Do they send you that before you stay with them via email?

Also, Has anyone used the 30 dollar spa credit? how "useful" is it really?

Huh? I'm suggesting that if something is really that important to someone, they contact the hotel in advance.

The spa credit? At the EPIC, I looked at using the spa, but at prices that were 2.5 times what my massage therapist charges, I wasn't about to use the spa.

My standing ask is Stella Artois and good quality potato chips and I'm 6 for 6 at properties so far (most in SF).

Quick question- do IC members get the requested amenities AND the $10 mini bar credit as well? Or just the amenities?

Thx!

It's supposed to be just the amenities, but 1/3 of the time I get a raid the mini bar coupon too (which I don't use if the amenities were what I asked for).

I've only received the amenities, but then again, at my last stay, I was given a $100 "resort" credit in addition to my amenities.

Looking at this thread, I think I set my request too low asking for just a can of diet coke. Now I want a puppy!

I also view the suggestions as guidelines. I can't imagine being outraged that the potato chips or nuts were an incorrect flavor, or the wine delivered was a different brand than I requested.

If there are 10 Inner Circle guests per night, the concierge potentially could spend much of his day just fulfilling snack requests, in addition to attending to his regular job responsibilities.

It's not often I defend the hotel chain, but I believe we should cut them some slack. Especially since many of these rooms sell for $100-$200.

Slack is one thing. Sure if they give me wavy chips instead of normal, I'm not going to complain. Or commonly they don't have the exact wine varietal I like, but they try to get close and that's good enough for me. I think most complaints from me and others come from total lack of effort. A common pieces of sliced fruit and a bottle of water isn't even remotely close to what I ask for.

The IC amenity is marketed to replace "raid the minibar." Before I was IC and I got to raid the minibar I could pick exactly what I wanted, from the sometimes limited minibar selection. Why should I settle for something I don't want now, when the IC amenity is supposed to be an upgrade?

Sure, if you're booking a last minute discount rate in the lowest room category, I'd assume the hotel isn't going to pay as much mind to you. But, I can count on one hand the number of times I've reserved below a suite at a Kimpton, and even at repeat hotels I've gotten amenities that are clearly afterthoughts. It's just disingenuous to advertise this to be something it's not and I do not feel ashamed to call and request what I want, if the amenity is really disappointing.

Inner Circle Amenities
 

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. We really appreciate this kind of candid feedback, and the team definitely take it to heart and work with our hotels to nail it. Each hotel does their very best to accommodate specific requests, but also know that specific label requests aren't a guarantee. They'll always do their best to get as close in quality as possible. Based on surveys and feedback, it seems that we get pretty close a majority of the time.

That said, if you have Beer and Nuts in your profile, you definitely should not receive a standard bottle of wine and fruit. This is where it's critical that you provide feedback in post-stay surveys (our Hotel GMs read every single survey and at the Home Office we also stay very close to those reports). If you don't get a survey, please feel free to reach out to me at: [email protected] and I'll follow up with the Hotel. We do take feedback very seriously.

An earlier poster is correct; the welcome amenity replaces the Raid the Mini-Bar card, which is why it's important that we get your preferences right. You'd also be surprised to see how many times an Inner Circle members don't have any preferences listed, which makes it tricky to create a personal experience. Make sure that you go in and keep your preferences updated (as for a puppy, well ... we do have our Pet Directors running around in our lobbies!). ;)

Cheers,
Maggie

Just curious guys, what type of wine/liqour do you guys usually recommend? I keep getting like the 6 dollar bottles of wine when I ask for liqour and red wine.

Thanks

My general suggestion is to ask for either wine or liquor, and specify the brand you want. If price point is that important to you, specify exactly what you want. I usually prefer to drink beer, especially if I'm by myself, and I usually receive two or three bottles of a microbrew of some sort. My request is "local IPA/pale ale micros," and while I don't always receive a local brew, I always receive either an IPA or a pale ale. I'm not too picky though. If you are very selective though, you need to specify, not just assume that they will take "nice red wine" to mean, "$50/bottle red wine."

My profile requests Corona, Diet Coke and potato chips. For my last three stays, I received:

Ink48: 4x Corona, 2x Diet Coke, bowl of chips and a bag of gummy bears
Epic: 2x 750ml Champagne, 2x Corona, cheese and fruit board, bowl of chips
Surfcomber: 1x 750ml Prosecco, 4x Corona, bag of Cape Cod chips, two bowls of gummy bears

In addition, I was upgraded to suites in every hotel but the Surfcomber where I received an ocean deluxe with balcony over the pool. Go Kimpton!

What kind of wines have you guys requested and received?

Thanks

I had my "worst" Inner Circle experience yet last week at the Prescott in San Francisco.

No upgrade at all (and the room was VERY small) from my Club Level booking; my beverage requests are Veuve Clicquuot and Scotch. I got an airline-sized bottle of Johnnie Walker Black.