It’s no secret – I am a huge fan of the Kimpton brand and their Inner Circle loyalty program. A few months ago, I shot them an email asking for a status match into their Inner Circle program, and since then, I have been loving every moment of being an Inner Circle member – they are a brand that truly makes me happy when I am a guest of theirs. If you missed that post, you can check it out here.
Aside from their daily hosted wine hours, custom welcome amenity preferences, and room upgrades, one of the most lucrative benefits of being a Kimpton Inner Circle member is the complimentary award nights perk at their new hotel locations. Each complimentary night also comes with a $50 dining credit to use at their in-house restaurant.
Up until March 18 of this year, anyone could ask for a status match and instantly be eligible for the free nights, but with a growing buzz and popularity, Kimpton decided to modify the terms of their reciprocity status match by sending out an email explaining that the free night benefit would only be available after completing 3 stays (in my eyes this is totally fair and reasonable). Here’s an excerpt from what was sent:
It is the spirit of Kimpton to be generous; we offer reciprocity upfront and without required stays within any specified amount of time. We will continue to do so. However, in order to participate in the Free Night at New Hotel Offer we ask that you first complete 3 eligible stays.
Respecting their decision to require 3-paid stays, I went for it. My first stay was at the Eventi hotel in Manhattan back in April for my birthday outing, my next stay was at the beautiful Surfcomber hotel in Miami for July 4th weekend with friends, and my third and most recent stay was at the Ink48 hotel in Manhattan. All of my stays have been mind-blowing with personalized touches (I always get my favorite snacks and drinks waiting for me in my room) and huge suite upgrades.
My recent stay at Ink48
Now that had 3-paid Kimpton nights under my belt, I wanted to get creative with the complimentary award nights. To complete my quest for 1K status with United this year, Mr. Points Traveler and I have booked an extended weekend getaway to San Diego in a few weeks. With 3 new Kimpton properties in the Southern California area, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity for us to drive up the coast and stay a night at each property.
Upon landing in San Diego, we’re going to spend one night at Hotel La Jolla, then drive up to Newport Beach to visit our close friends to spend a night with them, our third night will be at the Hotel Wilshire in Beverly Hills, and lastly, we will finish off the trip with a complimentary night at the Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara before returning back to San Diego.
I’m really excited to be able to have a 4-night vacation with complimentary nights at my favorite hotel chain. 8 free nights after completing 3 paid stays is an incredibly generous offer on top of a loyalty program that already outshines most. What’s even more exciting is that the Kimpton portfolio is rapidly expanding – it was just announced that there are 3 new locations in the works (Pittsburgh, Austin, and Grand Cayman)!
For those readers who are also Inner Circle members, please feel free to share you’re experiences as well.
If you’re not yet an Inner Circle member and are interested in a reciprocity status match, you can learn more about it here.
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P.S. – I was thinking of having a casual get together in the La Jolla area when I’m in town. I already presented the idea on Twitter and some points and miles enthusiasts have expressed interest. If you’re local to the San Diego/La Jolla area or visiting during the first weekend of October, drop a line if you’d be interested!
Just like you, I absolutely adore Kimpton and I’m also an Inner Circle member. My partner and I were just at the Wilshire over Labor Day weekend and spent 2 days there (one free night and one paid). It was an absolutely wonderful stay. Their rooms are a bit smaller but I got upgraded to the 5th floor suite. It’s like having our own LA apartment! You never see a full dining table that seats 6 people anywhere! You have to dine at the rooftop with stunning views of the Hollywood hills. You can actually see the Hollywood sign although it’s a bit small from that distance. We had the opportunity to meet Chef Greenspan and was comped with his award-winning grilled cheese sandwich. Phenomenal! We’re planning to take advantage of the free nights in Santa Barbara and La Jolla so I can’t wait for your trip report. Have fun! :)
I also status matched earlier this year, and I’ve done 10 paid stays since then, plus a few free nights.
Overall, Inner Circle is clearly the best loyalty program among all hotels across all categories: the upgrades beat anything else, the welcome amenity is amazing, and the free night earning is quicker/easier than any points-based system. The only real problem is that there aren’t more Kimptons in more cities. I think the status match is also incredibly generous–I would probably switch it to a three-month status challenge.
The biggest thing, for me, is that it seems like they really do value and respect the Inner Circle members. With SPG, I’m one of a million Gold members, and I rarely even get recognized at check-in. With Kimpton, the red carpet is rolled out (almost) every time. There are a few hiccups with the system, mainly that the rewards are so generous that it is tough for some properties to live up to the over-the-top service at others. Surfcomber, for example, has the most personalized and friendly service of any place I’ve ever been to.
Don’t hype Inner Circle too much! It’s only a matter of time before it gets too popular to keep offering such amazing rewards.
New Kimpton’s on the way . . . Savannah, San Antonio, Palm Springs, Milwaukee, Austin, Pittsburgh, and Grand Cayman . . . Savannah sometime in 2014, the rest in 2015, I think . . .
What is the least expensive property to try out the brand?
@Carlo: Thanks so much for sharing your experience at the Wilshire! I’m definitely hyped up after reading your comment. Super excited!
@Preston: Yes, they definitely do value their IC members! I really do feel like an “elite” when I stay with them and I look forward to their surprises. I am also just a SPG Gold, like millions of others by default, and have never felt “special” with them.
@Erndog: Wow, so much more to look forward too! Thanks for that info :)
@Victor: It really depends.. I have played around with rates in Baltimore and DC and have seen them as low as $90 a night, NYC will run you $130-$180, and Miami was in the $107 range. Try the AAA rate if possible – and they’re also awesome about honoring their Best rate Guarantee.