Felicity

Name: Quality Inn & Suites Yuma
Price range: S$119
Rating: 8.6

Travel Guide

Istel is the founder of Felicity and the town’s longtime mayor, having been elected, almost 30 years ago, to an apparent lifetime term. The vote was unanimous: Istel voted for himself and so did Felicity’s other resident, Istel’s wife, Felicia. The town, established in 1986, consists of the Istels’ home and a half-dozen other buildings that the couple built on 2,600 acres in the middle of the desert near Yuma, Ariz., just off Interstate 8. At the north end, up an imposing staircase, sits the Church on the Hill at Felicity — inspired by a little white chapel in Brittany — that Istel built in 2007. The church is gorgeous and serene and looks eerily out of place, though less out of place than the 21-foot-tall stone-and-glass pyramid on the opposite end of town. The pyramid is there to mark the exact center of the world.

According to the French government and California’s Imperial County, the official center of the world lies in the town of Felicia in California’s Sonora Desert. There is no scientific or political reason for the designation, but only the effort of Jacques-André Istel and his wife Felicia Lee (the town's namesake), who founded the town in 1986. Jacques-André made his name and fortune as a famous French-American parachutist and co-founded of Parachutes, Inc., which produced parachuting equipment and opened the first parachuting school in the United States. He is credited as a key figure in popularizing parachuting in America and has been referred to as the “father of American skydiving.” In 1985 he wrote the children’s book "Coe: The Good Dragon at the Center of the World" about a dragon that lived at the center of the world, which served as the inspiration behind the town’s creation

Visit Felicity

Top hotels in Felicity

La Fuente Inn & Suites

1513 E 16th St Yuma AZ

S$151

17 Apr - 18 Apr

includes taxes & fees

Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the pool in their reviews. ...

9.4/10 Exceptional! (2,236 reviews)

The property is a little dated but it is clean and livable. Would stay here again. Beds are comfy

Reviewed on 17 Mar, 2026

Best Western Yuma Mall Hotel & Suites

1450 S Castle Dome Ave Yuma AZ

S$112

12 Apr - 13 Apr

includes taxes & fees

Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in their ...

8.2/10 Very Good! (1,018 reviews)

Overall a pretty good stay. Property could use some updating. Staff was very kind and accommodating.

Reviewed on 16 Mar, 2026

Quality Inn & Suites Yuma

1691 S Riley Ave Yuma AZ

Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay

S$119

10 Apr - 11 Apr

includes taxes & fees

Stay at this hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in their reviews. Popular ...

8.6/10 Excellent! (1,213 reviews)

Very friendly

Reviewed on 17 Mar, 2026

See all 246 properties in Felicity

Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.