There is no greater commodity in travel—or life—than time.

For decades, the hotel industry has organized the guest experience around a fairly rigid 24-hour clock: departures happen around midday, rooms are cleaned in the morning, fresh ones are made available in the late afternoon, and turndown happens during that sweet spot while you’re out to dinner. Any exceptions for early check-in or late check-out depend on occupancy and housekeeping schedules and are prioritized based on the channel through which you booked. For instance, when booked with a top partner like SmartFlyer, the hotel will put your early check-in or late check-out request at the top of their queue. But then there’s Peninsula Hotels, which decidedly took a different approach and turned the model on its head with the introduction of “Pen Time” in January 2021.

Nearly two decades ago, The Peninsula Beverly Hills began seeing a familiar pattern: international guests arriving in Los Angeles in the early morning after overnight flights, well before the conventional check-in hour. They wanted to shower, change, sleep, take a call, have breakfast, and start their day without spending the first several hours of their trip waiting for a room. Pen Time was their solution.

Available across The Peninsula Hotels’ collection of twelve properties around the globe, Pen Time is available with every booking made through your SmartFlyer travel advisor—any Peninsula property just needs seventy-two hours’ notice to prepare the rooms. Arrive as early as 6:00 am on the day of check-in and depart as late as 10:00 pm on the day of check-out. Rather than simply adding a few hours to the margins of a stay, the program effectively removes the conventional hotel clock from the equation, creating up to nineteen hours of additional room access around the standard check-in and check-out framework.

Arrive as early as 6:00 am on the day of check-in and depart as late as 10:00 pm on the day of check-out.

Those bonus hours matter. A 6:00 am arrival in Hong Kong can mean a proper shower and breakfast before jumping into one of the flagship property’s Rolls-Royce Platinum Extended house cars to your first meeting of the day. A 10:00 pm departure from Paris can turn a broken-up afternoon into what feels like a full day with a visit to the nearby La Dior Galerie rather than a prolonged wait between checking out and heading to Charles de Gaulle. In London, it might mean touching down from an early morning flight to Heathrow, settling into your suite, taking a swim in its expansive pool, and enjoying breakfast in the property’s airy lobby all before noon, as opposed to going having to deposit your luggage with the bellman and wait around. In Beverly Hills, an evening departure can leave enough time for dinner at Matsuhisa, a swim, and an outfit change before heading to LAX. Ultimately, Pen Time opens up an entirely different way to plan your next city stay with Peninsula.

Inspired by that flexibility, we’ve crafted six ways at six stays to take even more advantage of Pen Time.

• Hong Kong
• London
• Paris
• Chicago
• Istanbul
• Beverly Hills

Hong Kong: Begin Before the City Does

Skip that jet-lag-induced nap after an early morning arrival and instead dive straight into a spate of unique-to-Hong Kong delights.

The Peninsula Hong Kong has occupied its place on Salisbury Road since December 1928, earning its long-standing reputation as the “Grande Dame of the Far East.” Its character comes from the meeting of eras: traditional European hospitality, Chinese craftsmanship, harbor-facing grandeur and a distinctly modern Hong Kong that moves at an entirely different pace outside its doors. The Marco Polo Suite at this original Peninsula property exemplifies what makes it special. Each bedroom has its own en-suite marble bathtub, and each space is resplendent with hand-loomed rugs, silks, and antique décor, creating a thoughtful mix of tradition and timeless elegance. With so much heritage to appreciate, Pen Time is particularly useful here for travelers arriving on overnight flights. Skip that jet-lag-induced nap after an early morning arrival and instead dive straight into a spate of unique-to-Hong Kong delights.

6:00 am: Arrive and Reset

After an overnight flight, use your suite for what it was designed to provide: a proper reset. Shower, change, and have breakfast before the city reaches its morning crescendo. You can choose between having room service or dining at The Verandah, which opens at 7:00 am and is one of nine dining options on property. If you’re staying in the Marco Polo Suite, prepare to depart in a Phantom Rolls-Royce with your personal chauffeur—all included in your stay.

9:00 am: Bespoke Tailoring with Ascot Chang

Rather than spending the first morning moving between shopping districts, arrange a private appointment with Ascot Chang, the Hong Kong tailoring house known for its hand-finished shirts and bespoke work. Just a ten-minute drive from The Peninsula Hong Kong, this is your first immersion into the city’s thriving energy. Measurements, fabric selection and fitting can turn what might otherwise be a morning of shopping into a highly personal introduction to the city’s tailoring tradition. The appeal is as much practical as experiential: Hong Kong has long been a place where craftsmanship and commerce coexist up close, and a fitting gives you something bespoke to take home with you and remember Hong Kong long after you’ve left the city.

