When passengers step out of the Baton Rouge Metro Airport or the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, their transportation options are limited to shuttles, buses, a taxi or a ride from friends or family.
But soon, passengers will have some more exotic options, such as the powerful Rolls Royce Ghost or sleek Mercedes-Maybach, to take them from the airport to their next destination. That is the vision of David Mahler and Warren Conerly, owners of Elite Concierge, which will begin operations on Thursday.
Elite Concierge will offer luxury transportation, van services and point-to-point travels in a bevy of high-end vehicles, from the Ghost and Maybach to a Lamborghini Huracan and McLaren 570S. The business fills a void in Louisiana’s transportation options, Mahler says.
The idea came from Mahler’s love of exotic cars and cross-country travels to major cities in the past three or four years.
“Being in the different cities, they have luxury cars that pick you up from the airport, restaurants. In Louisiana, we don’t have that,” says Mahler, owner of H&O Investments and other business ventures. “If you want to get picked up from the airport now, it’s usually a suburban, Lincoln MKZ or a taxi.”
The service will cost $90 per hour for the Cadillac Escalade ESV, $135 per hour for one of the two Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans and $150 an hour to be driven around in the Ghost or Maybach. Conerly and Mahler will open two locations in Baton Rouge at 17425 Opportunity Ave. in Baton Rouge and 50 W. 23rd St. in Kenner. Mahler says both locations will have the same cars, with a few exceptions.
When the business launches on Thursday, only the Ghost, Maybach, Escalade and Sprinter vans available. Mahler says they are hoping to soon receive the Huracan, Bentley GT, McLaren and Mercedes-Benz SLS before the end of October to round out their lineup. The owners have hired three drivers and want to bring on a few more. All drivers will receive background checks and be registered with the Public Service Commission, Mahler says.
Before deciding to launch the business, Mahler says he and Conerly questioned more than 100 people, including local CEOs, to see if they would be interested in the luxury transportation service. They were happy with the responses.
“It’s a service that everybody seems to think would do well down here,” Mahler says.
—Ryan Broussard
