Switching gears at The Peninsula Hong Kong

The Peninsula Tokyo - Tesla [Photo/Courtesy of The Peninsula Hotels]

Car manufacturers have learned that Oxley will not take no for an answer when he makes a special request – whether that's Rolls-Royce moving its A/C controls in the Phantom limousine from between the front seats to the rear armrests where guests can reach them, or BMW relocating the fridge system in its luxury 7-Series to double the boot space.

The Peninsula's worldwide fleet now comprises 29 Rolls-Royces – including four 1934 Phantoms – and almost 40 BMW 7-Series. But it also includes Mini Coopers, a Citro?n 2CV in Paris, a custom-made tuk-tuk with leather seats in Bangkok and a super-luxury jeepney in Manila. "Although we are one of the oldest hotel companies in the world, we don't feel old," says Oxley. "We wanted to do something fun and show the heritage of the countries where we're based."

Oxley's pet project was the bespoke jeepney, which is based on the original 1955 six-seater version but is wider, taller and air-conditioned. It also features leatherette seats and seatbelts, Perspex windows, a rear door with a child lock to prevent guests from falling out, an intercom, a cool box and a Euro 5 diesel engine – the most fuel-efficient and eco-friendly you can buy. "And for the outside, we blinged it up," says Oxley.

Looking to the future, Oxley reckons the days of running a full electricity-powered fleet at The Peninsula are still far off. "We have a Tesla and a hybrid BMW 1A, but until we have an electric car with a 480km range and sufficient boot space, I won't consider them for a hotel limousine fleet."

And what does he tell new drivers joining The Peninsula's team? "Imagine there is a young lady in a long white dress sitting in the rear seat, holding a glass of red wine. Don't spill it!"