1:00 pm: Stop for Cantonese Lunch

Less than a ten-minute drive from Ascot Chang’s is The Chairman, a popular Michelin-starred restaurant serving Cantonese fare. One of their specialties is their in-house cured meat. Try their signature flower crab.

3:00 pm: Tea in Hong Kong Park

Move toward Hong Kong Park for a private tasting at Lock Cha Tea House, with an emphasis on vintage Pu-erh and the deeper vocabulary of Chinese tea. Give the tasting time to unfold, rather than treating it as another stop between attractions. The teahouse also offers calligraphy classes—an exceptional opportunity for anyone appreciative of the art form.

5:00 pm: Return to The Peninsula

Back at the hotel, the harbor becomes the backdrop for your final stretch of the day. When you’re on Pen Time, here’s still time for a spa appointment, a change for dinner, or simply an hour in the room before the evening begins. While traditional check-in hours would have meant that late afternoon was when your arrival day truly began, instead, you’ve already had time to familiarize yourself with three different facets of Hong Kong’s cultural scene.

London: Turn the Departure into a Full Day

Your final day can still include shopping, a dose of culture, and dinner, all while your suite is still available to you.

The Peninsula London occupies the corner of Grosvenor Place and Hyde Park Corner, beside Wellington Arch and within easy reach of Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Mayfair. It was designed to sit naturally among the surrounding heritage architecture and opened in September 2023 to great anticipation. Even with its traditional façade, it offers a distinctly contemporary interpretation of British craftsmanship, mixed with its Hong Kong roots, as shown by the hand-carved Chinese stone lions flanking its entrance. The Belgravia Suite is a sublime example of this mélange of influences—set on the hotel’s top floor, it offers a private terrace with incredible views of London and carefully curated furnishings. In addition to the ample space, there’s a dedicated entrance and elevator—ensuring maximum privacy. In London, Pen Time can make departure day feel less like a departure day and more like a true day of your trip. Your final day can still include shopping, a dose of culture, and dinner, all while your suite is still available to you.

11:00 am: Harrods by appointment

When you’d typically be finishing your check-out, Pen Time means you’ll instead be taking the short five-minute drive over for the personal shopping suite that your SmartFlyer travel advisor arranged at Harrods. There you’ll work with a personal shopper who can help you focus on the categories of your wardrobe calling to you most.

2:00 pm: Lunch and a pause

Take the short trip back to the hotel for lunch on property at Little Blue Noodle Bar, which honors The Peninsula’s Hong Kong origins and serves up noodles, dim sum, and Gweilo Beer. Take a beat after lunch to rest in your room—something to savor on departure day.

4:00 pm: The Tower after the crowds

Arrange a private tour at the Tower of London, with access to the Crown Jewels and a Yeoman Warder, the ceremonial guards of the Tower. The historic complex deserves more than a quick photograph; the extra hours allow the visit to sit comfortably within the day. As a more classic London experience, it’s also a fitting farewell to the city, and an experience you might not have fit in otherwise.

6:00 pm: Return, refresh, repack

This is where the late departure earns its keep. Return to the hotel, shower, repack, and change so you can depart feeling fresh.

7:30 pm: A Final Dinner

Have a final dinner at Pavyllon London, just four minutes from the hotel. The Michelin-starred restaurant serves modern and internationally influenced dishes—with British ingredients and French technique—from an open kitchen. The vibrant energy comes from its commitment to being a neighborhood restaurant, even as Executive Chef Yannick Alléno’s empire expands. It’s an excellent way to depart, knowing you’ll be back to London soon.

10:00 pm: A True Late Check-Out

Instead of spending your last hours in London at an airport lounge, you had the opportunity to fill your final day with tastes of London you might not have experienced otherwise. The benefit of Pen Time is the extra windows of time in cities that have endless ways to explore.

Paris: Make Your Arrival Morning An Anchor to Your Trip

Here, the value of an early arrival is less about racing through a list of sights and more about creating the kind of Parisian day best served with extra hours.

The Peninsula Paris occupies a restored heritage building on Avenue Kléber, within walking distance of the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées and several of the city’s most important cultural and shopping addresses. Before becoming The Peninsula Paris in 2014, the building debuted as the Hotel Majestic in 1908 and eventually became the UNESCO offices before turning its keys over to Peninsula Hotels. Today, the Katara Suite makes for a pristine example of what The Peninsula Paris has to offer. The suite occupies much of the hotel’s sixth floor, pairing refined Art Deco interiors with a private rooftop garden and expansive terrace framing views toward the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and Parisian rooftops. Here, the value of an early arrival is less about racing through a list of sights and more about creating the kind of Parisian day best served with extra hours.

6:00 am: Arrive in Paris

After your overnight flight, enjoy the efficiency of your VIP greeter, who will take you swiftly through customs and directly to The Peninsula Paris. If you’re staying in the Katara Suite, take time to settle in and enjoy the early morning from your terrace. Have breakfast at Le Lobby, which opens at 7:00 am.

