Longtime lurker and Kimpton IC member here. I've voiced my frustrations on a few Inner Circle issues a number of times to folks at HQ, but I'm wondering what the FT opinions are on two things that I have noticed over the last 6-8 months: 1) the sudden difficulty in redeeming free night rewards; 2) the devaluation of the welcome amenity.

Has anyone noticed a dramatic drop in availability for award night redemptions? Over the last few months, I have been stymied in all attempts to book weekend redemptions, with only mid-week off-peak redemptions available. My first sense of this was when Canary Hotel's complimentary new hotel redemption was blacked out for months and months at a time, save for a Tuesday night here and there (I did never cash in on that night). When trying to book a reward night at Canary, the situation was exactly the same. No availability. Then, there was the new Amara Resort, which was only listed as a complimentary night for six months (in the winter when temps are low and none of the pools were open).

More recently, I have been unable to find availability at a number of properties--last minute or three months out, I still get nothing. Given that there is no way to check for availability online, this has led to enormous frustration on my end.

In talking to a number of folks at the individual hotels and elsewhere, the common refrain is that the increase in the number of InTouch members has led to a corresponding increase in redemptions. But, because there is a limit (which no one seems to know exactly) on how many of a hotel's rooms can be redeemed on rewards, it has become exceedingly difficult to actually use the free nights that we've earned.

Kimpton's T&Cs allow them latitude to do refuse availability in a totally opaque fashion; the T&Cs are vague to the point of meaninglessness. While they claim to offer no blackout dates, this is a farce when availability is so low, and there are now so many members seeking redemptions. I joked to a friend that Kimpton free nights were fast becoming the SkyPesos of the hotel world, to which he responded, "at least Delta is transparent about their lack of availability online." There is an argument to be made that Kimpton's current free nights redeeming structure is too generous, and I would not disagree with that. However, I would also argue that being loyal to Kimpton comes with significant costs (in terms of: a) generally higher room rates; b) lack of free breakfast; c) limited availability of hotels; d) lack of aspirational redemptions), and that there is a need for the chain to offer a program that is simple and lucrative enough to lure business away from other properties. It is hard to justify staying at a Kimpton hotel at a +$50 or +$75/night rate that is 1mi away from a conference when the loyalty benefits and service are either barely equal to or inferior to SPG/Hyatt/etc.

The second thing that I have noticed in practice is the implementation of the official devaluation of the welcome amenity. The amenity was a big reason for chasing IC, as the personalization and selection was a big bonus over Hyatt's more standardized options (which are delivered perfectly 99% of the time). Late last year, there was a change to the terms to more clearly emphasize: "two of your favorite snacks or drinks delivered upon your arrival." This is a radical shift. Before, you could expect at least one item from each of the three categories to be delivered. In recent stays, I have received only one item plus waters--and it is often delivered very late and is not what I asked for (in one case, it was specifically what I said I did not want). The Raid the Bar does partially make up for this, but I think the net is negative.

Overall, I think it's great that Kimpton has expanded the number of hotels on offer, and I still think they have a great set of properties. I am wholly unconvinced that there is an institutional focus on loyalty/business travel. In fact, I see movement to chip away at the few comparative advantages that the program had vs. the 'big boys.' I think it is entirely possible that my business is not valued/wanted by Kimpton, and in that case, I look forward to moving the remaining sliver of my business elsewhere. While, there have long been rumblings of major changes in the program, I have heard nothing concrete. I'm managing my expectations...