i stay at Kimpton hotels whenever possible, and have been a member of their inner circle elite for the past few months. the properties i've stayed at are Hotel Marlowe (many stays - great place), Alexis Hotel (once - also great), and Hotel Allegro (once - good). i'm currently at the fourth level of "in touch", 75-90 nights.

the program started Jan 2004, and i feel like it's taken them a while to get organized, and still the program is not as automated as many others. for instance, i've booked frequently with the concierge at Hotel Marlowe, and while that hotel knows my elite status, sometimes the stays are not credited to my In Touch account with Kimpton and require calling or submitting a credit request through the in touch site. if stays are booked through the phone reservation system, they get credited without any issue. not sure about web reservations.

also, earlier in the year, i had some difficulty obtaining the free night gift certifiates. i think the process has improved, but still there is a lag-time to receive the free night gift certs til the next quarter (at least that is what I was told when i called to ask when i'd be getting them).

as for Inner Circle perks, I've received upgrades to studio or two room suites whenever available at the Marlowe. often, but not always, a snack upon arrival (such as a cookie and soda, or chocolates of some kind). and on my most recent stay, which was an award stay, i received a bottle of wine as well as fancy chocolates.

recently i inquired as to whether i would be receiving a free night at the new Boston & NYC properties that have opened up since i've been inner circle elite. i was told "yes", but that they are still getting that organized, and wouldn't have any information on it til Jan 2005.

all in all, i think the quality of the hotels makes up for any difficulty i've had with stay crediting and award disbursement. and like i said above, i think the In Touch customer service has improved of late.