Originally Posted by
KimptonInTouch
Hi Flyertalkers,
You’re right - booking reward nights in some of our cities has become challenging lately due to a huge increase in demand. Like all other loyalty programs, we have always had a certain amount of reward inventory that we make available each night. This isn’t new even for Inner Circle members. In some of our cities (New York being one) reward nights have already sold out for the rest of the summer, which is why we urge our members to book further out during high demand periods.
This is flatly untrue. Almost every single other hotel chain has gone to a system where you can book reward stays on any night when Best Available Rate is being offered. Hyatt began this trend several years ago, and now Hilton/SPG/Marriott do the same. I believe that Fairmont has a similar set-up, as well, although I am less familiar with their program. There are Hilton properties in NYC that are available for reward booking NYE right now!!! Tell me that's the same policy as Kimpton's with a straight face. You can't. Kimpton's program offers availability that is significantly worse than any of those. It's not even close. And, the T&Cs are written in a way that is misleading at best.
As for there not being an edict from central about the IC welcome benefit, your post is either ignorance or it is a lie. You can look at the Internet archives for the Kimpton Inner Circle benefits page and clearly see that while the benefit was once advertised as "at least two personalized welcome amenities." The words "at least" were removed sometime between August 2013 and March 2014. And, me and many other IC members can vouch for the fact that the individuals hotels have taken this policy change to heart--amenities are across the board much stingier today than one year ago. If there was not an order to cut the perk, why were those two words removed from the benefits language?
It doesn't please me to call out Kimpton, but the lies and lack of communication must stop. If there is a massive increase in occupancy levels and room rates that necessitates a devaluation in elite benefits, that's fine. Every other hotel chain has done that. At the same time, most of them have been transparent about their devaluations, announcing them months in advance to allow for bookings under the pre-devaluation system. Here, we have what I'm calling a "stealth devaluation," because the benefits have very clearly been degraded, but there was no communication, no notice, and no attempt to explain the situation publicly.
Like the others here, I had a good run, but I will not make another paid Kimpton booking again unless there are significant changes to the program. Not a happy decision, but the principle necessitates it.