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Hiring for an event

Tips, guides and advice for those seeking to hire a chauffeur driven cars or limousine. This advice is written by a professional operator of chauffeur cars and limousines so hopefully it will prove equally useful to first time hirers as well as the more experienced.

Limo Hire and The Cheltenham Festival

 

The Cheltenham Racecourse has a proud history, dating back to 1815, when the meeting was held at Nottingham Hill and the first race in 1818 on Cleeve Hill. In 1830, the Grandstand was burnt to the ground, when the new Grandstand was built in 1831, it was at Prestbury Park, the current location. Steeplechasing which was established nearby, was moved to Cheltenham Racecourse in 1898. Today Cheltenham is to National Hunt, what Wimbledon is to tennis. Now with the number of visitors to the festival exceeding 180,000 over 4 days, there is an increasing demand for the hire of stretched limousines and chauffeur cars for the Cheltenham Festival. (More information is provided at the end of this article)

 

The original Tattersalls Grandstand was opened in 1960 to cater for the larger crowds. It was also the home of The Weighing Room, which was situated beneath the Festival Restaurant and had the Winners Enclosure above the Parade Ring. The main Grandstand was finished in 1979 and subsequently extended twice during the 1980’s. In 1982, The Weighing Room and Parade Ring were built behind the stands with a terrace providing viewing for a further 4000 visitors. During the early 1990’s the Pre-Parade Ring was used for the first time and the Hall of Fame entrance was opened. Those interested in the Cheltenham Festival make like to know that the Cross Country Course was introduced in 1995. 1997 witnessed the demolition of the original Tattersalls Grandstand, which was replaced with tiered viewing and a restaurant which boast fantastic views around the racecourse.

 

During the period 2003 and 2004, a further £20m was invested at the Cheltenham Racecourse which included, improvements to the Best Mate Enclosure situated in the centre of the racecourse as well as additional facilities for race days such as a new conference and events centre which can accommodate up to 4000 guests. Then in 2005, the Cheltenham Festival, originally introduced in 1902, was extended to 4 days during which there are 24 races. The racecourse employs 60 full-time staff, which rises to to over 1000 for race meetings and in excess of 5000 for the Cheltenham Festival.

 

The Cheltenham Festival is the most prestigious meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom and has race prize money during the festival of £3m, making it second only to the Grand National. During the festival, over 180,000 visitors descend on Cheltenham, more than doubling the local population. It is estimated that an average of £1m is bet with course bookies on each of the 24 races. The first Cheltenham Festival meeting took place in 1902 and since then has continued to gain prominence within the racing calendar. The Feature Races include The Champion Hurdle which is run on the Tuesday and is the first showpiece event. This is followed on the Wednesday with the Queen Mother Champion Chase and on Friday with the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

 

Visitors frequently choose to be chauffeured to the Cheltenham Festival in top of the range chauffeur driven cars, such as a Rolls Royce, Bentley Arnage, or Maybach. Plus the tradition of selecting the best stretched limousines available remains strong. Visitors frequently retain their chauffeur cars or limousines for the duration of their visit, with the chauffeur services companies providing open sided marquees, tables and chairs for their guests.

 

Cars for Stars is an award winning company offering a wide range of chauffeur driven cars and the very latest stretched limousines. The chauffeur cars available for the Cheltenham Festival include the Rolls Royce Phantom, Maybach 62, Bentley Arnage,  the all new Jaguar XJ (LWB), latest Mercedes S Class (LWB), Range Rover Vogue as well as Mercedes people carriers. Stretched limousines for hire are available in different shapes and sizes, in white, black, silver, metallic blue, vanilla white and candy apple red.

 

Cars for Stars is a franchised business, with offices in major locations throughout the UK and, all Cars for Stars businesses are licensed for private hire by the relevant local authority, in London this is the Public Carriage Office (PCO). This means that all Cars for Stars franchisees are registered for private hire, the limousines are licensed as private hire vehicles and the chauffeurs are licensed to drive the cars and limousines. The chauffeur cars and limousines do not have a private hire plate attached because of a successful application for exemption.

 

From the 1st January 2008, all limousine companies, that were not previously licensed to offer limousines for hire or reward, will have to be licensed. As with all licensed limousine hire operators, Cars for Stars is open to regular checks and scrutiny by the local authorities, the chauffeur driven cars and limousines offered for hire are also subjected to stringent and regular checks. All chauffeur’s have to pass a medical and criminal records bureau check before they can be Licensed. Cars for Stars offers a package for the Cheltenham Festival which includes an open sided marquee, tables and chairs.

