Glitterati Tours, a Los Angeles tour company, has made a change to their fleet of vehicles. Recently, we parted with our brand new custom van. We did this because of the recent weight enforcement in the Hollywood Hills (all areas surrounding the Hollywood sign) on any vehicle over 6000 lbs. Larger vehicles were then forced towards Mulholland Drive and The Griffith Park Observatory for views and photos of the Hollywood sign, and this wasn’t always popular with guests.
Denali XL SUV’s
Tourism is definitely on an upswing in Los Angeles, and we predict that other neighborhoods—especially the residential areas in Beverly Hills—will follow suit, as homeowner associations file complaints with their city because of the endless flow of van traffic and oversized bus-type vehicles in their neighborhoods.
In place of the van, we have purchased another GMC Denali XL. Guides, as well as our guests, prefer this type of vehicle, for they are discreet and unmarked. We are now an all SUV fleet. Our vehicles are identical, with a middle row of captain’s chairs. We prefer this option as opposed to the middle bench, for this allows guests in the rear row more leg-room.
We will no longer be renting 15-passenger vans for larger parties, for they don’t define the luxury service that guests expect with a private tour. These vans are very impersonal, and visibility can also be an issue for any guest in the middle section. Weight limits in the above mentioned neighborhood(s) would also include these rentals vans.
Each of our SUV’s accommodate up to 6-guests. For larger parties, we can caravan 2 or more SUV’s. This may, or may not work for some parties, but we feel it’s the best option to continue offering up personalized service in discreet luxury vehicles that have access to all venues and sites throughout the city.
We are often asked if our Los Angeles tour company can provide a tour in a limo. We will never do so. They’re not rentable, and they are also less-than-perfect touring vehicles, with some guests sitting sideways with little or no visibility. There is also less interaction with the guide/driver because of the vehicle’s size.
We’ve laid out more information on this topic on our Glitterati Tours of Los Angeles FAQs page.
