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Some readers will definitely cringe at the idea of Kimpton’s “social password”; others will see it as a bit of fun. In both cases, you still need to know the social password when you are planning to stay at a Kimpton hotel. Otherwise you will miss out on an interesting surprise. It could be complimentary breakfast, minibar/restaurant credit or free parking, or it could be nothing more than a welcome drink.

The new social password is “stay cool” and it is valid until 5 September, 2022.

How does it work?

There isn’t really a whole lot to it. Some people will, half-embarrassed, say something along the lines of “I guess I’m supposed to say ‘stay cool’ to get an extra benefit”.

Others will try to be clever and drop it into the conversation naturally, and expect the check-in agent to pick up on it…

What are Kimpton hotels like?

IHG definitely made a clever purchase when they added Kimpton hotels to their portfolio. The brand fills the high-end – but not too business-oriented – niche that IHG was completely missing. The brand is growing fast, although there are only 80 Kimpton hotels worldwide and only 8 in Europe.

I’ve only managed to stay once at a Kimpton hotel (in Chicago). The hotel itself was outstanding, but I felt a bit out of place as a solo traveller at the “evening social”. So I would tend to stay somewhere with a good executive lounge instead – a little more “quiet drink and snack” and rather less “after-work party”.

What do you think of Kimpton hotels and their “social password”? Let us know in the comments section…