ATLANTA—IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) revealed plans to bring together its two distinctive loyalty programs—IHG Rewards Club and Kimpton Karma Rewards. In early 2018, Kimpton Karma Rewards, the loyalty program of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, will become a part of IHG Rewards Club and offer all members one program with a single reward point system.
According to the brand, members from both IHG Rewards Club and Kimpton Karma will benefit from the breadth of hotel options and redemption possibilities this combined program will offer, in addition to the following:
More Choices in More Places – Kimpton Karma members will be automatically enrolled in IHG Rewards Club, gaining access to an expansive portfolio of nearly 5,300 hotels, including 11 additional IHG brands in almost 100 countries. In turn, IHG Rewards Club members will now be able to earn reward points and redeem Reward Nights at more than 60 Kimpton boutique hotels across urban locations, up-and-coming cities and resort destinations.
More Ways to Earn Faster – Kimpton Karma members will have the ability to accelerate higher tier status and earn more benefits with incentives and promotions that are personalized for them. Members can also earn points through IHG partners for everyday activities like renting a car, ordering flowers, shopping, dining and more.
More Benefits and Perks – Kimpton Karma members will gain access to discounted rates when booking direct, value-priced reward nights with no blackout dates, no cancellation penalties, online reward redemption and the opportunity to redeem with hundreds of partners, including airline miles. Members also have access to digital innovations such as the mobile app, mobile checkout and stay preferences. The IHG Rewards Club Concierge shopping experience also offers members the ability to redeem points for everything from event tickets and experiences, to exchanging points for an endless variety of items.
Continued Personalization – The personalized perks and recognition that have been a hallmark of Kimpton Karma will continue as part of the Kimpton experience, in addition to exclusive Kimpton offers, invitations to private events and more.
“Both IHG and Kimpton have built two strong loyalty programs that have attracted a tremendously loyal base of members who are passionate about our brands,” said Susanna Freer Epstein, SVP, customer loyalty marketing, IHG. “By joining them together, Karma Rewards members will now have access to the global scale of nearly 5,300 hotels, as well as all of the great benefits available through IHG Rewards Club, like access to our many partners and exclusive rates. We will also extend our personal offers and customized benefits to welcome Kimpton guests into our family. At the same time, our existing IHG Rewards Club members will also be able to earn and redeem points for stays at Kimpton hotels, further exposing them to new brands and new places.”
Kathleen Reidenbach, chief commercial officer, Kimpton, added: “Becoming part of IHG Rewards Club allows us to answer some common requests from our Kimpton Karma Rewards members, such as no blackout dates, online redemption, and, perhaps the pinnacle of it all, a whole world of international opportunities that the IHG Rewards Club program offers. With the increased portfolio of hotels—80 times more hotels than what we’ve been able to offer—our members can now travel all around the world earning and redeeming points, including new international Kimpton destinations. What’s equally exciting is that members will continue to enjoy the highly personalized experience that Kimpton delivers, while gaining access to the rich benefits of IHG Rewards Club. It’s really a win-win.”