That sounds questionable. Fire lanes usually prohibit parking at all times, but arriving guests are always parking under those canopies. Maybe that clerk didn't like bikers.
I didn't know about that policy at Hampton Inns until last summer when a desk clerk encouraged me to park there. They are nice hotels, though I still have a soft spot for the old mom and pop places where you can park right outside of your door. Here's a great one I found on Route 66: