Explore Napa Valley in a new Mercedes-Benz.
Auberge du Soleil
Asking people what type of car they drive is a lot like asking where they vacation — the answer reveals a great deal. Status, design, comfort, past experiences and brand loyalty all play into the response.
These natural synergies are prompting automobile manufacturers and hospitality brands to unite and leverage their shared appeal to travelers to ensure their journey is just as luxurious as the destination.
As a result, upon checking into your next hotel, you might be offered your own vehicle or a chauffeured drive that acts as an extension of the property’s superior service. Test drive these horse-powered perks during your stay:
Lincoln is helping you navigate the perfect trip this summer.
2024 Tyler Gourley
Lincoln and Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley
When you arrive at a new city, the ideal ride from the airport to the hotel is tranquil and rejuvenating after a long journey. Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley not only aims to make that leg of your Park City trip unforgettable, but in partnering with Lincoln, it seeks to put your vacation in cruise control both on and off the road.
Stein Eriksen created the Lincoln Rejuvenation Package, which allows you to discover local destinations from behind the wheel of a 2025 Lincoln Navigator SUV. Then back at the hotel, you’ll enjoy a treatment at the Five-Star spa and a private wellness class.
The new Navigator features an immersive 48-inch panoramic display that spans the length of the horizontal instrument panel, minimizing visual clutter. The SUV also introduces Lincoln Rejuvenate, a “spa on wheels” experience that uses the four senses to keep drivers and passengers charged and recharged. The five- and 10-minute encounters (done when the car is parked, of course) have the driver’s seat slide away, recline, warm and massage. Relaxing visuals and sounds work through the display. Ambient lighting and seven in-cabin fragrances help set a tranquil tone.
Take a Navigator out for the day and explore Park City and surrounding areas such as Guardsman Pass with its alpine views; the trails of Big Cottonwood Canyon or Midway; or Mirror Lake Highway, an alpine trek with panoramic overlooks, waterfalls and forest-lined roads.
Other hotels around the U.S. where you can have a Lincoln experience include the Five-Star Faena Miami Beach and Casa Cipriani in New York.
Have an all-electric adventure with Rivian at the Ranch.
The Ranch at Laguna Beach
Rivian and The Ranch at Laguna Beach
The 87-acre Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Ranch at Laguna Beach teamed up with electric adventure vehicle Rivian, marking the first collaboration in California between a hotel and the Irvine-based automaker.
The Ranch at Laguna Beach features the R1S (with its front trunk for golf bags) and R1T (with bike and stand-up paddleboard racks), available for resort guests based on availability. These vehicles can also shuttle guests to surfing, hiking and mountain biking. Along with being eco-friendly, The Ranch’s Rivian has a local spin: it’s wrapped in artwork by Laguna Beach-based artist Troy Lee.
Zip around The Resort at Pelican Hill with Vespa.
The Resort at Pelican Hill
Vespa and The Resort at Pelican Hill
The wheels come with the stay at the Five-Star Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, California. If you book a villa before September 24, you can add the purchase of a Pelican Hill-branded Vespa Primavera 150 cc and two helmets with white-glove delivery to the resort. After a comprehensive lesson, zip along the glorious coastline between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach to familiarize yourself with your chic ride.
The resort makes it easy to have them on property with preferred parking for scooters at the Villa Clubhouse, Main Estate, Coliseum Pool and Pelican Hill Golf Club. Other villa amenities and perks (depending on the season) include pool butlers, poolside pizza and sunset s’mores events.
After your stay, arrange to take your scooter home or participate in Vespa’s buy-back program.
The fleet of Benz options at Bernardus Lodge & Spa.
Bernardus Lodge & Spa/Renato Films
Mercedes and California Wine Country
In the heart of California’s Central Coast, Four-Star Bernardus Lodge & Spa is set within 28 acres of vineyards, best enjoyed from the driver’s seat of the property’s Maybach. This luxury vehicle under the Mercedes-Benz umbrella features custom wood accents and hand-stitched interiors.
If it’s unavailable, consider another sporty option from the fleet, such as a convertible Mercedes-Benz SL55. Benz owners receive exclusive perks such as a $100 resort credit and a complimentary upgrade during their stay.
Napa Valley’s Five-Star Auberge du Soleil not only provides similar perks for Benz owners, but it also offers a host of Mercedes vehicles (including the G-wagon) for test drives. Take one for a scenic ride (up to four hours) through the charming towns of wine country.
See more of Montauk with the Land Rover Defender.
The Surf Lodge
Land Rover and The Surf Lodge
Check in at The Surf Lodge in Montauk and pick up the keys to a Land Rover Defender. The sleek yet rugged SUV has been the official vehicle of this stylish, toes-in-the-sand resort for years, bringing guests to hidden beaches, scenic trails and other local hot spots.
The Surf Lodge is renowned for its entertainment, featuring both planned and spontaneous performances by top music acts in this cozy seaside setting. When you book the Defender Summer Adventure Package, you’re granted VIP access to shows while also having a Defender at your disposal for the weekend. Plus, the SUV lends its name to Defender Thursdays, a summer-long concert series that captures the wild style, lively celebrations and surf-and-sand vibe of Montauk.
Cadillac and Montage have a strong partnership.
Montage Laguna Beach
Cadillac and Montage
At Five-Star Montage Big Sky, Deer Valley, Healdsburg, Laguna Beach, Kapalua Bay and Palmetto Bluff, Cadillac organizes complimentary local transportation through its Ride and Drive program, where guests can choose to be a passenger with a chauffeur or take the wheel of a new vehicle. The concierge provides personalized driving routes and itineraries.
