SAN FRANCISCO— Joie de Vivre Hospitality has expanded its portfolio here with three hotels that will serve as the cornerstone of its new Small Hotels & Inns Collection. The White Swan Inn, The Petite Auberge and historic Hotel Drisco have boosted Joie de Vivre’s company wide guestroom total to 1,813 rooms, solidifying the company as the Bay Area’s largest independent hotelier. Both The White Swan Inn and The Petite Auberge were purchased by Joie de Vivre from Four Sisters Inns for approximately $7.2 million, with an additional $1 million paid for an adjacent building as part of the transaction. The Hotel Drisco was picked up in a management contract Jan. 1, 2003 when owner Tom Callinan of Pacific Union Development, who owns another property managed by Joie de Vivre, The Laurel Inn, decided the property might be more successful with the well-known boutique operator’s talent. According to Chip Conley, CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, small “cosmetic” upgrades will be made to the 26-room Petite Auberge and The White Swan Inn. The historic Hotel Drisco, which is celebrating its 100-year anniversary, will remain untouched as a luxury property, he said. The hotel is located in the exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood and is a member of Small Leading Hotels of the World. Unique in its own right, The White Swan Inn offers guestrooms with a fireplace and sitting area in each, wet bar stocked with complimentary beverages, a queen or king bed, bathrobes, voicemail with data port, iron and ironong board and hairdryer. Other amenities at the property include a complimentary gourmet buffet breakfast, evening wine and hors d’oeuvres, home made cookies in the lobby, concierge services and a fitness room. The Petite Auberge offers a French feel with guestrooms featuring a private bath, voicemail with data port, iron and board, hairdryer, bathrobes and many rooms with fireplaces. Other amenities at the hotel include a complimentary gourmet buffet breakfast, evening wine and hors d’oeuvres, dry cleaning and concierge services. Nine hotels in all now make up Joie de Vivre’s Small Hotels & Inns Collection, which also includes: the Andrews Hotel, Nob Hill Lambourne, Jackson Court, Archbishop’s Mansion, Mill Valley Inn and the Waters Edge Hotel. The collection groups together Joie de Vivre’s small, intimate properties which call for specific marketing needs and cater to a particular demographic of consumers, looking for a more personalized experience, said Conley. “We market these properties differently, using the mediums that will reach a certain consumer personality,” he said. These include bed and breakfast websites and country-style magazines. In November, Joie de Vivre added the Hotel Los Gatos in San Francisco to its portfolio as well.
The White Swan Inn