Chip Conley has always had a flair for business. As founder and CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, California's largest boutique hotel company, he oversees properties that reflect his passion for offering customers unique and indelible experiences.
In 2008 Conley brought his brand of style and pizzazz to downtown Sacramento by opening the Citizen Hotel in the 900 block of J Street. Replete with 198 guestrooms and suites, as well as a first-class adjoining restaurant called the Grange, the Citizen has raised the bar of sophistication for a city long viewed by business travelers as a bit mundane.
Between the economic downturn and declining fortunes for California's state capital, many business leaders saw this as an extraordinarily risky venture. Conley, who also has a new book out entitled Marketing That Matters: Ten Practices to Profit Your Business and Change the World, smiles in response. “We've known for years there was a need for a downtown boutique hotel in Sacramento given the evolution of culture and nightlife in the midtown and downtown area,” says Conley. It just took a long time for us to find the right building. We've been thrilled by how busy the Grange restaurant has been and how locals have truly made it one of their favorite spots. The hotel has gained critical acclaim and a loyal following of regular visitors to Sacramento. I just wish we'd opened into a better economy.”
As downtown Sacramento struggles to recover, what does the future hold for businesses like the Citizen? Conley sees good things ahead. “Sacramento is very dependent on the Capitol in that when things are slow legislatively, we see a moderate dip in business. But we're also seeing a growing number of businesses coming to Sacramento, especially in the tech field.” Conley also believes that the city is attracting the type of professionals that find his unique brand of hotel appealing. “I will say that we're impressed with the sophistication of the kind of business travelers who come to Sacramento, including people who regularly stay in luxury boutique hotels in markets like New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. That's certainly good news for our business as well as for the rest of downtown.”
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