When arriving in a new city, travelers typically step outside the airport and hail a taxi, or take a local bus or train. But if you’re lucky, the hotel you're staying at will send a shuttle to pick you up and drop you off. If you’re really lucky? You’ll be met and chauffeured around in a luxury sedan.
This is no dream scenario, nor one limited to A-listers: If you’re staying at one of the ten Peninsula hotels around the world, depending on the location, you'll have access to an entire fleet of vehicles that you can either drive or be driven in—BMWs, Mini Coopers, and the like. The Peninsula's biggest draw for over-the-top service, though? Their impressive collection of Rolls-Royces.
Since 1970, when the Hong Kong hotel first bought seven Silver Shadow Rolls-Royce cars, the Peninsula company has purchased every Rolls-Royce available; almost 50 years after that first order, the brand has the largest fleet of Rolls-Royce cars owned by a hotel. (The Peninsula Hong Kong alone owns 14 Rolls-Royce Phantoms EWB and one 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II.) Across outposts in Shanghai, Beijing, Paris, Beverly Hills, Tokyo, and Bangkok, the hotel has 30 Rolls-Royce cars—and counting.
This month, The Peninsula New York will enter into service the new Rolls-Royce Phantom VII, which was unveiled in March at the International Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, and retails for a cool $420,000. Through June 15, guests who book a Deluxe Suite or higher will have access to complimentary chauffeured rides in a car that no other Peninsula hotel in the world has. (The car, unfortunately, will only be available for booking for a limited time, in honor of the hotel's 30th anniversary.)
The emerald green Phantom VIII is known for its curb appeal, but its less visible features make it perfect for navigating the city streets: active anti-roll bars, electrically controlled air springs, and a road-scanning camera that helps anticipate bumps (and potholes) in the road before they actually hit the wheels makes for a drive so smooth you'll feel like Jasmine or Aladdin. All Rolls-Royces are engineered to be some of the quietest cars in the world, too, producing an in-car experience that is serene and relaxing, even if the bustling city around you isn't. And just in case you need to get anywhere in a hurry, the Phantom VIII can put to good use its 563 horsepower, twin-turbocharged 6.7-liter V-12 engine, which goes from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds.
More and more, hotel brands are partnering with cars in order to give their guests a unique experience around the world, whether it's cruising in an Aston Martin around Los Angeles, or touring the Palace of Versailles in a Lamborghini. Unlike the Peninsula, though, many of these hotels have cars that are loaned—not owned. And though the Phantom VII will only be in New York City for a limited time, there are talks of making the new experience available at more hotels soon. Lucky you.