Most hotels in America have a large shuttle van, a Chevrolet Suburban, or maybe a Lincoln Town Car to transport guests. The Peninsula in Hong Kong has fourteen matching Rolls-Royce Phantoms. Vacation, anyone? The Honorable Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman of Hong Kong's Peninsula Hotel, is a better man than I. And you, too. Why? Because today, Kadoorie took delivery of not one, two, three, or even thirteen extended-wheelbase Rolls-Royce Phantoms. He now has in his possession fourteen matching examples of the most prestigious sedan in the world. All are painted in custom peninsula green paint and have bespoke features including doorsills with the hotel's logo and special screws in the trunk to ensure that no expensive leather suitcases are torn or scratched. Each one also features a fifteen-speaker, studio-grade Lexicon sound system and dual twelve-inch TVs for the viewing pleasure of rear passengers. Aren't the eighteen leather hides covering the cabin enough to look at on the ride from the airport to the hotel? This is the eighth time that the Peninsula Hong Kong has placed a record-setting Rolls-Royce order, with the first taking place in 1970, when an order for seven Silver Shadows was placed. The fourteen new Phantoms will join the Peninsula's crown jewel, a 1934 Phantom II, in the garage. Suddenly, I feel an urge to take some vacation time in Hong Kong-I just need to figure out how to convince the Peninula that I'm worth picking up in a Phantom, rather than a rickshaw.
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