Use This Secret Password to Score Freebies at All Kimpton Hotels

The hotel check-in process may seem mundane — unless you’re at a Kimpton hotel and happen to know the secret password.

Since 2012, Kimpton has had a “secret social password” program. Those in the know simply reveal the password to the front desk team and are rewarded with a “fun surprise,” the hotel chain tells Travel + Leisure.

The freebies differ at each hotel, ranging “from a free movie and in-room popcorn to a complimentary cocktail at the bar or a make-your-own hot cocoa kit for families.” All Kimpton properties around the globe participate.

The passwords are shared on Kimpton’s social media accounts. The current password, which was shared on Nov. 28 and will run through Feb. 14, 2021, is sure to lift your spirits with a “feel-good” surprise, according to a post. (We’re not ones to spill secrets, but there are clues in this paragraph.)

An example of a current surprise for password bearers: The Kimpton Hotel Arras in Asheville, North Carolina, is offering mugs filled with three local teas from Asheville Tea Company, a jar of sourwood honey from Asheville Bee Charmer, and a wooden honey dipper.

The Kimpton Taconic Hotel in Manchester, Vermont, is giving away aluminum mugs with hot cocoa and marshmallows, and at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh, guests can get a Nutcracker ornament. Meanwhile, the Kimpton Epic Hotel in Miami, Florida, lets password holders spin a wheel to win prizes such as breakfast for two, two cocktails, a pool cabana rental, a complimentary room upgrade, or an amenity pack with Miami Club Rum and Cuba Libre gummies.

The program started as a reward for online followers of the brand. “Kimpton recognizes that it has a highly engaged and loyal community of followers on social media, and wanted to be able to reward that community exclusively in some way. That’s how the secret social password was born,” the hotel chain told T+L.

In addition to the current password program that will last through Valentine’s Day, Kimpton is offering other ways to liven up hotel stays this winter. The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has a pop-up elevator bar every December Friday with free winter beverages for guests to take to their rooms, as well as a Elf on the Shelf hiding somewhere on the property — whoever finds it gets two drinks or desserts. Meanwhile, the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Pittsburgh has a Suite Yo’ Elf holiday package, which includes two warm adult beverages and an in-room holiday treat from the chef. Cottagecore experiences are available at the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman, Montana, and Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Salt Lake City, and select properties take part in a chessboard lending program, inspired by The Queen’s Gambit.