 

Alternative sources for chauffeur cars and limousine hire include: Chauffeur Cars DirectoryChauffeur Cars & Limousine Directory as well as a number of general web directories.  

 

 

 

Royal Ascot Week information and history – Limousine Hire and Chauffeur Cars

 

With the dates of the most popular horse racing event of the year announced, many people will now start to think about setting the dates aside in their diaries, deciding on who will accompany them to the event and booking a limousine. The dates for Royal Ascot 2008 are Tuesday 17th June through until Saturday 21st June, Ladies Day is on Thursday 19th June.

 

Of course few racing events can match Royal Ascot’s rich history, with a racecourse which was founded by Queen Anne back in 1711 and will reach its tercentenary in 2011, now that should be an event to remember. During Royal Ascot week some 300,000 people will attend the event making it Europe’s most popular racing event. The Ascot Authority, formed by an act of Parliament in 1913 has commissioned an upgrade of the racecourse facilities, costing an estimated £185m and was completed after just 20 months. The funding was provided by the Horserace Betting Levy Board, commercial lenders and Ascot’s own reserves. As owner of the Ascot estate, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth reopened the racecourse on Tuesday 20th June 2006. The first four day Royal Meeting was held in June 1768 and it was subsequently extended to five days in 2002, The Queen’s Golden Jubilee year.

 

The new Grandstand was finished in May 2006 includes some 265 private boxes which can seat anything from 6 to 40 people, there are also 7 restaurants. In addition, there is an 8,000 viewing capacity parade ring, located behind the stand and at the heart of the racecourse. The Grandstand was designed to curve in an arc to provide the best views of the track, bends, mile start winning post, and of course, Windsor Great Park. As part of their Founding Partner programme, Royal Ascot have also announced that the renovated Grandstand will include 1,000 indoor and outdoor high definition TV from Sony, which amongst other things will include betting information.

 

The Pavilion has also been refurbished, providing bars, betting facilities, a public library and a meeting hall. Ascot employs some 140 full time staff, but this rises to 6,000 during Royal Ascot week to cater for the 300,000 visitors. Royal Ascot Village is ideally positioned in the centre of the course opposite the new Grandstand, just yards from the finishing post. Because the Royal Ascot Village has a private viewing area on the rails it is an ideal location to view the Royal Procession and the finish of each race.

 

Royal Ascot is renowned as a sporting and social occasion and every year welcomes many people who may only attend this one race meeting each year, betting perhaps at Royal Ascot and the Grand National. There is a strong tradition at Royal Ascot of pageantry, fashion and style and this is equally true of transportation to and from the event. Visitors frequently choose to be chauffeured to Royal Ascot is a top of the range chauffeur driven cars, such as a Rolls Royce Phantom, Bentley Arnage, or Maybach. Plus the tradition of selecting the best stretched limousines available remains strong. Visitors frequently retain their chauffeur cars or limousines and park in the Silver Ring, with the chauffeur services companies providing open sided marquees, tables and chairs for their guests.

 

Cars for Stars is an award winning company offering a wide range of chauffeur driven cars and the very latest stretched limousines. The chauffeur cars available for Royal Ascot include the Rolls Royce Phantom, Maybach 62, Bentley Arnage,  the all new Jaguar XJ (LWB) , latest Mercedes S Class (LWB) , as well as Mercedes people carriers. Stretched limousine for hire area available in different shapes and sizes, in white, black, silver, metallic blue, vanilla white and candy apple red.

 

Cars for Stars is a franchised business, with offices in major locations throughout the UK and, all Cars for Stars businesses are licensed for private hire by the relevant local authority, in London this is the Public Carriage Office (PCO). This means that all Cars for Stars franchisees are registered for private hire, the limousines are licensed as private hire vehicles and the chauffeurs are licensed to drive the cars and limousines. The chauffeur cars and limousines do not have a private hire plate attached because of a successful application for exemption.

 

From the 1st January 2008, all limousine companies, that were not previously licensed to offer limousines for hire or reward, will have to be licensed. As with all licensed limousine hire operators, Cars for Stars is open to regular checks and scrutiny by the local authorities, the chauffeur driven cars and limousines offered for hire are also subjected to stringent and regular checks. All chauffeur’s have to pass a medical and criminal records bureau check before they can be Licensed. Cars for Stars offers a package for Royal Ascot which includes an open sided marquee, tables and chairs.

 

 

Hire a chauffeur driven stretched limousine for a shopping trip to London

Of course is doesn’t have to be London, it could be your choice of any major city in the UK, or major shopping centre. If you are looking to treat that special person in your life, your family or you are celebrating a Birthday or Anniversary, what could be better than a shopping trip in a luxury chauffeur driven stretched limousine? Cars for Stars is an award winning, fully licensed chauffeur services company offering a wide range of chauffeur driven cars and stretched limousines.

