What Defines Us
Who Defines Us
The Experience
Design Philosophy
Dining Philosophy
Our Future
The Power of Commune
In Closing
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WHATDEFINES US
As unique as the neighborhoods in which they reside, every Joie de Vivre hotel has a decidedly independent vibe. A guest never has to wander far to tap into the hotel’s greatest amenity and its inspiration: the location.
At Joie de Vivre, cookie cutter is monotonous and
individuality is king.
Our hotels are created with an original edge: bright colors,
playfulness and personality of place. Behind every choice is
a story about the spirit of its location.
This is the message it sends to guests: you have arrived
somewhere special.
Our hotels recharge imagination. Staying here is as
stimulating as reading a good novel or exploring a
museum. Guests delight in the discoveries; they loosen up,
they revel. Because when you laugh and let go, vacations
seem longer than they really are; business trips seem more
productive than anyone thought they could be.
Welcome to Joie de Vivre, an eclectic collection of hotels
with heart. These are places built from the outside in,
where employees spread the message of happy, and where
guests head home with a smile.
ourmanifesto
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Joie de Vivre. It’s the thrill you feel when
life rises above the expected. We are a
delightfully eclectic set of hotels, each
a vivid expression of an idea, and each
created to utterly unique.
ourdeclaration
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Individual ServiceWe’re genuine, warm and intuitive—
we’re personalized to surprise and delight.
IndividualityWe put a premium on aesthetics, the individual style
and the unique design of the hotels. We celebrate the
individuality of the staff and guests.
Memorable ExperiencesWe strive to create experiences that will not soon
be forgotten.
Local f lavor We’re committed to paying homage to the locale
of each and every hotel.
ourvalues
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WHO DEFINES US
Joie de Vivre is crafted for Modern Nomads, travelers that embrace exploration with a sense of whimsy and appreciation of place.
Modern Nomads are fun seekers and young at heart.
Their desire for something unique acts as a common thread
through all types of travel: business, leisure and family.
Warm, friendly service charms the Modern Nomad, but it’s
the locale in each of the Joie de Vivre properties that truly
delights them. They are eager to authentically understand
the city they are in, just as a local would.
Modern Nomads seek brands that are dependable,
comfortable and fun. They seek brands with big hearts and
lots of soul, dedicated to positivity.
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the modernnomad
THE EXPERIENCEService at Joie de Vivre sets out to welcome guests as if they are entering a good friend’s home. It’s casual, social, fun, fresh and organic.
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Joie de Vivre staff are Jacks-of-all-Trades. With an innate
ability to understand a guest and offer recommendations
tailored to specific needs and personalities, they are in
tune with the local neighborhood and have their fingers
on the pulse of the community. They are able to point out
the features of the property and won’t hesitate to help
with a guest’s bag.
Walk into a Joie de Vivre and you will be greeted with
a big smile and cheery hello, indicative of the staff’s
genuine love for the property and surrounding locale.
servicephilosophy
DESIGNPHILOSOPHY
We are the jubilant member of the Commune family. Our hotels are infused with a sense of playfulness and personality of place. Rooted in bright colors and bold design, each Joie de Vivre property embraces our namesake:
“the joy of life.”
HALLMARKS OF JOIE DE VIVRE DESIGN:
Buoyant in spirit, with uplifting and often humorous tones.
Colorful and varied in its aesthetic.
Full of personality.
Authentic, relevant to the location.
Local inspiration is easy to spot.
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designethos
DININGPHILOSOPHY
Joie de Vivre restaurants and bars are all about the corner on which they sit and the neighborhood that they embrace. Independent in nature, they remain complementary to the hotel.
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Popular appeal is a priority at these of-the-moment, high-
volume restaurants. They strive to embrace the youthful,
fun and unpretentious vibe so effortlessly demonstrated
by their hotel property.
