From the Travel Office: A Mini Offer From Peninsula Hotels

© Peninsula Hotels

The Peninsula hotels in Chicago, New York and Hong Kong now offer a unique amenity to guests staying in their suites: Three hours in a chauffeur-driven Mini Cooper. The Peninsula Hotels spent two years developing these customized S Clubman vehicles, adding special features such as mini-fridges with refreshments and cold towels.

In addition to using the vehicles for transfers to restaurants or performances, guests can avail themselves of iPads or iPhones preloaded with sightseeing tours. In Chicago, for example, the options include “Famous Chicago Movie Scenes” and “Chicago Neighborhoods.”

With their rooftop storage cases, the Mini Coopers are also ideal for shopping excursions in any of the three cities. Always trying to stand out from the competition, hotels are becoming increasingly creative with their amenities — a trend that bodes well for travelers. A three-hour jaunt in a charming, chauffeur-driven Mini Cooper certainly tops a complimentary chocolate on the pillow.