WorldExplorer150
Nov 2019
For US$65 I suppose I expected some sort of upscale hop-on hop-off bus tour. Instead, we were asked to meet at an unmarked spot in front of a diner in the very seedy Hollywood Blvd area, where we were greeted by an un-uniformed gentleman (friendly, but looked like a regular passer-by), who had us board a beaten up minivan with no windows. This is what none of the other reviews tell you.
Otherwise, the tour was fine. Our guide was both knowlegdeable and friendly. The tour started with us being driven to a secluded spot in the Santa Monica mountains from where we had a distant, but unobstructed view of the Hollywood Sign. We stopped next to some comedy clubs on Sunset Blvd, walked the grounds at Greystone Mansion, drove along a section of Mulholland Drive, caught a glimpse of the Griffith Observatory, rushed through Rodeo Drive, briefly stopped at the Beverly Hills sign and then drove back to the meeting spot.
In all, the tour lasted 3 hours, after which I came to think that either there generally isn't much to see in LA by bus (unlike, say, London, Paris or NYC), or we were deliberately not taken to important sites. I'm not sure which is true, but I will be back in LA soon and will do some research before-hand on which important landmarks to visit by myself, e.g. catch a show at one of the comedy clubs or visit the Griffith Observatory.
Réponse de l'hôte
Nov 2019
Thank You so much for taking the time and effort to leave us your valuable feedback. I spent some time to carefully read everything you tried to convey to us and other travelers. I hope you would not mind me responding to your crafted points.
As for the vehicle, we do not use Hop-On Hop-Off Double Decker buses because these are not suitable for exploring LA due to their size and weight. Furthermore, the Big Buses usually have no tour guides and are not engaging whatsoever. Our tours and vans were created by an amazing team of locals who care about the city and its hidden gems. You can always take a look at the pictures in Product Photos to find out how the mini-vans look and what to expect from the tours.
I was little surprised when you mentioned the lack of uniforms, because it is one of the main requirements for our entire team. Sometimes, we do wear hoodies when it's cold outside and it may be hard to distinguish the logos under them. I suppose that was the case.
Your concern regarding the meeting spot is understandable, yet we use the passenger loading Zone so that the travelers can conveniently park in the Public Parking right next to it. Furthermore, the location is very close to the Metro of Hollywood/Vine. There are restrooms and lounges for travelers to rest as well.
Looking at your pictures, it seems like you had seen some amazing views and great locations, therefore I am not quite sure what other spots we could include for you. Hollywood Sign picture you uploaded was also very nice to me and it is the closest anybody can drive to. There is no other company that would take you that close.
Overall, I appreciate you taking the time to leave us this review and share your opinion with the TripAdvisor community. Keep in mind, we can kindly provide a refund if you were not 100% satisfied, no questions asked :)
We would love you to visit us again and give us one more chance to impress you with the City Of Angels.
Sincerely,
Your Friends From LA
ALLDAYLA