From San Francisco to Samui: Keeping up with the Kimptons

'Heartfelt human connections and a sense of camaraderie among guests are what we're all about,' says Area General Manager Christophe Laure, overseeing the new Kimpton St. Honoré Paris. 'After what we have been through, the feeling of meeting people and creating new memories is something we all need.'

Connecting with guests and designing warm experiences was what Bill Kimpton set out to achieve with the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand he founded 40 years ago. It was the first true boutique hotel brand in the United States at that time.

'Kimpton is an emotionally-driven brand,' says Kathleen Reidenbach, Chief Commercial Officer for Kimpton. 'We empower our local teams in hotels all over the world to deliver experiences that celebrate our guests in ways that are meaningful in that moment and in that destination.'

Reidenbach credits Bill Kimpton for crafting Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants with a vision that every guest would walk in and feel their spirits lifted by the friendly, unpretentious atmosphere. It's a guiding philosophy that endures to this day.* No matter where you are in the world, you'll be welcomed with wine or local brews and invited to meet, connect, and relax with other guests.

The brand created a hotel culture that stripped the barrier between guest and staff, creating an easy, sociable vibe that guests loved. There are now more than 60 properties across the United States. Bill Kimpton conceived of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants during his travels throughout Europe while staying at small boutique hotels that treated every guest like a friend of the family and was inspired when he saw a gap in the U.S. market for hotels with this kind of personal touch.

Today, Kimpton's unique brand of service and style can be found in many cities across the region that inspired its creation, starting in Amsterdam and followed by London, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Barcelona. With the scale and scope of IHG Hotels & Resorts behind the brand, Kimpton's vision is reaching more places around the world. The stylish, indulgent vibes of Kimpton St Honoré Paris is next, opening inside a historic former department store in the city's famed Opéra District this summer.

'As Europe reopens, Kimpton St Honoré will offer travelers a fresh perspective on hospitality in the City of Lights,' says Laure. 'We'll have locally-inspired activities such as biking along the Seine River or morning yoga on our rooftop garden, where you can also return later in the day for a drink at the bar. Kimpton St Honoré Paris is all about memorable, relaxed and unscripted service.' The brand is also expanding in neighboring Spain, with Kimpton Mallorca opening in 2022 following the launch of Kimpton Vividora Hotel in Barcelona last year.

Further south, and after years of anticipation, Kimpton will arrive in Australia later this year, with a conversion of Sydney's Primus Hotel to Kimpton Sydney.

Since opening Kimpton Da An in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2019, the brand has been busy planting roots all over Asia. After openings in Tokyo and Bangkok last year, Kimpton Koh Samui, the second Kimpton hotel in Thailand, will open in 2021 following the brand's debut in the country. Coastal luxury and Balinese warmth at Kimpton Naranta Bali, alongside the region's Nusa Dua beach, will follow shortly after.

'What draws me to the Kimpton brand is that every property has its own identity - there is no cut-and-paste,' says Simon Dornan, General Manager, Kimpton Naranta Bali. 'I love that the brand pushes us to find innovative and creative ways for guests to experience our signature heartfelt hospitality.'

Doran points to Kimpton's attention to detail in design and ambiance along with a commitment to conceptualizing restaurants and bars with a wow factor.

'At Naranta Bali, we'll have a restaurant that fuses Japanese technique with American barbecue, a speakeasy-style bar with a zero-waste approach,' says Dornan. 'Kimpton's approach to resort dining is shaking things up.'

Shaking things up is in Kimpton's history. The brand took a bold, inspiring step when it became the first hotel company to publicly support LGBTQ rights in San Francisco in the 1980s. It set in motion a lifelong commitment to inclusivity and awareness.**

'Whether it's LGBTQ rights, curbing childhood hunger or protecting the environment - hospitality isn't just how we treat our guests, but how we support the cultures and communities our hotels engage with all over the world,' says Mike DeFrino, CEO of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.

In addition to its global expansion, Kimpton continues to grow domestically in the U.S., with recent openings of three highly anticipated new hotels in Atlanta, New Orleans and San Francisco.

The Kimpton Sylvan Hotel in Atlanta is a 1950's-style boutique hotel with a mid-century modern design tucked away in Atlanta's lively Buckhead neighborhood. In New Orleans, Kimpton made its return to the vibrant city with the opening of the Kimpton Hotel Fontenot in May. Inspired by iconic Creole fiddle player Canray Fontenot, Hotel Fontenot pays homage to New Orleans' rich history and musical legacy. On the West Coast, Kimpton Alton Hotel is the first property to open in the brand's hometown of San Francisco in six years. The 248-room hotel is in the highly sought-after Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood and delivers a fun, ingenious guest experience with a retro-chic, rock-and-roll vibe.

Kimpton's simple origin - a first-of-its-kind boutique brand in America that welcomes everyone with heartfelt hospitality - has propelled its growth to 77 hotels and 86 restaurants in 53 cities all over the world.

SOURCES:

* https://skift.com/2013/10/28/how-kimpton-hotels-built-its-brand-on-the-local-experience/

** https://skift.com/2014/12/16/kimpton-and-the-rise-of-boutiques-in-the-hotel-business/