe the service. The idea was that the valet attendant would treat the customer's car with the same level of care and attention that a personal valet would give to his employer's belongings.
Over time, the term "valet parking" became more commonly used to describe the service of parking a customer's car, regardless of whether the attendant provided any other services like personal assistance or care for the vehicle.
Today, the term "valet parking" generally refers to a parking service where a customer's vehicle is parked by an attendant, typically in exchange for a fee.