My love for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants started with a goldfish named Rembrandt. To be clear, no, a goldfish has never checked me in at the front desk of a Kimpton Hotel—though please know I am going to offer that suggestion to the Kimpton hiring team immediately after publishing this post.
Ahem, many moons ago when I worked as a Community Manager for the beloved social networking app, Loopt, I traveled to San Francisco to spend some QT with my work fam. I checked into a Kimpton Hotel that used to live in Union Square, rolled my carry-on into the room and immediately squealed with surprise and delight. And no, not because the room had the cutest décor, cushy bedding and views of the bustling streets below. I quickly ran—wait, did I float?—to the TV stand where there he was… a fish called Rembrandt.
As you can read in the above Instagram caption, my scheduled errands were immediately put on hold. Is… is this a goldfish in my hotel room? And does this cute little picture frame balancing on this cute little easel have his cute little name on it?!
And that’s it. That is when I first fell head over sneakers in love with the Kimpton Hotel brand.
Scotty and I (and Jake, of course) have stayed at several Kimpton hotels. Even if I’m not yet familiar with a city we’re traveling to – I know if we book at a Kimpton, we will be staying at one of the cutest (and dog-friendly!!) hotels in the city.
Jake’s favorite Kimpton hotel is the Hotel Enso in Japantown in San Francisco. Not only does he love the location, but one of their room options is a super chic king with an attached private patio that makes it easy for Jake to sit outside and sunbathe – and for us both to set out on walks around one of our favorite neighborhoods in SF.
After Scott and I got married, we added a new Kimpton property to our favorites list when we checked into the Kimpton Rowan for our mini-moon. I mean, when your new last name matches the name of a super hip hotel in Palm Springs, ya stay at the super hip hotel in Palm Springs.
And of course, from the second we arrived, it was dreamy. The inviting lobby is gorgeously decorated, the staff is as welcoming and friendly as ever and the rooms are so comfortable and spacious. We spoiled ourselves by booking a king with a deep-soaking tub and floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the San Jacinto mountains and views of the city.
We spent long, lazy mornings eating avocado toast and sipping iced coffees at Juniper Table, kept cool in the afternoons in the rooftop pool and dined away the evenings at the hotel restaurant, 4 Saints. It was wonderful.
My favorite Instagram from the trip reminds me of another reason I love the Kimpton Hotel brand – the daily lobby happy hours for guests (and their pups) from 5-6pm that include free wine, beer and a chance to meet and mingle with other guests staying at the hotel.
What I am saying is, have you even stayed at a hotel if you haven’t stayed at a Kimpton? 😉
I hope to add more Kimpton hotels and restaurants to my Instagram in 2023. If you have a favorite, please share the deets in the comments, friends!
Check out my travel section for more travel posts!