Los Angeles, CA (August 2011) – Joie de Vivre Hotels, the West Coast-based company known for its fun, whimsical boutique properties, continues to grow its Southern California inventory with the addition of the newly refreshed Custom Hotel, the only lifestyle boutique hotel situated near LAX and minutes from West LA’s beach communities, as well as Loyola Marymount University and Otis School of Design.  Officially re-launching mid-September with a new attitude, updated amenities, a revamped restaurant and bar, and an aesthetic that pays homage to the mod ‘60s when air travel was at a glamorous height, Custom Hotel is an ideal destination for business or leisure guests in town for an extended stay or an extended layover.

"Joie de Vivre is known for creating interesting hotels that play off the character of their individual neighborhoods, and Custom is no exception," said Gary Beasley, CEO of Joie de Vivre.  "With its stylish design, redesigned social spaces and our trademark individualized service, we have not created another ‘airport hotel’ but instead a whimsical and vibrant boutique hotel that happens to be near an airport."

The building’s exterior aptly reflects the clever and customized offerings of the refurbished Custom Hotel, with an LED lighting system installed in the windows so that guests can personalize their rooms with mood-appropriate colors. Floor to floor, there’s a different color and graphic pattern design along with varied artwork, seen in both the hallways and the rooms. Guest rooms include complimentary Wi-Fi,     37-inch flat screen TV’s with HDMI, OnDemand movies, soundproof windows, new bedding and work desks.

Custom Hotel has a newfound appreciation for connectivity, with a design emphasis on making the property more open and social. There is an interactive installation behind the front desk that guests can engage with at check-in by taking their photo using the Custom Hotel “photo booth” and adding it to the collection of rotating images of Custom guests on display. The lobby, called Layover Lounge, features two large communal tables with USB outlets and seating groups throughout that create hubs for gathering. Each floor of Custom Hotel has its own unique lounge, further driving the goal of community. Guests can now unwind while seated in the massage chair on the 12th floor “relaxation room” dubbed Stratosphere, play Xbox Kinect in the Transonic game room on the 3rd floor, or have an office breakout meeting in Subsonic on the 2nd floor, to name just a few of the aeronautically themed public spaces.

Custom Hotel is launching a food and beverage program with locally renowned Katsuo “Naga” Nagasawa, better known as Chef Naga, at the helm. Deck 33, the restaurant overlooking the pool, serves up food and drinks with a Pacific Rim influence.  Adjacent to Deck 33, guests can savor cocktails and eats in one of the five pool side cabanas. Hangar 39 is a bar/lounge and creative event space.

Uniforms at Custom Hotel are inspired by 60’s airline staff, with the women in sleek blouses and pencil skirts, and the men in opened collar dress shirts with pinstriped details.  Name tags will resemble those of airline staff as well. The hotel is also introducing complimentary, dedicated shuttle service with warm/cold towels and bottled water.

Custom Hotel will be Joie de Vivre’s fifth boutique property in Southern California, joining the Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach, Pacific Edge Hotel in Laguna Beach, Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach and Hotel Angeleno in Brentwood. The hotel is offering an introductory rate starting at $129 per night beginning July Please visit http://bit.ly/CUSTOMLAX to book.

About Joie de Vivre Hospitality, LLC
Founded in 1987 by entrepreneur Chip Conley, San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre is known for creating some of the most innovative hospitality services and products and designing one-of-a-kind boutique hotels, restaurants and spas. Geolo Capital, a private equity firm controlled by the family office of John Pritzker, acquired a majority interest in Joie de Vivre in 2010. The firm specializes in hospitality investments and is capitalizing the boutique hotel company’s national expansion. Joie de Vivre currently operates more than 30 boutique hotels.