# of members of Inner Circle
Dec 26, 2018, 2:07 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: RDU
Programs: IHG Spire Elite/Inner Circle, Hilton HHonors Gold, AA Platinum, Delta Gold
Posts: 209
# of members of Inner Circle
Does anyone have a figure for how many Kimpton Inner Circle members there are in the system? Front desk guy who was filling in from the Savannah location for some reason mentioned I was 1 of 2 for the night (which was already surprising for me). He stated that there was only around 4000 Inner Circle Members total. Does that sound right?
Dec 27, 2018, 2:01 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: WN A-list Preferred and CP, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, RIP Kimpton
Posts: 853
I'm guessing there will be a lot less than that in 2019. The level of service I've received as a legacy IC has been pretty spare this year. I wasn't all that shocked when visiting Intercontinental properties...but even some of my favorite and most frequent Kimptons (Epic, Goodland, and LA Palomar) did nothing to acknowledge my IC status and merely provided a raid the minibar card as well as a small plate of fruit and bottle of water to my room (which was not on my preferences).
Dec 27, 2018, 5:47 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: RDU
Programs: IHG Spire Elite/Inner Circle, Hilton HHonors Gold, AA Platinum, Delta Gold
Posts: 209
I'm guessing there will be a lot less than that in 2019. The level of service I've received as a legacy IC has been pretty spare this year. I wasn't all that shocked when visiting Intercontinental properties...but even some of my favorite and most frequent Kimptons (Epic, Goodland, and LA Palomar) did nothing to acknowledge my IC status and merely provided a raid the minibar card as well as a small plate of fruit and bottle of water to my room (which was not on my preferences).
Dec 27, 2018, 8:17 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Silver, whatever the Amex plat gets me and somehow still IHG Diamond after 3 years of no nights
Posts: 693
Outside of 2 early year stays at the Chi Palomar and the new Nashville Aertson, I had a handful of similar experiences as the 2nd poster where IC seemed to be the same as Platinum or Spire to the Kimpton I was at.
Dec 27, 2018, 9:13 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Miami Beach - Copacabana Beach
Posts: 125
When I checked-in to a Kimpton last month, the front desk stated they had my Spire status on file. Then we noticed on the card in the room that said, “thanks for being a Spire member.”
Curious, I emailed the front desk and asked if the hotel or IHG are moving away from inner-circle, their response:
“We miss the old system too! After our merge with IHG, we have adopted their wording for the rewards program – the benefits are the same though! Does this answer your question?”
Curious, I emailed the front desk and asked if the hotel or IHG are moving away from inner-circle, their response:
“We miss the old system too! After our merge with IHG, we have adopted their wording for the rewards program – the benefits are the same though! Does this answer your question?”
Dec 28, 2018, 9:12 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,485
That being said, I know I didn't stay enough at Kimptons this year to requalify for IC, so I'm thinking even next year my treatment at Kimptons may be similar as just a Spire (without the welcome amenity). I barely even consider the New Property Free Hotel Night a benefit anymore, considering there was just one property available for all of 2018.
Jan 5, 2019, 2:29 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Princeton, NJ; Lviv Ukraine
Programs: UA 3.6MM, AF/KL Lifetime Plat, BA Gold, AA 1MM, IC Spire RA, Kimpton IC, Marriott Plat, et alia
Posts: 2,732
I suspect that the integration of Inner Circle with Spire was a mistake. The former is all about recognition and feeling like an "insider" while the latter is just a very generous points machine.
There have been rumors they will be merging Inner Circle with Royal Ambassador, which like Inner Circle, is much more amenity and service focused, maintains the exclusivity, and the hotels are more aligned. And Kimpton has a bad international footprint, while IC is still comparatively weak in the US, missing from many major cities).
This would make sense.
Some of the changes announced to the RA program (mostly positive but some limitations on free minibar, etc.) may be an attempt to harmonize.
If this happens, presumably they'll integrate Regent as well at ome point.
Now, I have stayed only 3 nights this past year in Kimptons, but did stay 85 paid nights with $17K spend in InterContinentals (plus a bunch in ICHG hotels, plus free stays). So for about the 18th year in a row I've requalified as Royal Ambassador (prior to the Holiday Inn merger it was the 6 Continents Club Ambassador), but got a nice surprise:01/04/2019 Upgrade to Inner Circle 0 pts
01/04/2019 Royal Ambassador Status 0 pts12/27/2018 Royal Ambassador Kit 0 pts
I did not receive any "challenge" to stay x nights, which I know some RAs got. But in my case, this is upgrade is a shrewd marketing move because with IC status rather than just Spire, I will definitely stay more frequently in Kimptons this year.
I wonder if they are doing the same in the other direction -- taking some of their Inner Circle members and giving them RA status.
If this is part of a more widespread program, then perhaps there is some truth to the rumors of RA-IC harmonization, and we should expect Regent to follow.
There have been rumors they will be merging Inner Circle with Royal Ambassador, which like Inner Circle, is much more amenity and service focused, maintains the exclusivity, and the hotels are more aligned. And Kimpton has a bad international footprint, while IC is still comparatively weak in the US, missing from many major cities).
This would make sense.
Some of the changes announced to the RA program (mostly positive but some limitations on free minibar, etc.) may be an attempt to harmonize.
