How’s this for piling on the luxury? The Fairmont Miramar, in Santa Monica California, has a new package that includes use of a Mercedes Benz, Lexus, or a BMW. Now, I drive by the Fairmont Miramar approximately three or four times a week – albeit not in a high-end luxury vehicle – and while I’ve never stayed in the 5-star hotel, it sure looks heavenly from the outside. The Fairmont chain in general is a more affordable luxury hotel brand, with accommodations and amenities that are right up there with upscale brands of more renown. The Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel, for example, is the nicest hotel airport I’ve ever stayed in (and I’ve been in a lot), and the Fairmont Kea Lani is one of the four best luxury hotels in all of Maui.
But back to the Fairmont Miramar: This “Two Keys Bungalow” travel package includes, obviously, two keys. One key is to a luxury bungalow, the other is for the car rental – and daily valet parking also comes with the package. The specifics on the luxury vehicles? Well, lucky guests get to elect from a Mercedes C-Class, Lexus ES350, or BMW 3-Series. Bump it up a notch to the two level bungalow, and you can choose from the more powerful and elegant Mercedes Benz SLK350 or BMW Z4 (these are sporty roadsters, with more horsepower). The Fairmont Miramar is literally right across the street from the Pacific Ocean, and the shopping paradise that is 3rd Street Promenade is a mere walk away as well. However, Los Angeles is famously not a pedestrian-friendly city. A luxury vacation in LA is going to require a car, and if you reserve this travel package, why not toot around town in style?
Meanwhile, I have a new game during my bi-weekly trips to Santa Monica: Driving by the Fairmont Miramar in my dusty, detritus-filled family station wagon, peering in through the well-tended hedges for a glance at one of these luxury rentals. Hey – we get our kicks where we can.