Consistently casual in nature, an acclaimed chef is not a
mandate. But if they do carry a history of success, it is
necessary that they enter with a bright sense of ease and
a great sense of humor, preferably humming a pop song.
restaurants
&bars
OUR FUTURE
What started as a collection of beachside and ex-urban hotels has evolved into the most savvy lifestyle choice in its category. From west coast surfside accommodations and storied cosmopolitan standouts, Joie de Vivre has grown to be the consistent and carefree choice in the lifestyle sector.
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developmenttarget
Gateway Cities and Secondary Markets
100 – 400 Keys
Flexible Brand Guidelines and Naming
Primarily Conversions Through
Renovations and Repositioning
Locally Driven Food and Beverage
We anticipate ways to make an indelible stamp on the lives of our guests, employees and communities.
THE POWER OF COMMUNE
At Commune, we anticipate ways to make an indelible stamp
on the lives of our guests, employees and communities; one
that inspires the human spirit and morphs trips into journeys.
Our commitment to creating these transformative experiences
lies in a very special place—the hearts and hands of our nearly
5000 team members.
Every employee plays a part in Commune’s approach to creating
and operating our diverse portfolio of celebrated, highly distinct
and boldly innovative global hotel and resort brands.
Our brands stand on their own with rock-solid identities,
unwavering purpose and loyal followings; together, they span
the lifecycle of travelers all over the world. This, combined with
the visionary leadership of renowned industry veterans John
Pritzker and Niki Leondakis, has created passionately loyal
guests, motivated and fulfilled employees and sustainable value
for investors, developers and owners.
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ourfamily
With John Pritzer and Niki Leondakis at the helm, Commune
brings visionary leadership and a commitment to highly
profitable returns for our developers and owners.
ourleadership
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A 25-year veteran of the hospitality industry, John Pritzker’s
private equity firm, Geolo Capital, acquired a controlling
interest in Joie de Vivre Hospitality in June 2010, one year
after purchasing and re-imagining the iconic Carmel Valley
Ranch in California. In 2011 Pritzker organized the merger
of Joie de Vivre Hotels and Thompson Hotels, a lifestyle
hospitality company, forming the parent company Commune
Hotels & Resorts. John joined his family’s company, Hyatt
Hotels Corporation, in 1972, where his passion for the guest
experience took flight. When he departed Hyatt in 1988,
Pritzker became a founding board member of TicketMaster,
Inc. and continued on to form Mandara Spa.
JohnPritzker
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Chairman of the Board
Niki joined Commune in 2012 to lead the global expansion
for the Commune brands. Previously, she was President and
Chief Operating Officer of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants,
where she grew the company from xx hotels to 50. Three
times during her 19 year-tenure at Kimpton, the company
was named one of Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies
to Work For. Niki was cited as one of the “100 Most
Influential Women” by the San Francisco Business Times
yearly from 2002 to 2010 (in 2011, she was inducted into
its honor roll), recognized as one of “30 Women Power
Players” by Nation’s Restaurant News, and named one
of the “Most Powerful Women in Travel” by Travel Agent
Magazine. Prior to Kimpton, Niki held various leadership
roles at The Ritz-Carlton.
NikiLeondakis
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Cheif Executive Officer
Sales, Marketing and Revenue Management BackboneCommune’s approach to sales, marketing and revenue
management is as simple as it is sophisticated. We marry
world-class technology with the industry’s best talent to
offer efficient, effective and personalized solutions to create
demand. We believe in being early adopters of new systems,
but we put as much stake in good old-fashioned boots on-
the-ground deployment methods. Our model results in a sales,
marketing and revenue management organization that goes
head-to-head with major brands, yet at a lesser cost.
Our People-Powered Sales Force is at The Heart Of Prof itability Commune’s comprehensive global sales program is comprised
of highly-trained and deeply-networked talent, located across
the globe to match customer buying needs, and armed with
scalable technology solutions for highly effective hotel-to-hotel
cross-selling and maximum profitability.
