Joie De Vivre Debuts The Good Hotel

CA's First Hotel Dedicated to Everything "Good"

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. October 31, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 29, 2008. Joie de Vivre debuts its latest boutique property-the Good Hotel-in San Francisco's SOMA neighborhood this month. Designed to be hip and socially conscious, the 117-room hotel promotes philanthropy and creative eco-friendly design and practices.

"When we started developing the concept for this hotel, we brainstormed extensively on what it meant to be truly 'good,'" says Joie de Vivre Creative Director Matt Harvey. "We chose to focus on three things-a positive, optimistic attitude; environmental awareness (reduce/reuse/recycle); and philanthropy. Our goal is to create a community for our guests that is connected to and benefits our SOMA neighborhood, the city of San Francisco and the world at large. At the very minimum, we feel it is our mission to put a smile on people's faces."

Building upon Joie de Vivre's long-standing history of giving back to community organizations, the Good Hotel encourages environmental stewardship, community involvement and volunteerism. Guests can choose to be "voluntourists" through the hotel's partnership with One Brick, an organization that provides support to local non-profits by creating a friendly, social and flexible volunteer environment. A "give-back" dedicated phone line in the lobby acts as a "philanthropy concierge," connecting guests to One Brick's vast menu of volunteer opportunities found throughout (and benefiting) San Francisco.

Additionally, the hotel contributes to local organizations through an optional guest cash donation program and invites employees to participate in philanthropic efforts for the charity of their choice by allocating paid monthly hours for those activities. Guests can also choose to participate in a carbon offset program to minimize the environmental impact of their stay.

While the Good Hotel is serious about its mission, it's not taking itself too seriously. Tongue-in-cheek graphic statements embellish the walls, and whimsical items made of reclaimed materials decorate the lobby, including a bench made of felt blankets and table constructed from skateboards. Artwork found in the lobby and on guest keycards has been created in partnership with Creativity Explored, an award-winning nonprofit visual arts center featuring artists with developmental disabilities. The lobby's vending machine sells high design items made from reclaimed materials. All guests instantly become life members of the Good Hotel community, and a photo booth encourages guests to take self-portraits that are proudly displayed on the lobby wall (that is, of course, if they are "good").

The hotel, located across from the new award-winning "green" San Francisco Federal Building, has incorporated reclaimed and recycled materials throughout its reconstruction. Good Hotel's guestroom d'ecor features eco-friendly materials including bedframes and headboards made from 100% reclaimed wood, lamps made from recycled Voss water bottles, and d'ecor pillows made from vintage fabric (the former hotel's bedspreads). Bathrooms feature "SinkPositive" toilet sinks, which allow a fun, hands-free way to wash up and reduce water consumption. In the spirit of co-creation, guests can set a mood within their space by switching the direction of the printed vertical blinds over the bed, with each side featuring a "good" San Francisco scene. Room amenities also include a flat-screen television, i-Pod docking station, an innovative and space-saving fold-down writing desk, hairdryer, coffee maker and wireless Internet access. Seventy-nine guestrooms are located in the main building and 38 in a surrounding courtyard.

The property offers free parking to guests with hybrid cars, and has taxi companies with hybrid vehicles on call for hotel pick-ups. There is also a Good Hotel green Prius Zipcar for Zipcar members' use. The hotel's business center features One Laptop Per Child computers. For each computer purchased by the hotel, a companion computer is directly shipped to needy children in developing countries. Guests also have access to an outdoor heated pool located at the Good's sister Joie de Vivre property, Hotel Americania, which is located across the street. The hotel's restaurant, Good Pizza, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Good Hotel is located in San Francisco's SOMA (south of Market Street) district on Seventh Street. This area of the city has seen a recent revival with the openings of several iconic properties, galleries and museums in the last year. The Good Hotel, located alongside the Carriage Inn and across from Hotel Americania (both Joie de Vivre properties), is convenient to public transportation, including the city's world famous cable cars and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). Some of San Francisco most famous sights and destinations are found in SOMA, including Yerba Buena Gardens, the Museum of Modern Art, Moscone Convention Center and the new Contemporary Jewish Museum.

The Good Hotel is located at 112 7th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. Opening rates range from $119 to $139. For reservations or information, call (415) 621-7001 or (800) 738-7477 or visit www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/good.