Joie de Vivre Announces Completion of Santa Cruz Dream Inn's Extensive Renovation

Comprehensive Renovation of Landmark Hotel Includes Upgrades to All Guestrooms and Suites, Newly Designed Meeting and Event Space, and the Opening of Aquarius, the Hotel's New Beachfront Bistro

SAN FRANCISCO (June 22, 2009) - Joie de Vivre, the force behind many of California's most acclaimed boutique hotels, is pleased to announce the completion of the extensive, multi-million dollar renovation of the legendary Santa Cruz Dream Inn. The 18-month renovation was accomplished in two phases and includes upgrades to all 165 guestrooms and suites, as well as makeovers of the hotel's lobby and pool area.

The renovation also includes 3,500 square feet of all-new meeting and event space, as well as the debut of Aquarius, the hotel's new restaurant, featuring sustainable seafood, local wines and organic produce. Every guestroom and suite, as well as the meeting and event spaces, Aquarius restaurant and the pool area offer spectacular views of Monterey Bay, the Pacific coastline, the municipal wharf and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

"The Santa Cruz Dream Inn is an iconic property that personifies the California experience," said Chip Conley, founder and CEO of Joie de Vivre. "Our goal with the renovation was to capture that special essence by offering comfortable, premium-quality rooms, four-star amenities and services, and a casual, laid-back ambiance that reflects the rich, colorful history and distinctive, beachside pulse of Santa Cruz."

Every guestroom and suite in the Dream Inn - the only full-service beachfront hotel in Santa Cruz - has been tastefully appointed with retro-chic décor and eclectic touches inspired by the vibrant local surf and beach culture. A soft palette of dark woods and earthy tones is spiked with bright bursts of yellow, orange and green to create a space that is at once soothing and playful. All guestrooms and suites offer private balconies or patios with majestic Monterey Bay views, flat-panel televisions with media hub capabilities, iPod docking stations, complimentary wireless Internet access, fully stocked honor bars, large rain shower heads with removable wands, luxurious linens and plush bath robes.

The Dream Inn offers 3,500 square feet of meeting and event space and a spacious pre-function area ideal for executive retreats, conferences and seminars, as well as banquets, private parties and other special gatherings. Boasting spectacular beachfront views and natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows, the newly renovated meeting space has been upgraded with new carpeting, lighting fixtures, contemporary window treatments and wall coverings in natural hues of blue, beiges and cream to reflect the casual ambiance of the Dream Inn. The meeting and event venues have also been equipped with state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment and high-speed wireless, making it convenient to host a variety of events for up to 250 people.

Designed by San Francisco-based DPS Interiors, Aquarius features grand wrap-around windows that lend a breezy, open-air feel to the restaurant and offer big-sky vistas of the sun and clouds by day, and the moon and stars in the evening. A canopy of handmade surfboards and teardrop-shaped latticework lamps hangs languidly from above, while smooth, pebbled flooring in the lounge area transitions to gray slate in the restaurant. Sheer, mustard yellow curtains, natural teak tables with rattan chairs and blond plank-wood banquettes accent the restaurant's relaxed atmosphere and refined yet casual style.

Under the direction of Executive Chef Philippe Breneman, the menu at Aquarius will spotlight fresh, sustainable seafood and local, organic produce as well as signature cocktails and an extensive wine selection reflecting the several Central Coast terroirs of the Santa Cruz Mountains and of Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. The restaurant and bar will be open to hotel guests and the public on weekdays for breakfast, dinner and cocktails, and on weekends for breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails.

The Santa Cruz Dream Inn is located at 175 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, California, 95060. For more information or to book reservations, please call (831) 426-4330 or toll-free at (866) 774-7735, or visit www.jdvhotels.com or www.dreaminnsantacruz.com.

About Joie de Vivre
San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre 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, Santa Clara and Laguna Beach.

# # #

Media contacts:
Glodow Nead Communications  (415) 394-6500
Colleen Gallagher (Colleen@GlodowNead.com)
Melissa Howell (Melissa@GlodowNead.com)
Karolina Kielbowicz (Karolina@GlodowNead.com)

Joie de Vivre
Lori Lincoln, llincoln@jdvhotels.com or (415) 773-1067.