As luxe would have it
The Peninsula Manila Jeepney
A COUPLE of years (yes, years) into discussing the possibility of featuring the so-called “Pen Jeepney” on the Wheels show, it finally happened. The hotel’s affable director of public relations, Mariano “Garch” Garchitorena gave us the go-signal because, well, the Jeepney was finally ready after major work to make everything just “Pen-perfect.”
But I’m getting ahead of myself. An official Peninsula Jeepney? How did that come about? “We are not a cookie-cutter hotel, and every hotel built by the group has a sense of the city or country where it is situated. We want our guests and clients to experience where they are located,” said Peninsula Manila general manager Mark Choon. “Peninsula Bangkok has a tuktuk (a popular mode of public transportation in the country akin to a tricycle), and you can’t get more Pinoy in the jeepney. We may be the oldest hotel company in the world, but we know how to have fun, i.e. in addition to our sister hotels’ Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW fleets, we have Mini Coopers, tuktuks and now our jeepney.”
Garchitorena said the idea for the jeepney had been “percolating for many years” — 10 to be exact. Former GM Jonathan Crook (now with The Peninsula New York) first broached the idea, which then materialized into metal under the stewardship of GM Sonja Vodusek (who’s since moved to Pen Tokyo).
“In the Philippines, heritage jeepneys are the territory of the Sarao family who first made it famous. So we first approached Ed Sarao to manufacture one for us, and it was there that we saw their gorgeous vintage 1955 red Sarao jeepney (an actual repurposed World War II Willis jeep) with Art Deco elements,” shared Garchitorena. “We asked if we could purchase their jeep and restore it to its former glory. Unfortunately, they refused. We then asked if they could manufacture one for us, but we were told that they no longer manufactured jeepneys.”
The Pen people went out in search of an ideal supplier, then finally discovered Alfred Motors, a vintage-car restoration specialist owned by its namesake Alfred Perez. They went back to Sarao who allowed them to copy a vintage jeepney of the company “down to its most minute details.”
Explained Garchitorena, “Aside from being taller and wider than the original Willis Jeep (which could only accommodate three lean men facing each other, ours is designed to fit in three taller and more robust men) and painted in The Peninsula’s signature Brewster Green, it looks like the original.”
The “passion project” is now an official part of the hotel’s fleet — taking its place among BMW 7 Series units and a large coaster. “We reproduced every single Art Deco detail, down to the last minutiae,” continued the PR executive. “The seats are covered in genuine tan leather calf skin; the center caps are from Rolls-Royce; the horses on the hood were sourced from an antique dealer, as well as the steering wheel, gauges, and stick shift.”
While being an homage to the epic history of the revered jeepney, the Pen Jeepney is chockful of amenities that bring the vehicle to the present. There’s air conditioning, WiFi connectivity, a built-in cooler, stereo system, along with a snappily dressed chauffeur to take you where you want to go.
“Guests love having their photo taken in it or beside it,” gushed Garchitorena. “It never fails to make guests break out in smiles. Of course, they’re smiling at the jeepney — not you. We’ve received requests to take guests on tours, brides to church, newlywed couples to their reception, etc.”
Of course, the jeepney — that classic, iconic workhorse — is still, at its core, all about Filipino hospitality. I certainly didn’t expect anything less.