If this happens, presumably they'll integrate Regent as well at ome point.
Now, I have stayed only 3 nights this past year in Kimptons, but did stay 85 paid nights with $17K spend in InterContinentals (plus a bunch in ICHG hotels, plus free stays). So for about the 18th year in a row I've requalified as Royal Ambassador (prior to the Holiday Inn merger it was the 6 Continents Club Ambassador), but got a nice surprise:01/04/2019 Upgrade to Inner Circle 0 pts
01/04/2019 Royal Ambassador Status 0 pts12/27/2018 Royal Ambassador Kit 0 pts
I did not receive any "challenge" to stay x nights, which I know some RAs got. But in my case, this is upgrade is a shrewd marketing move because with IC status rather than just Spire, I will definitely stay more frequently in Kimptons this year.
I wonder if they are doing the same in the other direction -- taking some of their Inner Circle members and giving them RA status.
If this is part of a more widespread program, then perhaps there is some truth to the rumors of RA-IC harmonization, and we should expect Regent to follow.
Last edited by vsevolod4; Jan 7, 2019 at 3:42 pm
Jan 6, 2019, 1:09 pm
#8
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,485
- was proactively offered 4 pm checkout, and as an IC for several years I can tell you that has been almost never proactively offered, and certainly not that late; and
- was told that my Raid the Bar would be good for $20 instead of the usual $10 (ding ding- new Ambassador benefit for this year)
(Other standard IC benefits of room upgrade and welcome amenity were provided as well.)
Sounds like maybe they are gearing up for something launching soon
Jan 6, 2019, 1:26 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 182
As a Inner Circle I just stayed at a Kimpton property this weekend and what was offered at check in was a bit odd... in that it was almost TOO similar to the current and/or revised Ambassador program:
- was proactively offered 4 pm checkout, and as an IC for several years I can tell you that has been almost never proactively offered, and certainly not that late; and
- was told that my Raid the Bar would be good for $20 instead of the usual $10 (ding ding- new Ambassador benefit for this year)
(Other standard IC benefits of room upgrade and welcome amenity were provided as well.)
Sounds like maybe they are gearing up for something launching soon
- What are the new Inner Circle benefits for 2019?Yes! We’re excited to be adding seven new benefits to Inner Circle in make your loyalty experience at Kimpton even richer, including:
- Guaranteed one category upgrade
- Extended 4pm check-out
- Early check-in from 10am
- Waived Guest Amenity / Destination Fees
- Complimentary water in room on arrival
- Complimentary faster high-speed internet
- Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® President’s Circle status.
- Learn more about these benefits here: https://www.ihg.com/kimptonhotels/co...a/inner-circle
„Upon receiving status, Inner Circle members will enjoy Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® President’s Circle® membership which will be available to register for via their IHG Reward Club account on February 1, 2019.
Jan 6, 2019, 9:42 pm
#11
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Miami Beach - Copacabana Beach
Posts: 125
- Waived Guest Amenity / Destination Fees
—Amazing, hope this is true??
I didn’t see it written on the Kimpton FAQ page that was posted above. It states for new hotels that only the night is Free, members are responsible for all charges, taxes, and FEES.
Also, it now lists 12 hotels that don’t participate in the Chief’s taste. You can also include the Kimpton Seafire, at #13 from my experience.
Last edited by LukeSky; Jan 6, 2019 at 9:53 pm
Jan 7, 2019, 1:57 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 182
you can find it here: https://www.ihg.com/kimptonhotels/co...karma/faq.html
Jan 9, 2019, 4:58 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Northern Minnesota, US
Programs: DL Diamond, SPG/MR Plat, Kimpton IC, IHG Spire Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 659
I haven’t seen any change in my Inner Circle recognition or benefits over the past stay. That includes something like 60 nights at maybe 10 hotels. Sometimes there are one off disappointing amenities, but that has always been the case. I have stayed less than 5 nights over the past year in a non-suite, so the upgrades are about the same as in the past.
Back to the original question, I was told twice that the number of Inner Circle guests will be less than 3000 this year.
Back to the original question, I was told twice that the number of Inner Circle guests will be less than 3000 this year.
Jan 9, 2019, 8:17 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SLC, UT
Programs: United 1K; HHonors Diamond; IHG Spire
Posts: 71
Not surprised if the # of Inner Circle this year is small...I trust others got that weird email in December saying that you needed to stay 5 more days at Kimpton's to qualify, despite having no communication the entire year on what the 2018 requirements were going to be.
I've found that the Inner Circle perks have steadily declined since the IHG takeover. A stay yesterday at the Muse in NYC had no upgrade, no welcome amenity (I had to call and ask when I got back to my room after a work dinner and they said oops), and they still tried to charge me a $25/day amenity fee despite their own policy saying Inner Circle doesn't have to pay it.
If this is the new norm, there will definitely be one less next year!
I've found that the Inner Circle perks have steadily declined since the IHG takeover. A stay yesterday at the Muse in NYC had no upgrade, no welcome amenity (I had to call and ask when I got back to my room after a work dinner and they said oops), and they still tried to charge me a $25/day amenity fee despite their own policy saying Inner Circle doesn't have to pay it.
If this is the new norm, there will definitely be one less next year!