Lucid and Four Seasons Hotel Boston
Drive the all-electric Lucid Air sedan while staying at Five-Star Four Seasons Hotel Boston. The car’s 512-mile range will carry you through a half-day outing that could include discoveries along the cultural and historical routes curated by the hotel’s Guest Experience team. Within the six allotted hours, you could take a literary trip to Concord to visit the home of Louisa May Alcott or explore Plymouth Rock and Scituate Lighthouse on the South Shore.
Tour New England in a new Volvo.
Weekapaug Inn
Volvo and Weekapaug Inn
The red-shingled Five-Star Weekapaug Inn in Westerly, Rhode Island, exudes laid-back New England style, overlooking Quonochontaug Pond and beyond to the Atlantic Ocean. While the resort is packed with croquet, guided historical tours and other extras, the area’s attractions beg to be explored. The best way to do this is from the driver’s seat of a Volvo SUV.
The charms of Nordic and New England life are similar, which makes it easier for the Scandinavian brand to blend right in. Choose from day or evening car excursions — the Volvo Local Attractions Test Drive guide outlines scenic drives, hiking and picnic areas, vineyards, breweries and distilleries, as well as historical and educational stops.
Lexus and Casa Palermo
As a guest of Pebble Beach’s Four-Star Casa Palermo, you can access a Lexus to explore 17-Mile Drive, one of the world’s most photographed and sought-after coastal routes. Or, if you prefer to let someone else do the driving, take advantage of the on-demand chauffeur to visit Carmel-by-the-Sea. Stop along the way for a picnic lunch prepared by the hotel.
Through the wider Destination by Lexus program, of which Casa Palermo is a partner, owners can access vehicles and travel experiences at hotels and resorts in nine states across the country, such as Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Four-Star Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur and Five-Star Chatham Bars Inn on the Cape. Lexus owners receive perks from these properties and have access to a courtesy Lexus without needing to make a prior reservation. At select properties, participants can also enjoy an off-road experience in a Lexus GX, which includes a specially designed course and a personal guide.
Hedley Studio and Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
Five-Star Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi partnered with Hedley Studios, creators of hand-built, precision-scale replicas of classic sports cars, to bring a Ferrari Testa Rossa J to the resort’s exclusive private island Ithaafushi. Visitors will have the option to test drive the silver, all-electric collectible — there are less than 300 in existence — during their stay. And if they love it, they can commission their own model at a starting price of $150,000.
Porsche and Nobu Hotel Atlanta
Thirty minutes north of the Porsche Experience Center, Nobu Hotel Atlanta in Buckhead takes you beyond the drive and into the hotel with its Porsche Icon Suite and Porsche Classic Room. This is the first Nobu property to showcase Porsche-inspired art and decor, along with special memorabilia in the guest rooms.
When it’s time to leave the room, you can ride in one of the hotel’s all-electric Porsche Taycan house cars, driven by a personal chauffeur.
Bentley and The Preserve Sporting Club & Resort
Off-roading in a Bentley is a dream scenario for many car enthusiasts. The idea comes to life at Richmond, Rhode Island’s The Preserve Sporting Club & Resort, just an hour from Newport and set within 3,500 acres of secluded natural beauty. The Bentley Extraordinary Experience centers around the all-terrain Bentayga V8, which features Bentley Dynamic Ride and off-road drive modes. Take the SUV to a private test track carved through the forest, complete with steep inclines, moguls and water crossings.
Each SUV has been tailored by Mulliner, Bentley’s in-house customization division, with specialized cargo boxes for fly-fishing gear, picnicking essentials and any other necessities for the day’s fun.
BMW and Other High-End Hotels
Once described by Thomas Jefferson as “the Eden of the United States,” the scenic countryside surrounding Keswick Hall in Charlottesville, Virginia, appears to be something out of a storybook. To provide guests with the best access to the Blue Ridge Mountains-backed scenery, the resort partnered with BMW to offer a garage of top-tier driving machines: the M8 Competition Convertible, the XM Label Hybrid High-Performance SUV and the i7 60 Sedan.
Whether you’re summering in Nantucket at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended White Elephant Harborside Hotel or wintering at White Elephant Palm Beach, White Elephant Resorts will ensure you ride in style in a BMW. Be chauffeured into town in a 7 Series or rent a car from the fleet for your own self-guided adventure. The partnership will also extend to the new White Elephant Aspen, opening in late-fall 2025.
At the BMW Test Drive Program at Five-Star Ocean House Hotel in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, you can choose from a stall of elegant vehicles that puts the wind in your hair as you cruise along the New England coastline or stop by the Newport Mansions and other attractions. Options include the sporty 8-Series convertible, the powerful fully electric i7 sedan, the dynamic BMW X7 M60i and the high-performance hybrid BMW XM.
Audi and Posh Properties
Let Five-Star The Little Nell’s adventure concierge arrange an Audi Experience for you, featuring a two-hour drive in either the Q6 e-tron or the Q7.
1 Hotels adopted the Audi e-tron as its preferred vehicle, reflecting its dedication to sustainability. House cars and personal test drives are available. The hotel brand also offers Audi Excursions to highlight both the capabilities of electric mobility and the stunning environment surrounding the resorts.
In addition, Audi partnered with Forbes Travel Guide Recommended SingleThread Farms to create sustainability-focused drives and curated trips for guests of the Healdsburg, California, inn. Through 2026, the Audi e-tron will serve as the centerpiece of full-day excursions, coastal culinary adventures and planned drives through the California Redwoods, along rivers and through farmland.
MORE FROM FORBES