Sit back and relax in a stretched limousine from Cars for Stars, watch your favourite DVD, or listen to your own tracks using the iPod connection available in most of our stretched limousines. For the young at heart, or the not so young, some of our limousines are also fitted with a Sony Playstation with two wireless remote controls. You also benefit from a choice of colours, subject to availability, which includes, white, black, silver, metallic blue and candy apple red! Our stretched limousines are the latest models and, depending on your location, you can choose from  the Lincoln Town car, the Chrysler 300 or the Hummer H3. To ensure that our high standards of service are maintained and the quality of the limousine assured, Cars for Stars do not sub-contract limousine hires to any third party.

As one of the largest limousine hire companies in the UK, Cars for Stars has an impressive fleet of vehicles, all of which are highly specified, including rear air conditioning, TV and DVD player, music centre (some with iPod connection), mood lighting and bar. All of our limousines also come equipped with a cooler box, so our customers are welcome to bring along their own tipple, but we do draw the line on red wine because of the risk of staining the interior. If you intend to do a lot of shopping, we can also leave the cooler box out!

Our experienced, licensed chauffeurs, will endeavour to make your journey as enjoyable as possible. They will take you as close to your destination as is practicable or lawful, then return to collect you and take you to your next destination at the designated time. If you are not looking for an intimate journey with a partner or loved one, why not invite up to 7 friends or family members to join you, because Cars for Stars stretched limousines can carry up to 8 passengers. 

Cars for Stars provide a free quotation service, which is followed up by an email which will include a detailed quote, together with hyperlinks to images of the actual limousine offered for hire. Our prices are transparent, so no nasty surprises and, our terms and conditions are made available to you in advance of the hire. A quote for a stretched limousine from cars for Stars is just one click away.

Top 10 Tips for hiring a limousine for Royal Ascot racing

Royal Ascot week is the event of the year for those seeking a little glamour, a flutter on the horses and the chance to spend quality time with friends and colleagues. Increasingly, people want to arrive in style and a stretched limousine or prestige car such as a Rolls Royce Phantom, Maybach or Bentley Arnage is the order of the day. This article deals specifically with those seeking to hire a stretched limousine for Royal Ascot.

In the limousine operators calendar, Royal Ascot week is the busiest of the year, coupled with the fact that there are an increasing number of end of year school proms held at the same time. As a consequence, demand always outstrips supply, so the late comers tend to end up with the more questionable limousine operators, (yes there are a few) or some of the older limos, that have been dusted off for the week. So the first piece of advice is to book as early as possible, you simply cannot book your limo too early, many regular Royal Ascot fans will actually book a year in advance!

Finding a limousine company is not difficult there are, for example, many niche directories on the internet such as the Chauffeur Cars & Limousine Hire Directory (limos and chauffer cars) and the Chauffeur Cars Directory (chauffeur cars only). Utilising these specialist directories you will be able to navigate down to your nearest limousine operator, but remember, because of the limited supply, you may actually have to hire your limo from further afield, but this should not concern you too much, because most professional limo operators will not penalise you based on the fact that will have to travel a longer distance to commence the hire. To find the ‘right’ company requires a little more work.

A check list is provided below. Most limousine companies, but by no means all, will offer a package for Royal Ascot, typically this would include an open sided marquee, tables, chairs and some complimentary wine and/or Champagne. Most will not, however, offer an ‘inclusive’ package which includes parking and entry tickets. The majority of limo operators would prefer to leave these types of packages to the experts. But, to be certain what you will get for your money, insist on a written quote and a copy of their terms and conditions of hire.

Another important aspect of hiring a limousine for Royal Ascot is to ensure that the company you select for your hire is correctly licensed. In the past, it has been possible to limousine operators to trade without the need to apply for an appropriate private hire or PSV operator licence, this has now changed. Section 53 of the Road Safety Act 2006 introduced an amendment to section 75(1) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, covering hackney carriages and private hire vehicles in England and Wales (excluding London which is covered separately), whereby paragraph (b) was omitted. It was this paragraph that originally allowed limousine operators to operate without a Private Hire Vehicle licence or Public Service Vehicle Operators licence. Because the London area is covered by the  Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998, a further amendment was made to this particular Act to ensure that the Licensing requirements were uniform. This part of the Act will come into force from the 1st January 2008.

