BY MARK CHESNUT
Reprinted with permission from Latin Business Traveler: www.LatinBusinessTraveler.com
When flying, most travelers prefer the added comfort of business or first class. The same preference for an upscale experience usually goes on the ground as well. And hotels, rental car companies and limousine services around Latin America have continued to up the ante when it comes to luxurious ways to get around town.
Get a ride from your hotel
Surprisingly, most hotels in Latin America don’t heavily publicize the range of vehicles they offer their guests. But asking at the time of reservation, or after arrival, can reveal some interesting options. Olive Boutique Hotel, for example – the newest upscale property in San Juan, Puerto Rico – can chauffeur guests in a black Porsche Cayenne. Sivory, a boutique property in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, offers guests the option of renting a Cadillac Escalade or a BMW.
In Mexico’s capital, the St. Regis Mexico City offers chauffeured transportation with a fleet of luxury vehicles that includes the Lincoln MKT, Chrysler 300 and Lincoln Navigator. Each is stocked with soft drinks, water, magazines and fresh towels. The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort on Mexico’s Pacific coast, meanwhile, offers service aboard a fleet of Lincoln Navigators. Further up the coast, Cadillac Escalades are the luxury vehicle of choice at the Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort.
Hotel Unique, one of the most recognizable boutique hotels in Sao Paulo, works with a company called LDS Executive Car Service to provide chauffeured transportation. Choices include the Mercedes S500, S63 and E350, as well as SUVs like the BMW X6, Mercedes ML63 and Mercedes R500.
New car services
Independent operators offer their own array of interesting options in Latin America’s largest cities. In Panama City, Panama Luxury Limousine has a fleet of Lincoln Town Cars, 100-foot Lincoln stretch limousines and a Cadillac Escalade with a Bose sound system and a third row of seating. Bogota-based V&V Vehiculos VIP has a fleet that includes the Audi A6, Mercedes E-class and Ford Expedition, as well as a Chrysler 300C limousine that seats 10, with an optic fiber ambient lighting system, minibar and video sound system with three flat screens. And in Buenos Aires, Silver Star Transport operates models including the Lincoln Town Car, Citroen C4 and Citroen C6, which the company claims is more comfortable than a comparable Mercedes E-class or BMW.
Travelers looking for a unique vehicular experience – albeit not quite in the luxury car category – should consider booking at Oasis Hotels and Resorts, which operates multiple hotels in Cancun. The hotelier maintains its own large fleet of Smart Cars, the tiny attention-getting two-seater. Renting for about US$50 per day, they just might provide the perfect escape from a boring business meeting.
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