9:00 am: A Quiet Stroll Through Paris

Begin with a walk through the neighborhood. The practice of being a flâneur is all about taking a leisurely stroll across the City of Lights, knowing that wandering aimlessly is how you truly sink into the city’s rhythm. From the hotel, the morning can bend toward the Trocadéro and the Seine before the day’s crowds fully gather. The point is not to maximize the number of landmarks, but to experience the city while it is still relatively unhurried. If you want to learn about the architecture and history while you amble, a private local guide can accompany you, sharing the secrets of Paris’s streets.

12:30 pm: A Long Lunch, Waterfront

Just like a slow meandering stroll, un long déjeuner is an essential part of the Parisian experience. Your walk will conclude at the Seine. From there, a private driver will take you on the fifteen-minute drive to Les Philosophes, where we suggest ordering the onion soup and taking the long lunch to people-watch as they pass by in the busy Le Marais neighborhood. After lunch, browse the abundant number of shops nearby before meeting your private driver, who will transport you the twenty minutes across town to your next stop.

3:30 pm: Private wine experience

Spend your afternoon indulging in the fine particulars of French wine, with a private tasting with a master sommelier at Le Taillevent. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to focus on older vintages and grands crus, further expanding your palate and your knowledge. The collection includes more than 2,000 wines and spirits, so your SmartFlyer travel advisor will match you with a tasting experience that best suits your interests.

6:00 pm: Back to the hotel

Return to Avenue Kléber, passing the Arc de Triomphe on the short drive from Le Taillevent. With an entire extra day under your belt, you’re ready to continue the rest of your trip adapted to the local pace of the city.

Chicago: Give the Departure Day a Second Act

You don’t have to choose between one last museum visit and a comfortable pre-flight departure.

The Peninsula Chicago sits on East Superior Street at Michigan Avenue, in the heart of the Magnificent Mile. The hotel combines the Peninsula’s signature Asian-influenced service culture with a distinctly Chicago setting and has maintained a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating since opening in 2001. In 2026, the property notably marks its 25th anniversary. The Lake Suite is a standout example of The Peninsula Chicago’s legacy; with sweeping views of the Windy City and ample space for the whole family, it’s a spacious home base. With cultural happenings within a manageable distance of the hotel, a late departure empowered by Pen Time becomes especially attractive. Chicago’s museums, restaurants and architecture lend themselves to a full final day. Keeping the room means you don’t have to choose between one last museum visit and a comfortable pre-flight departure.

10:00 am: Private Art Institute access

Instead of preparing to check out of the hotel, start your final day in Chicago by partnering with a private, docent-led tour of the Art Institute of Chicago before the museum opens to non-members. Your SmartFlyer travel advisor will arrange the experience, which is typically only open to members.

1:30 pm: An Exemplary Lunch with a Story

Chicago is a city where every meal comes with an origin story. Tzuco is a perfect example. Chef Carlos Gaytán was the first Mexican-born chef to win a Michelin star for his restaurant Mexique. Tzuco continues that excellence, where you can order dishes like his signature steak with chipotle goat cheese fondue. Less than a ten-minute walk or drive from the hotel, it’s an ideal spot to dig into more of Chicago’s rich culinary scene.

3:00 pm: Back to The Peninsula for the Spa

Take advantage of your room’s availability for a bit of a wind-down after lunch before heading to the spa for a treatment. For something particularly distinctive to The Peninsula, get the ninety-minute Blissful Marma Massage, a U.S. signature treatment from Subtle Energies available at The Peninsula Spas in Chicago, New York, and Beverly Hills. It combines massage, aromatherapy, Ayurvedic techniques, Marma point therapy, lymphatic drainage, and kasa bowl work.

7:00 pm: A Final Chicago Tasting

For an evening departure, arrange a special tasting at Alinea, where Chef Grant Achatz’s multi-course approach to modern gastronomy turns dinner into a carefully choreographed experience. Located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, the two-Michelin-starred experience ties together art and food in an unforgettable way, ending your extra Pen Time in Chicago on a theatrical note.

10:00 pm: A Seamless Departure

Depart knowing you’ve maximized your final day in Chicago and taken a deeper dive into a city with an ever-evolving, exciting cultural scene.

Istanbul: Follow the Water, Not the Clock

Pen Time here is best used to avoid the two things Istanbul can make particularly difficult: wasted transit time and rushed shopping.

