California's Largest Independent Boutique Hotelier to Give Away a Year of Hotel Stays to the Best Shutterbug

SAN FRANCISCO, May 13 -- Joie de Vivre (JdV) announced today a summer-long photo contest that will offer the grand prize winner stays for a year at Joie de Vivre Hotels throughout California. JdV's "Your California" Photo Contest in partnership with Southwest Airlines invites everyone from California natives to those who have traveled to the sunny state to pull out their cameras (or cell phones) and take pictures that portray "Your California." 

    All are invited:  From accomplished photographers to amateurs who have taken accidental, award-winning shots can submit their photos for a chance to win. To level the playing field, there are four categories for photo submission including Amateur Photographer, Photo Journalist, Joie de Vivre Employee and Southwest Airlines Employee. The grand prize winner in the Amateur Photographer category will receive free hotel stays for a year at Joie de Vivre Hotels, their choice of any Joy of Life Club reward (Joie de Vivre Hotels' loyalty program) and six (6) tickets on Southwest Airlines flights to visit magnificent locations within California. The Photo Journalist category winner will receive a $500 gift certificate for Wolf Camera, a two-night stay at the JdV hotel of their choice and two (2) tickets on Southwest Airlines flights within California. Five other prizes will be awarded to each of the four categories inclusive of hotel stays and flights on Southwest's 100 nonstop daily departures within California.

    Shutterbugs enter by uploading their California images on the Joie de Vivre Hotels website (http://www.jdvhotels.com/photocontest). There is no limit to the number of photographs a person may upload, however, each photograph should communicate a uniquely-California moment, place, person or whatever defines "Your California." The contest's distinctiveness lies in the participants' representation and perspective of what California means to them. It's a contest for those who would like to share how California and its many beauties can be defined from behind a lens. 

    Voting is on a rolling basis and visitors to http://www.jdvhotels.com/photocontest may vote once for each of their latest favorite photographs in every category. Photograph submissions and subsequent voting ends on August 31, 2008 and winners will be announced mid-September. All winners, with the exception of the "Staff Picks," are chosen based on the online popular vote. 

    About Joie de Vivre Hospitality

    Based in San Francisco, JdV is a creative collection of lifestyle businesses.  As California's largest boutique hotelier, Joie de Vivre encompasses other hospitality businesses such as restaurants and spas.  Celebrating more than 20 years of creating dreams, Joie de Vivre Hospitality is expanding its California presence in Sacramento, Huntington Beach, Sunnyvale and Santa Cruz.

    Partnering in the contest, Southwest Airlines celebrates 100 nonstop daily departures within California.

    Official Contest Rules available at http://www.jdvhotels.com/photocontest