News: Universal Hollywood offers new tour

Posted at 11:07 PM EDT (0307 GMT)

Apr. 26th, 2005 -- Universal Studios Hollywood and Starline Tours, two classic Hollywood attractions, have teamed for the new "Ultimate Hollywood Adventure," a complete Tinseltown experience that takes guests behind-the-scenes of movie and television production and through the neighborhoods of the rich and famous, allowing guests to see where the stars work and where they live.

The new Hollywood-themed package includes admission to Universal Studios Hollywood, the world's largest movie studio and theme park and tickets to Starline's "Movie Stars' Homes" tour, a two-hour guided journey of Hollywood landmarks.  The itinerary shuttles guests in comfortable mini-buses along the famed Sunset Strip and past the sprawling mansions of the Beverly Hills and Bel-Air hideaways of Hollywood's biggest stars such as Halle Berry, Nicolas Cage and  Barbra Streisand and the former abodes of  Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.

"When people visit Hollywood, they want to see the places where the stars spend their time and where they can occasionally be seen," said Don Skeoch, senior vice president marketing and sales, Universal Studios Hollywood.  "This is the first ticket package that allows guests a combined experience of the stars' homes and the studios where they work, thoroughly immersing them in the glamour of Hollywood. The package is truly in keeping with Universal's tradition of taking guests behind-the-scenes of the movie-making industry."

The new Hollywood package, ideal for movie fans and anyone fascinated with Los Angeles' celebrity culture, is priced at $85 for adults and $66 for children (ages 3- 11) and includes ticket vouchers for both attractions valid through the end of the year, allowing guests maximum flexibility on usage.

The "Ultimate Hollywood Adventure" can be purchased at Universal Studios Hollywood and the Grauman's Chinese Theatre offices of Starline Tours or online at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com .The commissionable ticket product will also be available through popular travel wholesalers. Universal Studios Hollywood can be reached at 800-UNIVERSAL.

Universal Studios Hollywood is open daily except for Thanksgiving and Christmas day. Starline Tours operates daily from 10:00 a.m. through dusk, with departures every 30 minutes from Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

Universal Studios Hollywood (http://www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com) is a world-class theme park and entertainment destination.  Situated upon 415-acres, Universal Studios combines an authentic working movie and television studio with cutting-edge experience that employs the latest in state-of-the-art technologies. Universal Studios Hollywood includes Universal CityWalk, featuring an eclectic variety of dining, shopping and live entertainment venues, an 18-screen movie complex and the 6,200-seat Gibson Amphitheatre.

Universal Studios Hollywood (www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com) is a unit of Universal Parks & Resorts, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com), Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal.

NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network, a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.

Established in 1935, Starline Tours of Hollywood is the most popular sightseeing tour company in Los Angeles.  Located at the world famous Grauman's Chinese Theater in the heart of Hollywood,  Starline Tours specialize in custom tour packages and escorted itineraries of Hollywood and the greater California area.