So the bottom line, is all limousines must be licensed from 1st January 2008 either as a Private Hire Vehicle (PCO Licence in London) or a Public Service Vehicle and the companies must hold the corresponding operators licence. This does not mean any hires accepted after 1st January 2008, but any hire completed after that date. So booking early will not negate the requirement that the limo company be properly licensed. So this year, more than previous one’s, it is essential that not only do you enquire as to whether the company is licensed, but also ask for proof, it is not beyond the imagination, that a few operators will flout the new regulations and if they do it following the introduction of this new Act, then it is most unlikely that the passengers will be insured. In addition, VOSA target limousine going to and from Ascot, it is a racing certainly that following the introduction of the new Act, they will have an even higher presence and, of course, VOSA are entitled to and probably will impound any unlicensed limousine.

Another aspect to consider when hiring a limousine is the number of passengers that can legally carried. For limousine operators that are either ‘licensed for private hire’ by their local authority or, in the case of London, by the Public Carriage Office, the maximum is 8 passengers. This is not something that can be negotiated on a case by case basis, it is mandatory. Holders of a Public Service Vehicle Operators licence can carry more, if, and only if, the limo has a Certificate of Initial Fitness (CoIF) and then, only for the proscribed number on the certificate. The chauffeur must also have an appropriate PCV licence. Please note, that there are literally just a handful of limousines that have a CoIF, don’t risk travelling in a vehicle without this and, if the limo operator claims to have one, ask them for a copy of the certificate for the limo YOU will be hiring. Given the very limited number in the UK (probably less than 20), no-one will object. There is one other way that up to 16 passengers can be carried using self-drive hire and a ‘contracted in chauffeur’, this is a questionable practice, with many legal ramifications, but at the time of writing this post, the law has not been properly tested in the courts (it undoubtedly will), however, this topic will have to be covered in another post. In the meantime, the best advice is to steer well clear of anyone suggesting self-drive hire with a contracted in chauffeur.

Once you have short-listed you preferred company, received a detailed quotation, together with their terms and conditions and then established that they are a bona fide licensed limousine operator, you will then need to clarify exactly which limousine they are proposing. Do not be fobbed-off with library pictures, or “we don’t know at this stage” and especially, “we sub-contract the hire to a third party”., this is simply unacceptable. If the operator is prepared to take a deposit off you, then they, at the very least, must provide you with images (inside and out) of the actual limousine you will be hiring. If all these of points are satisfied, the chances are that you will have whittled your way down to one preferred company, then it is decision time. Provided you are happy with everything and they provide you a booking form (or email/letter) to sign which outlines precisely what has been agreed and the price, then you should be prepared to hand over your deposit. Typically this will be around 25-50%, with the balance due, up to 4 weeks prior to the hire date. When paying a deposit, particularly if it is a relatively large amount of money, make sure you use a credit card, which in the unlikely event that the service is not provided, or the company disappears, affords you some protection, given you will be in a position to attempt a claim against the card issuer.

So, in summary, here are the Top10 tips for hiring a limousine for Royal Ascot racing.

  1. Book as early as practicable (this is a very busy time of year and demand always outstrips supply)

  2. Use the internet to search and, take advantage of specialist directories that deal with limousines for hire

  3. Aim for a short-list of 2 or 3 companies

  4. Ask about any special Royal Ascot Packages (these will typically include marquee, chairs, table and Champagne)

  5. Insist that you receive a detailed quotation in writing, including what is to be included in the price, the type of vehicle and a set of their terms and conditions)

  6. Make sure that they are a correctly LICENSED LIMOUSINE OPERATOR. They must either be a ‘Public Service Vehicle Operator or be Licensed for Private Hire by their local authority (PCO in the case of London based operators)

  7. Insist on knowing exactly which limousine you will be hiring, ask for images of the interior and exterior so that you can satisfy yourself that it is suitable and in good condition

  8. Don’t allow yourself, or your party, to be carried in a vehicle that is carrying more passengers [typically a maximum of 8] than it is licensed for

  9. Run a mile is anyone suggests a self-drive option to circumvent the rules – in relation to the requirement for a CoiF – where more than 8 passengers are going to be carried for hire and reward

  10. Be prepared to pay a deposit of up to 50%, but pay by credit card for the additional security

 

A final friendly word of warning, if you subsequently cancel the hire, be prepared at the very least to lose your deposit, if it is a late cancellation, you could be liable for the full cost of the hire, even if you haven’t paid the balance. The reason most operators are strict on this policy is because they will almost certainly have turned down dozens of hire enquiries because their limo(s) were booked out.

 

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Hire a stretched limousine for a school prom

Although this blog is written with a UK audience in mind, many of the pointers provided will apply equally to hires in other countries.

