As a Kimpton Inner Circle member, you are entitled to a variety of benefits that are designed to make your stay an amazing experience that. These benefits include room upgrades, welcome amenities, and a Chef’s Taste when dining at the hotel. One of my favorite perks is the Kimpton Inner Circle Free Night benefit which allows members one free stay each year to be used at new hotels. It’s a great way to explore new properties and book a getaway for you and your loved ones.
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What is Kimpton Inner Circle?
Kimpton Inner Circle is a legacy top-level elite status of Kimpton Karma Rewards that offers exclusive perks when staying at Kimpton Hotels & Resorts. It is a holdover from the IHG acquisition of Kimpton in 2014.
Today, Kimpton Inner Circle status is an invite-only membership inside the IHG Rewards loyalty program. The qualifications are not publicly available, but we have some strong hints on how to qualify, including the requirement of achieving IHG Spire Elite status. Other factors include how much you spend with Kimpton, how many nights you stay, and how many properties you visit.
Kimpton Inner Circle members receive the following benefits when staying at Kimpton Hotels & Resorts:
- A personalized welcome amenity
- New hotel free night a participating hotel
- Complimentary Chef’s Taste when dining at on-site Kimpton restaurants
- Premium internet connection
- Dedicated VIP phone line
- Guaranteed one category upgrade (it is not subject to availability)
- Guaranteed early check-in (10 am) and late check-out (4 pm)
- Waived amenity and destination fees (does not include resort fees)
- All benefits of IHG Spire Elite
What is the Kimpton Inner Circle Free Night Benefit?
The Kimpton Inner Circle Free Night Benefit is an exclusive benefit for Inner Circle members. Each year, you’ll receive one complimentary night that you can use at a new hotel that Kimpton opens in the U.S. or globally.
However, not all hotels opt to participate in this benefit. This benefit is designed to introduce members to the new hotel so they’ll want to visit again and again. Many members also choose to share their experiences with friends and on social media so that others will want to visit too.
How many free night benefits do members receive?
Inner Circle members receive one Kimpton Inner Circle New Hotel Free Night in January each year.
Throughout the year, it is possible to receive additional free nights through Kimpton’s efforts to “surprise and delight” its most loyal members. There’s no preset way to earn these additional nights, but the more that you stay with Kimpton, eat at the hotel’s restaurants, and engage with Kimpton’s social media, the higher your chances are to receive a little extra Kimpton Love.
In order to be eligible, you must have at least 3 qualified stays at Kimpton hotels in the past 12 months.
To recap: you’ll receive one free night benefit guaranteed, with the possibility of more nights based on your engagement with Kimpton.
Is there a points cap on the New Hotel Free Night?
This is a reasonable question since the free night from the IHG Rewards Club credit card is capped at 40,000 points per night.
With the New Hotel Free Night, it does not matter how many points it costs to book your free night. IHG and participating Kimpton hotels understand the value of this benefit to encourage the brand’s most loyal guests to experience new properties, so there is no cap to this free night.
When does the Kimpton Inner Circle New Hotel Free Night expire?
Your New Hotel Free Night certificates expire on January 31st of the following year. This gives you a little more than 12 months to choose from the rotating collection of participating properties and book your stay.
Can I combine New Hotel Free Nights with points, promos, or credit card stays?
Yes, you can piece together award stays with cash, points, and other promotions for a longer stay at the hotel you choose. However, because each type of reservation will have its own reservation number, I recommend reaching out to the Kimpton hotel staff ahead of your stay so that they recognize all of your reservations so that you can stay in the same room throughout your stay.
Say you wanted to maximize the free nights for a long stay at the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman, Montana. Here’s how to do that:
- Book the New Hotel Free Night benefit.
- Chase IHG Rewards Club 4th-night free benefit for cardholders when using points.
- Sign up for IHG Ambassador status and use BOGO free night benefit.
- Use your Chase IHG Rewards Club annual free night (worth up to 40k points).
That’s a total of 8 nights at the new Kimpton Armory Hotel – four free nights when you pay cash for one and points for three!
Current list of Kimpton Inner Circle New Hotel locations
New locations are added to the list of participating Kimpton Inner Circle New Hotels on a regular basis. Kimpton has been expanding considerably after partnering with IHG and there are a lot of new properties in the pipeline.
As of August 27, 2020, this is the current list of locations that are participating in the Kimpton Inner Circle new hotel free night benefit.
Where I’ve used the New Hotel Free Night Benefit
I’ve really enjoyed this perk at numerous hotels in the past, including:
- Seafire Resort + Spa in Grand Cayman
- Overland Hotel in Atlanta
- Journeyman Hotel in Milwaukee
- Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach
Now that the Kimpton Inner Circle new hotel free night benefit is back, I’m looking forward to using the benefit on a regular basis to experience the new hotels and an excuse to travel.
The Bald Thoughts
The Kimpton Inner Circle free night benefit is one of the best perks of any hotel loyalty program. Kimpton pulls out all of the stops to reward its most loyal guests with awesome amenities, curated chef delights, and free nights at new hotels. I love using this benefit to create awesome memories with my family, and I look forward to visiting all of the new Kimpton locations.
