Hotels

Why I’m paying $900 for 4 nights in New York

August 8, 2014

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I’m going to New York for the Affiliate Summit East 2014 conference and fully expected to use miles and points to pay for my rooms to save about $1,000. However, when I was at the First2Board Seattle Sessions last weekend and learned a lot about the Kimpton Karma Rewards program that intrigued me. I used my Hilton HHonors Gold status for a status match with Kimpton to receive their Inner Circle status (highest level) for the remainder of this year and all of 2015.

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What’s so great about Kimpton?

Kimpton Karma Rewards has a ton of benefits, even at a lower level. For more info on the Kimpton Karma benefit levels, click here. Just for signing up, you’ll be at the Tier 1 level of benefits:

Free Wifi
$10 credit to “Raid the mini-bar” in your room
Ability to earn free nights
Kimpton Journey Free nights
Custom stay preferences
Exclusive offers and early access to properties
Birthday offers
Dining exclusives

However, because I was status matched into Inner Circle, Kimpton Karma Rewards’ highest level (normally, you need 14 stays or 40 nights for this level), I also receive the following:

$30 in-room spa credit
Complimentary upgrade at check-in, on availability
Late check-out priority
Welcome amenity
Complimentary Chef’s Taste
Greater awards availability
Complimentary night at each new hotel that opens
$50 restaurant credit during comp night at new hotels
Newspaper delivered to your door
Dedicated hotel reservation line
VIP priority restaurant reservations
Exclusive direct access to Kimpton’s CEO

I’m really looking forward to taking advantage of the free night at all new hotels. The latest Kimpton to open, the Brice in Savannah, Georgia is currently offering 1 free night to Kimpton Karma Rewards Inner Circle members.

New hotels opening soon are in Austin, San Antonio, and Pittsburgh. And a hotel in Goleta (near Santa Barbara, CA) recently opened and should have Inner Circle space available soon. I”ve heard that 5 hotels will be opening up in 2015.

When you reach 10 unique stays, you also receive 2 additional free nights!

If you want to join Kimpton’s Karma Rewards program, go to the Kimpton Hotels site here.

Where I’m staying

To take full advantage of my status and work towards earning Inner Circle status for 2016 by having 14 unique stays by the end of 2015, I booked consecutive nights at the 4 Kimpton properties in New York. Luckily, all 4 are within walking distance of the Marriott Marquis, where the Affiliate Summit East 2014 is being held.

Before I made my reservations, in order to minimize the cash I am paying for the nights, I created a little spreadsheet showing how much each night would cost at each hotel.

My plan worked pretty well, except I had to pick the highest price hotel on Sunday night, which cost an extra $32, to ensure I stayed at all 4 properties.

Friday night – Eventi

Saturday night – 70 Park

Sunday night – The Muse

Monday night – Ink48

Deal Specifics

Here are the specifics of the deal that I used to book my four nights:

If there’s one thing Fifth Avenue fashionistas and East Village hipsters can agree on, it’s that New York is one heck of a town. From Broadway to the Met to Central Park and the world’s best restaurants, there’s nothing you can’t find in the city that never sleeps. What’s even better is that our beloved INK 48, 70 Park Avenue, Eventi, and Muse are offering up to 25% off Thu-Sun, and up to 15% off Mon-Wed. Get booking!

Get away any day of the week
From Aug. 1 – Nov. 30, 2014
Book by Aug. 15, 2014
Dreaded blackout dates apply

Terms and Conditions

Welcome to the terms and conditions, a.k.a. “small print,” where we are obliged to let you know that this Kimpton Karma Rewards exclusive offer is subject to availability and valid for all stays from Aug. 1 – Nov. 30, 2014. Offer must be booked by Aug. 15, 2014 under the rate code of MYDEAL. The world being the way it is, additional taxes and fees may apply. Not valid in conjunction with any other promotions or offers. Not valid for discounted or negotiated rates, groups or existing reservations. Certain restrictions and blackout dates may apply. Finally, Kimpton Hotels reserves the right to cancel reservations booked with erroneous room rates.

Book your reservation

If you’re ready to book your reservation for the Kimpton 70 Park Avenue, or any other hotel, and you’ve found this information useful, please use my affiliate link by clicking here or the banner below to support this site.

Conclusion

Normally, I’m looking for ways to reduce the amount of cash I spend on travel because I want to travel as nice as possible, for as little as possible using miles, points, and my timeshares. However, I break that rule when I can find a situation where there is great value. In the case of Kimpton Karma Rewards, I’m staying at some amazing properties in one of the most expensive cities in the world… and getting treated like a king!

On top of that, I have the highest status possible with Kimpton Karma Rewards, which is Inner Circle, so the value is that much greater to me. Those free nights when new properties open up are calling my name!!!

The cherry on top is that, since I’m on a business trip, I’ll be able to write off these stays, which means the almost $1,000 for the weekend is actually only about $600 after discounting for the tax write-off. So, yes, I’m going to spend more than I originally intended, but the benefits I’ll receive are far greater!

Who stays at top-notch hotels in New York City, where they treat you like a king… for $150 a night? Me.

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Why I’m paying $900 for 4 nights in New York

Trip Details

What’s so great about Kimpton?