The first rule for booking your limousine is to start as early as possible. The reality is that the ‘school prom season’ is a relatively short one and as a consequence, demand will far outstrip supply. If you can, put pressure on your school to provide you with the date as early as possible, in addition, they could save all of their students a great deal of heartache if they had the prom on a day other than a Friday.

Once you know the date, you need to find a limousine company, first prize will be a company that has been recommended to you. Failing which, a good place to find limo operator is the Internet or Yellow Pages. The former will probably be faster and give you an opportunity to read up on the company and view images of some of their limousines before you call them.

If you are looking on the Internet, then you could start by searching for specialist limousine directories,  these niche directories will list companies by town and county, so they are an excellent source for finding a limo company fast. Yellow Pages will provide a group of companies in one place, but the downside is there is very little information included in the actual advertisement and you cannot see images of the vehicles.

Another useful tip is, to ask your local authority if they have a list of limousine companies that provide limousine hire, they will not recommend any particular company, but they will be able to let you know those that are licensed for private hire. Whether you contact your local authority or find a company via some other media, you should always ask if they are licensed for private hire or if they have an operators licence, do not be tempted to use a company that has neither. From the 1st January 2008 it will be illegal for anyone to operate a limousine business without an operators licence or a private hire licence and any professional (and licensed) organisation will be able to provide you with this information on request. You wouldn’t get into an unlicensed taxi and the same applies to stretched limousines.

Shortlist 2 or 3 companies and then ask them for a quote, most will provide one over the phone, but you should also ask them to confirm it in writing, together with their terms and conditions, including what deposit they require and when the balance is payable. If they refuse to confirm the price in writing or provide a copy of their terms and conditions, simply move on, they just can’t be serious about their business.

Once you have received their quotes compare them carefully, take account of the price but do not be tempted to rely solely on price as a measure of whether you should use them or not. Also, make sure that they list anything that has been included in the price, on the contract, this may include soft drinks, balloons and so on. Please remember, whilst regretable, it is not uncommon for the less scrupulous operators to agree a low price in order to guarantee that you place your hire with them. However, when someone else comes along and offers to pay more, they drop you like a stone, normally with the excuse that they have “double booked” or “the car has been in an accident”. Unfortunately, you rarely get much notice and you could find yourself looking for a limo a few days before the event, or worse still, on the actual day. Ask around you will find that this type of thing happens all too often.

If you have the time, ask if you can view the vehicle, a well maintained limousine is a good sign of a professional operator. Don’t worry if they work from home, this does not mean that they are not serious about their business. Because demand outstrips supply, many limousine companies will travel to your location to fill the void, so don’t be too concerned if your preferred company does not operate from the same town.

Deposits vary by operator, but you will typically be asked to pay between 25% and 50% of the hire price, the balance will normally be due up to 21 days before the hire or ocassionally, on the day, payable to your chauffeur. If you can, and the deposit is over £100, ask one of your parents to use their credit card to pay for the deposit, this will afford some protection in the event that the company ceases to trade or does not deliver on its promise. Insist on a written ‘hire agreement’ so that both parties know what is expected of the other.

It is also worthwhile asking if there are any contingency plans in the event of an unexpected breakdown etc. Some operators collaborate and support one another in these circumstances and some may be part of a larger group, but quite a few will have nothing to offer in these circumstances except disappointment!

Another factor to consider is whether or not you want to use the limousine to bring you home from your prom. If you do, it is often less expensive overall (and more reliable) to retain the limo for the evening, especially of the prom is only going to last 4 or 5 hours. This is because it will often cost you more to have a separate outbound and return journey, than it would for a continuous hire. The reason for this is that most operators will either return to base or go onto another hire. The former means additional costs and the latter can result in the limousine being late to collect you. Always ask at the outset.

In summary:

  1. Try and book as early as practicable, those who leave it late will have problems finding a reputable company and will almost certainly end up paying a significant premium (supply and demand). 
  2. Use the internet or Yellow Pages to find a local company. You can also use specialist niche directories to avoid trawling through the thousands of pages on the internet.
  3. Ask your friends or family for recommendations
  4. Make sure that the company has either a current PSV Operator Licence or a Private Hire Licence
  5. Ask for a written quotation and a copy of their ‘terms and conditions of hire’
  6. Make an appointment to view the vehicle if you can
  7. Never be tempted to base your decision on price alone
  8. Ask about contingency plans in the event of a breakdown
  9. If the deposit is over £100, pay by credit card
  10. If the prom is only going to last 4 or 5 hours, consider retaining the limousine for the duration, rather than arranging a separate outbound and return journey, it will almost certainly be quicker.

This posting can only be a guide, in the final analysis you must decide on who to placer you prom hire with, but these tips and guidelines should aid you in finding a reputable operator.

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