The Peninsula Istanbul sits along the Bosphorus in Karaköy, within Galataport, occupying four buildings—including three historic landmark buildings dating back to the early 1900s that were restored as part of the waterfront development. Opened in February 2023, the hotel is centrally located near Galata Tower, the Hagia Sophia Mosque, and the Blue Mosque. The Art Suite at The Peninsula Istanbul showcases just how connected you can feel to the city, while not sacrificing any comforts—it feels like a private residence and intimate gallery in one, with original paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture by Turkish artists woven throughout its living spaces, alongside bespoke furnishings, traditional rugs, and richly textured fabrics. The setting makes the hotel unusually well positioned for a stay built around the relationship between the city, its splendid waterfront, and its transcultural history. Pen Time here is best used to avoid the two things Istanbul can make particularly difficult: wasted transit time and rushed shopping.

6:00 am: Arrive by Air, Land or Sea

After arriving early after an overnight journey, use the morning to settle into the hotel before traffic begins to build. Those arriving by cruise or private yacht can structure the day around the waterfront. Have breakfast delivered to your room or take your coffee in The Lobby, where you can take in the early morning bustle on the Bosphorus.

9:30 am: Private Artisan Appointment

Skip the busiest public corridors of the Grand Bazaar, just a ten-minute drive from the hotel, and arrange a private viewing with a specialist in fine jewelry. Your SmartFlyer travel advisor can set up the appointment in an atelier or private showroom, depending on your preference, with a focus on provenance, craftsmanship, and the story behind individual pieces. For collectors, this is where additional time becomes particularly useful. There is room to inspect, ask questions, and learn the history behind special items.

12:30 pm: Lunch Along the Water

Return to Karaköy for lunch. You’ll cross the river again via private driver and be less than a ten-minute walk from the hotel when you sit down at Abdi Bey Lokantası, a modern Turkish dining experience in a historic setting near the Galata Tower. It’s a particularly apt choice for lunch, when the popular establishment is known for its calmer vibe.

3:00 pm: Private Bosphorus Transit

Rather than spending an afternoon navigating Istanbul’s roads, you’ll spend the afternoon on a private mahogany motor yacht and take to the Bosphorus. The route will pass the waterfront palaces and historic yalı residences while the city unfolds from the water.

5:00 pm: An Evening That’s a Beginning

After a day by and on the water, you’ve been able to soak in the rhythms of the city that quite literally bridges East and West. Now, you can step into the rest of your itinerary with a taste, a sight, and a feel for Istanbul.

Beverly Hills: Stay Until the Light Changes

With its jet-set and Hollywood clientele, The Peninsula Beverly Hills serves as the property where the idea behind Pen Time first took shape…

Open since August 1991, The Peninsula Beverly Hills has a different relationship with time altogether. Naturally, with its jet-set and Hollywood clientele, The Peninsula Beverly Hills serves as the property where the idea behind Pen Time first took shape—after all, Los Angeles is a city where the time between destinations can consume the day. Set among landscaped gardens, the hotel feels removed from the intensity of Los Angeles while remaining close to Rodeo Drive, West Hollywood, and the city’s cultural institutions. Its approach to service has always emphasized familiarity, with guest preferences remembered and stays shaped around individual routines. Timeless Hollywood glamor blends with the ever-evolving pace of Los Angeles. The property serves as a haven from the bustle of the world beyond. The pinnacle is the Executive Villa Suite, with a private terrace facing the Century City skyline and features like a crystal chandelier, two fireplaces, and a separate study.

12:00 pm: Lunch at The Roof Garden

Instead of checking out and existing in limbo, you’ll spend your lunch at The Peninsula at The Roof Garden, where the open-air setting and seasonal California cooking lend themselves naturally to a midday pause. Sitting under those iconic yellow umbrellas, you’ll enjoy the fresh, produce-driven menu while taking in the sunny ambiance—and maybe a cocktail to set the breezy tone for your last day.

2:00 pm: Languid Hours Spent by the Pool

Your afternoon can remain entirely within the confines of the hotel. Transition from sipping on cocktails to time lounging at the rooftop pool. This is especially valuable with Pen Time because you can head back to your room to shower afterward—and depending on your stay, time by the pool might be a bonus you wouldn’t have had time for otherwise.

6:30 pm: Dinner at a Beverly Hills Institution

Your final Beverly Hills meal should nod to the area’s rich history. Mr. Chow is a Beverly Hills institution and has served stars high-end Chinese food for more than fifty years. Just a five-minute drive down the road, you don’t have to go far for the iconic black-and-white dining room and the glitzy lore that accompanies it.

9:30 pm: The Final Freshening Up

Again, there might be no more valuable time in your hotel than the extra hours you get to spend making sure you’re totally ready for the next phase of your journey. Now’s your time to pack, rest, and change into your travel outfit.

No Matter Where, Pen Time Gives You the Power of More

The beauty of Pen Time is how it transforms arrival and departure days into opportunities for complete immersion in your destination. As our peek into what is available at each of the six properties showcases, there are a million ways to leverage this extra time. There’s no wrong way to do it—only your way. Work with your SmartFlyer travel advisor to find the way to make Pen Time work best for you.