I had booked this hotel as a one night stop over on our way from LA to San Francisco. We were both really impressed with this hotel from our first step into the reception area. We were greeted by a very pleasant lady who checked us in really quickly. The room was spot on, extremely clean and the decor and furnishings were extremely hip and modern which made for a very comfortable stay. We didn't have time to use the pool but it looked very nice from our room.

We had dinner in the restaurant next door which I think was called Bennigens or something like that. Nice meal and the people were really friendly. We had breakfast in the Ihop next door and that filled us up for the rest of the week! As we only stopped one night did not get to see the area around the hotel at all, it seems to be on a business park but we could hear the screams from the theme park nearby so I would imagine it would be a great place to choose if you were heading there.

I was traveling with my young son and we were looking for a place near Great America. There were quite a few places to choose from but when I saw Joie de Vivre had a hotel nearby it was a no-brainer since I had stayed with them before in San Francisco. The Avatar hotel and the grounds were super clean. The pool, hot tub area was sooo nice. Great Staff, very friendly and helpful. The room was set up great, everything I needed, t.v, internet, fridge, coffee and CLEAN! Having the IHOP right there was nice, of course that was the only place my son wanted to eat...I have told many of my friends about Joie de Vivre hotels. The room was perfect, decor, design, very user friendly. They do it right. We also used the fitness center, it was stocked with new equipment and located next to the pool. Good placement. The shuttle to Great America was very easy and free too! Bottom line, we reserved for one night, but loved it so much we stayed for two.....

I am a big fan of hotels that think outside of the "box". This hotel was very unique in the choice of decor and furniture inside the room and around the property. There were hundreds of little touches that made it feel relaxed, hip, and a cut above your average hotel experience.

The lobby was really cool, with modern furniture, the fireplace was flanked with two large glass cabinets filled with "tin robots". My husband and I were traveling with 4 boys, two of our own, and two friends. The kids went nuts just from the lobby! The room continued the theme of ultra modern/hip. The lighting was great, the beds were very comfortable, the choice of colors and fabrics kept me feeling refreshed, and delighted throughout our stay.

The staff was gracious, and promptly met our requests. We had two adjoining rooms, and the rollaway bed we requested was brought up before we even reached the room from the lobby. (At no charge!) When we needed more pillows, more were brought within ten minutes, and of the exact same quality that were on the beds. (A variety of thicknesses to meet different people's needs.) The pool was a big attraction for the kids, but the hot tub was not heated when we got there. The staff immediately got it going and within 20 minutes it was working again. There were always fresh towels poolside.

The pool patio area was very chick, and the matching red chaises, umbrellas and tables complete with ice buckets all around, made me feel very relaxed! The value we received at this hotel was great. We were extended an internet special "summer" price, even though our stay was in mid-September. Carlos at the front desk was so professional, courteous and thoughtful. He came out to the pool patio after our check-in and gave us a tin robot like the ones from the cabinet! He said it was an extra one that they had not used that was in storage. The boys were so thrilled, and I was very touched at his thoughtfulness.

I would definitely recommend this hotel, and would stay here in the future.

I just stayed here for 2 nights on business. When I arrived I was greeted by Carlos at the front desk who was very friendly and very helpful. My room was nice and clean and very uniquely decorated. I guess it's what other's have referred to as a "gamer" look. I'd call it more like high tech and modern. The bed was very comfortable. The location was great as it's only about 10 minutes from the airport and about the same from many of the businesses in the area. It was a relatively quiet location, but I could hear road noise well into the night. The workout room was large with a lot of equipment. The pool and jacuzzi were also nice, although the jacuzzi's jets weren't very strong.

Overall, everything was great, but I do have a few gripes. One was that unlike many other Best Westerns I have stayed at, this one did not have a breakfast in the morning. Yes, you can get a 10% discount at the IHOP, but that's not all that enticing, at least to me (I'm not a huge IHOP fan). I did find a place called Specialty's Cafe and Bakery just down the road which I thought was great. Another gripe was the lack of water or towels in their workout room. It had apparently been recently renovated and there was a water cooler in the room, but it wasn't put together. There also wasn't a drinking fountain in the lobby area. And, lastly, the bathtub in my room looked rather old. It was clean, but obviously old. Just seemed odd since the rest of the room was so nice.