It is not always easy to stand out amongst other hotels. So many
This post is about a specific travel experience and was also posted on my business blog ‘Acts not ads’.
Table of Contents
Raid the bar: free bar credit done right
If you’re a Kimpton Karma (now part of the IHG Rewards Club loyalty program) member, you will get a €15 euro (or 15 pounds) bar credit you can use for your mini bar and/or the different bars in the hotel.
It might not seem special at first, but I just love the ‘Raid the bar’ name and the execution in the fancy cards.
Kimpton social hour: brand storytelling with Champagne
The story is that Kimpton’s founder Bill Kimpton would have a daily fireside chat with his sales team to discuss all things
In Kimpton Fitzroy’s case, it is a daily gathering on the 1st floor of the hotel with a glass of Champagne and someone from the team sharing the ideas and thoughts of the Kimpton brand.
CEO’s phone number for elite members
When you are eligible to join the Kimpton Karma Inner Circle (by invitation only to the most loyal of Kimpton guests), you’ll get access to a dedicated phone number of Kimpton’s CEO and the executive team. Or, as Kimpton officially states:
Direct access to Kimpton Hotels’ CEO via the Inner Circle VIP Line and exclusive email address. This number is available in the Inner Circle welcome kit, which is mailed when status is granted, and in the monthly Inner Circle email statement. Access to our CEO and his executive team is provided to give feedback about your Kimpton experiences. The VIP Phone line may be used for experiences with all other IHG® brands and other travel requests.
Kimpton Hotels
Which illustrates quite aptly why what Kimpton is doing is so difficult. There seems to be a thin line between “you get the company CEO’s phone number and you can call him – and he might be picking up” and the statement above that completely takes any emotion out of the otherwise really nice perk.
Secret password to be ‘in the know’
From time to time, Kimpton will secretly announce a new ‘secret password’ or ‘secret codeword’ that – when mentioned during check-in- will give you an additional small gift. Depending on the hotel (each Kimpton hotel has the freedom to ), you can get anything from a small gift to extra bar credit (which I did get when I used the ‘Chilled to perfection’ codeword at the Kimpton Fitzroy in London – 15 pounds free drinks). A smart way to have people feel ‘in the know’.
In conclusion
What I appreciate most is that each single one of these acts of hospitality are very easy to scale over a large amount of properties – not much special training is needed. On the other hand, most of them have massive impact in making people feel ‘in the know’ and feel personally touched by these brands. I am very much looking forward to other brands crafting similar personalised travel experiences in the coming years.
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