Shower pressure is being restricted, lighting is getting dimmer and rooms are becoming littered with notices hectoring guests to use less.
We say that an accommodation experience should be one of luxury, excess and fantasy. A haven away from those that wish to inflict their guilt upon others.
We salute those accommodation providers that provide an environment where guests have chance to live out a fantasy, live beyond their means, if only for one night... Ok, that's a great segway for us to cut and paste the "10 Tricked Out Hotel House Cars."
For your viewing pleasure, we have found 10 hotels that unashamedly ferry their guests around in some of the most expensive cars on the market:
1. Jaguar XJ
· Where You Can Ride It: Shutters on the Beach and Casa Del Mar, Santa Monica, California. Guests at these beachfront hotels can get chauffeured around in style but only within Santa Monica.
· Ticket to Ride: FREE for hotel guests. Room rates start at around $500 a night
2. Porsche Panamera 4S
· Where You Can Ride It: Gansevoort Hotel and Gansevoort Park in New York. Having two sister hotels in the same city means that guests will want to go back and forth from one hotel to the other. Naturally, a Porsche is the car for the job.
· Ticket to Ride: FREE. Room rates at the Gansevoorts start around $300 a night.
3. Range Rover
· Where You Can Ride It: Mondrian South Beach in Miami. Guests at this bayfront hotel can be ferried to the Mondrian's sister hotel, The Delano, on the beach. There's plenty of room for your rollerblades!
· Ticket to Ride: FREE. Room rates at the Mondrian start at $350 a night.
4. Bentley Continental GTC
· Where You Can Ride It: At the Haleuakani in Honolulu which has a exotic automobile amenity program called "Art in Motion." Guests can choose from a Maserati Gran Turismo, a Bentley Continental GTC, a Lotus Elise and a Lotus Exige S to play with during their stay.
· Ticket to Ride: You have to pony up at least $7,000 for the hotel's suites to have access to this program. But regular ole' guests can rent the cars for the day starting at $250. (The Bentley is the most expensive car to rent at $995 a day.)
5. Hermes Rolls Royce Phantom
· Where You Can Ride It: At The Four Seasons George V in Paris who had the luxury car custom-made to their specifications and which includes Hermes-customized upholstery and accessories.
· Ticket to Ride: Room rates here start around €750 a night but renting the car costs an additional €3,800 for day trips and €750 for airport pick-up.
6. Mercedes Maybach
· Where You Can Ride It: At the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi where the use of a chauffeur-driven $410,000 Maybach is available with the hotel's most expensive package see below. The hotel also has a Rolls Royce on hand if you so desire.
· Ticket to Ride: The car can be yours exclusively for seven days when you book the $1 Million Hotel Package which includes a stay in a three-bedroom suite, private jet excursions, all food and drink and more.
7. Rolls Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantoms
· Where You Can Ride It: At the Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong which actually has 14 of these cars on hand. Not feeling the Phantoms? You can also choose from a helicopter or two custom Mini-Coopers.
· Ticket to Ride: The cars are complimentary for guests in the suites which start around $8,800 a night.
8. Yet Another Rolls Royce Phantom
· Where You Can Ride It: At the Pretty Woman Hotel aka The Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. The cars are available on a first come, first serve basis for hotel guests and they can be dropped off (or picked up) from any location within a three mile radius.
· Ticket to Ride: FREE. Rooms at the Four Seasons here start around $400 a night.
9. Mercedes Maybach 62S
· Where You Can Ride It: At the Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul where guests can hire the car and its driver for airport transfers or for private rental.
· Ticket to Ride: Room rates start around $600 a night but the ride in the Maybach will cost you extra.
10. BMW 7 Series Limousines
· Where You Can Ride It: At the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg which has seven BMW 7 series limousines in their luxury fleet. Looking for something more sporty? The hotel can also chauffeur you around in a BMW X1 or X5 at your wish.
· Ticket to Ride: Room rates start around $400 a night but an airport transfer in the limo will cost about $115.
