Joie de Vivre Geeks Out with Launch of Best Western Avatar Hotel Santa Clara

Designed for Tech Travelers, Santa Clara’s First Boutique Property Offers $99 Opening Rate

San Francisco (September 10, 2009) – Joie de Vivre, California’s largest boutique hotel collection, has added a sixth property in Silicon Valley with the introduction of the Best Western Avatar Hotel in Santa Clara. The former Holiday Inn emerges this month fully transformed into a moderately priced hotel with Joie de Vivre’s signature creative touches. Designed to appeal to start-up entrepreneurs as well as established technology gurus, the 168-room Avatar Hotel is the perfect portal to the vibrant technology hub of Santa Clara, where leading technology companies such as Yahoo, Cisco, Intel, Sun Microsystems, and McAfee are based.

The only boutique hotel in Santa Clara, Avatar offers convenience and a practical yet stylish setting for the tech road warrior, with in-room work environments featuring oversized desks and state-of-the-art lighting and seating; complimentary wired and wireless internet access; a laptop table for working in bed; iPod docking stations and 37” flat screen TVs. In the landscaped courtyard, a new fitness center with high-end cardio equipment overlooks the Avatar’s outdoor heated pool and Jacuzzi spa, which are open from April to October. Business travelers will also appreciate the hotel’s complimentary Wednesday night “Beer & Brats” barbecues, where draft microbrews and hot dogs will be served up poolside from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

In addition, preferred corporate guests have exclusive access to the “Commons,” a sleek, well-appointed interactive business lounge with free wireless, communal work tables, and several
“networking pods” seating areas with comfortable tables, couches, and chairs. To help guests revive or wind down, the Commons also features two Nintendo Wii game consoles, vintage board games, flat screen TVs, and two Brookstone massage chairs. Guests can host informal meetings in the lounge or book formal meetings in “The Garage,” the executive conference room that accommodates up to 50 people. The Garage was named after the spaces in which legendary tech companies such as Hewlett-Packard were founded.

The Avatar is also the only hotel in Santa Clara to offer complimentary pickup and drop-off from the San Jose airport as well as to companies located within seven miles. “The Avatar is not your typical value-priced hotel,” said Chip Conley, Joie de Vivre founder and CEO. “We’ve created a stylish envelope and a hotel experience unlike any other in Santa Clara, and few hotels are closer to more Silicon Valley corporate headquarters. The Avatar offers value in terms of price and experience, and reflects the words we used to conceive its look and feel – whimsical, in-the-know, fast, smart and scrappy.”

Rates for the hotel start at $149 during the week and $89 on weekends. From September 1 through January 31, guests who book online at www.jdvhotels.com will get an introductory $99 per night room rate, a $25 food credit at Bennigan’s, and exclusive access to the Commons business lounge. For more information, please visit www.jdvhotels.com.

About Joie de Vivre

San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre (http://www.jdvhotels.com) is a collection of creative lifestyle businesses. Founded in 1987 by Chip Conley, Joie de Vivre manages nearly 40 boutique hotels, more than 20 restaurants and four spas, and is recognized for creating some of the most innovative hospitality services and products and designing one-of-a-kind properties. Joie de Vivre also manages residential projects with hotel-style services and amenities.  As California’s largest boutique hotel collection, Joie de Vivre Hotels is becoming the hotel brand synonymous with the California travel experience, offering a wide range of unique urban, suburban and waterfront boutique hotels that cater to leisure and business travelers in all market segments. Joie de Vivre hotels are located in San Francisco, Marin County, Silicon Valley, San Francisco East Bay, Big Sur, Sonoma County, Santa Cruz, Sacramento and Los Angeles. In 2009, Joie de Vivre continues its California expansion, with hotels opening in Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Venice Beach, Laguna Beach and Santa Clara.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Lori Lincoln, Director of Public Relations
415.773.1067
llincoln@jdvhospitality.com

Kristina Hjelsand, Senior Public Relations Manager
415.364.5581
khjelsand@jdvhospitality.com