Kimpton has a pretty cool “social password” concept, whereby you can receive extra perks for sharing a phrase at check-in. Kimpton had such a password for the summer (through September 2022), and now a new password has been launched for winter.
I wanted to talk about what the password currently is, share my experience using it, and also pose a question to Kimpton regulars about the least cringeworthy way to go about saying it.
In this post:
What is the current Kimpton password?
Kimpton is one of the cooler IHG hotel groups, and there are a variety of things that set Kimpton apart from other IHG brands. One of those things is the social password. The idea is that seasonally Kimpton provides a phrase through social media that you’re supposed to say when you check-in, and if you do that, you’ll receive something extra.
The new Kimpton password is “the snuggle is real,” and it’s valid for stays through February 20, 2023. So just say that when you check-in at a Kimpton property, and you’ll receive a surprise.
My experience using the Kimpton password
For those curious about what happens when you say the Kimpton password, in late 2021 I stayed at the Kimpton EPIC Miami, which was my first Kimpton stay in quite a while. It was a good value as well, as I was able to use a free night award earned with the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card (review).
I was curious what the benefit would be for using the password. So I shared the password with the front desk agent. At the conclusion of the check-in experience, he brought out a game show-style wheel. I might have spun too hard, it must have gone around for about 30 seconds. Go figure I landed on the tile that just had me spin again.
Then I spun again, and the prize was free parking. I had a car and was staying for two nights, and parking costs $44 per night. So using the Kimpton password saved me nearly $100 — score!!
Based on looking at the wheel, it seems that some of the other prizes include a free welcome drink, free breakfast, free snacks, and a free movie. There were also a few empty squares, where I guess you don’t win anything. And I’m not sure what the alarm clock, car tipping over, or postcard of Miami get you. Regardless, I’d say those are some awesome prizes, and I got a great reward.
It’s cute how the Kimpton EPIC Miami makes a game of this. I know there’s a lot of inconsistency when it comes to this benefit across Kimpton properties. Some hotels provide meaningful perks (an upgrade, free, parking, etc.), like I got here, while other hotels provide a 19 cent branded koozie.
It’s great that this has stuck around, given that it has presumably become increasingly popular. Years ago not everyone was on social media, so it was a good way to encourage people to follow Kimpton on Twitter, Instagram, etc. With the way the internet has evolved, times have changed a bit.
How do you non-awkwardly say the Kimpton password?
I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds the concept of saying a password at check-in to be kind of weird. So I think it’s fun to compare notes about how people share the password at the front desk. I find it awkward to just blurt out the password out of nowhere.
So when I used this for my stay, I said “I guess I’m supposed to say [social password] as the social password?” That did the trick, but I’d be curious to hear how other Kimpton regulars go about this!
Bottom line
Through February 20, 2023, Kimpton’s social password is “the snuggle is real.” Just state that phrase when you check-in at a Kimpton, and you should get some sort of a surprise. The surprise will vary by property, so there’s no reason not to take advantage of this if staying at a Kimpton.
The last time I used the password I got to spin a wheel at check-in, and then I ended up getting free parking, which was a value of $44 per night.
If you’ve used the Kimpton password, what was your experience like?
When is the next Kimpton social pw coming?
Kimpton Margot in Sydney is not participating - surprised they didn’t do something as a token
I checked into the Kimpton Marlowe in Cambridge MA yesterday and used the phrase you suggested. The check-in clerk told me I was the first person to use it! I was given a mug stuffed with hot chocolate mix, a candy cane, lip balm and hand warmers.
Today at Kimpton Alton SF after I shared the secret password - one win candy
My wife and I have stayed at the Kimpton Harper in Fort Worth many times and successfully used the social password there to receive free drinks and bill credits. It's a nice program when it works, and we've seen the wheel of prizes a few times. However, the last time we stayed there in late October, we said the password, and neither the desk attendant nor the manager on duty knew what to do. They...
My wife and I have stayed at the Kimpton Harper in Fort Worth many times and successfully used the social password there to receive free drinks and bill credits. It's a nice program when it works, and we've seen the wheel of prizes a few times. However, the last time we stayed there in late October, we said the password, and neither the desk attendant nor the manager on duty knew what to do. They said, "Yeah we know about this social password, but they did not tell us what to do with it." They just left it at that.
I've still not had a chance to try it out as they have big gaps in the year without a password which unfortunately seem to coincide with my Kimpton stays!
Stayed at Kimpton Portland Riverplace, and the phrase then was 'off duty'. The attendant really had a kick out of it fkr whatever reason. We stayed oy for 2 nights and both me and my wife were IHG Plat and he let us split the res into 2, soy wife got to use the phrase too. We scored $20 f&b credit per night, from picking on random straw drawings.
I gave them the secret phrase and the desk clerk pulled out some flash cards. He had me pick one. I got popcorn and A movie. Better than nothing.