Chauffeuring guests around free of charge has long been a prized amenity of certain top-tier hotels. For groups like Mandarin Oriental and Ritz-Carlton, the black Lincoln Town Car is de rigueur. However, the Peninsula Hotels in New York and Chicago just recently unveiled a zippier alternative in the form of customized MINI Cooper S Clubman cars. The chauffeured vehicles are available free of charge for up to three hours a day to guests who book a suite at either hotel. The bespoke cars, which BMW created in Peninsula Green, contain a mini-fridge full of free beverages, a cargo box on top for shopping bags, and iPhones fully loaded with touring information. The flagship Hong Kong location already has a pair of MINIs (in addition to its storied fleet of 14 Rolls-Royce Phantoms and four 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom IIs) and The Peninsula Tokyo is due to receive its own duo this month.
Mini Cooper / bruev/iStock