Press Releases - 2005
San Francisco Launches World's First Hotel-Based Greeter Services
San Francisco, CA (January 11, 2005) - After a three month trial period at only one hotel in the city, high guest demand and satisfaction prompted Joie de Vivre Hospitality, (www.jdvhospitality.com), to roll out Golden Gate Greeter, a free welcome visitor program for guests, to all 17 of it's San Francisco hotels. The service helps guests explore and experience a San Francisco neighborhood with a friendly volunteer Golden Gate Greeter.
Joie de Vivre Hospitality is the first hotel company to offer this level of destination involvement, creating a vacation experience uniquely memorable because of the people you meet. The Golden Gate Greeter service is designed with visitor expectations in mind and to anticipate individual tastes and preferences. While a traditional tour starts and follows a specific route, a Greeter Visit is more like hanging out with a friend; a more personalized service based upon convenient times for the visitor, their personal interests, and needs.
Guests are matched one-on-one with a volunteer based upon their cultural interests (from architecture, to food, to history, music, parks and nature), neighborhood curiosity, language and availability. Joie de Vivre Hospitality hotel guests are given the opportunity to explore a San Francisco neighborhood with a proud local, and along the way, talk about what it's like to live in the city and how to use public transportation.
In a culturally diverse city like San Francisco, there's no such thing as a typical Golden Gate Greeter volunteer. A shared sentiment is a sense of connection with San Francisco. In some way, San Francisco has been good to them, and now it's their turn to give something back. Being a Greeter is one way for people to show off their city to an audience of eager listeners - curious visitors.
"San Franciscans are friendly and proud of their city and visitors enjoy meeting locals," said Chip Conley, founder and CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality. "Creating opportunities for the two to interact seemed like the right thing for Joie de Vivre Hospitality and San Francisco's image as a welcoming city."
To find out more about this complimentary service, visit www.goldengategreeter.com or call 415.248.5927. To spend time with a Golden Gate Greeter, guests must be booked at one of the 17 Joie de Vivre properties in San Francisco. For reservation inquiries, log onto www.jdvhospitality.com or call 800.738.7477 within the U.S or 510.628.4407 from outside the U.S.
About Joie de Vivre Hospitality
Based in San Francisco, Joie de Vivre Hospitality (www.jdvhotels.com) is a creative collection of lifestyle businesses. As the Bay area's most prolific hotel operator, the Joie de Vivre portfolio encompasses 37 hospitality businesses throughout California, including 30 boutique hotels with more than 2,800 guestrooms. The company also owns and operates San Francisco's largest day spa, the Kabuki Springs & Spa. Each property celebrates the San Francisco Bay Area through a unique visual style, uncompromising design principles, one-of-a-kind amenities and personalized service. "Our goal", notes Joie de Vivre founder and CEO Chip Conley, "is to create landmark destinations full of soul and personality."