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Commune’s Marketing Function Generates Demand for Our Hotels Through Leading Edge, Proven, Multi-Channel ProgramsOur powerful public relations program delivers highly
credible earned media by influential journalists. Leveraging
the latest in e-commerce, content, mobile and SEO, we
synchronize industry-leading websites, e-mail marketing
campaigns and magazine-quality hotel blogs to drive
engagement. Our innovative Community Management
Program enables greater guest personalization through
social media. Combined, these efforts ladder up to strong
traffic, positive brand awareness, epic guest engagement
and enhanced booking conversion rates.
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Our Revenue Management Department Brings the Best People and Technology Resources to Bear for your Bottom LineCommune’s approach to pricing and inventory-management is
enhanced by our partnership with industry-leading and award-
winning Sabre Hospitality Solutions for cutting-edge CRS and
distribution technology. We maintain direct connections and
strategically partner with all major Online Travel Agencies. Our
global reservation call center has earned industry-setting guest
satisfaction scores and is available to guests 24/7. We manage
search engine marketing investments closely to produce high
return on ad spend.
Commune Takes Loyalty Further Commune’s leadership has worked with hotel guests,
employees and top minds in customer experience to develop
a portfolio-wide loyalty program, set to debut in 2015. The
program will turn brand loyalty status quo on its head with a
truly refreshing, unique approach to recognizing and rewarding
customers and generating return stays from our best guests.
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“With a trio of edgy lifestyle brands under its umbrella, Commune Hotels & Resorts has carved its niche in the industry as something of an avant-garde hospitality company.”
Hotel Business Design
“John Pritzker wants to develop his line of boutique hotel brands at a measured pace, allowing him and his team to do things really well and have fun along the way.”
Hotels Magazine 2013
“Commune Hotels & Resorts is quickly building a hospitality empire... going full speed ahead to grow its footprint globally.”
San Francisco Business Times
“Today, as CEO of San Francisco-based Commune Hotels & Resorts, [Niki] Leondakis has become one of the country’s most prominent women in the leisure and travel business.”
San Jose Mercury News
Commune named among “Gay Travel: 22 Companies We’re Proud Of” Travel & Leisure
Joie de Vivre wins “Best Single Social Media Promotion” Travel & Leisure’s Social Media in Travel & Tourism Awards
editorialreviews
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accolades
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Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice AwardsCarmel Valley Ranch One of the Best Resorts in Northern California and
One of the Top 121 Golf Resorts in the World
Hotel Vitale One of the Top 100 Hotels and Resorts in the World
Conde Nast Traveler’s/Traveller’s Gold ListVentana Inn & Spa
Travel & Leisure World’s Best AwardsCarmel Valley RanchOne of the Best Family Resorts in the US
Hotel VitaleOne of the Top City Hotels in the US
Ventana Inn & SpaOne of the Top 100 Hotels in the World
USA Today’s 10 Best Galleria Park HotelOne of the 10 Best Pet-friendly Hotels
Harper’s Bazaar UK Travel Hot 100Hotel Vitale
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Approximately 90% of Commune’s portfolio earned 4+ starsTripAdvisor
11 hotels ranked “Top 10” list in their respective citiesTripAdvisor
Hotel Lincoln voted one of “Chicago’s Best Boutique Hotels”Travel & Leisure
Galleria Park Hotel named “One of the 10 Best Family-friendly Hotels”USA Today
Ventana named “500 Best Hotels List”Travel & Leisure
Hotel Vitale ranked as one of “The Best Business Travel Hotels in the US”Conde Nast Traveler
It’s our job to embrace the eccentricities of our locales—to
celebrate the fun and funky of place. By doing so we help our
guests do more than simply stay at a hotel. At Joie de Vivre
they discover new things, they become involved, they revel.
We strive to be personalized at every turn. We strive to
interact with our guests—the Modern Nomads—with a genuine
upbeat attitude. We bring the happy. After all, there’s a lot of
heart in our name.
It’s only by recognizing the needs of this distinctive customer
and meeting them with the philosophies outlined in this
guide, that we can help evolve the Joie de Vivre presence and
create experiences that are as unique and entertaining as the
properties themselves.
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