Kimpton's Chief Virtual Learning Officers Will Help Make Remote School Days a Breeze

As kids all over the country are settling in for remote learning, Kimpton wants to help them through it.

Mixing recess with school, Kimpton is creating a new position — Chief Learning Officer — to help its youngest guests at several of its properties to help students with virtual schooling and help families extend their (much-needed) vacations, the hotel company shared with Travel + Leisure.

As part of the program, the Chief Virtual Learning Officer will help with everything from setting up Zoom sessions to providing desks or booster seats for hotel desk chairs, and handing out a complimentary mid-day “Snack Pack” with things like juice boxes, fruit snacks, and mini-Oreos for a boost.

The hotels also have a day space where parents can rent an extra guest room starting at $75 per day and are offering complimentary late check out so kids can finish school before leaving.

Forgot something? The hotels will provide school supplies like pens and kid-friendly scissors.

“In hearing from parents, one of the biggest pain points with virtual learning is getting their kids signed in and online, especially for those who have young children, while managing their own work load and meetings,” Kathleen Reidenbach, the chief commercial officer of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, told T+L. “Our goal is to provide some relief for parents traveling with kids and get the set-up portion of online learning off their plate. We want to help make the virtual learning process for parents traveling with kids and staying at Kimpton hotels easier than ever.”

Parents can even learn something too with tips on how to kid-proof hotel rooms, including how to lock out adult entertainment channels. And at the end of the day, they can reward themselves with a glass of wine or beer in their rooms from Kimpton’s complimentary happy hour.

The virtual learning program is available at several Kimpton hotels in the U.S and Canada.:

• Kimpton Cardinal Hotel; Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Kimpton Tryon Park; Charlotte, N.C.
• Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt; Austin, Texas
• Kimpton Saint George; Toronto, Canada
• Kimpton Hotel Monaco; Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Kimpton Hotel Monaco; Philadelphia, Pa.
• Kimpton Hotel Monaco; Salt Lake City, Utah
• Kimpton Muse Hotel; New York City, N.Y.
• Kimpton Armory Hotel; Bozeman, Mont.

Kimpton isn’t alone in offering remote learning opportunities to combine school with a luxury vacation. The Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita is offering kids everything from complimentary Spanish classes to screen doctors and study cabanas for rent. Similarly, the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort will provide students with small-group classrooms for a supervised “schoolcation” — and recess includes splashing around at the Explorer Island water park.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she’s not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.