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Kimpton was recently listed as one of the best companies to work for by The Advocate magazine, a magazine geared towards the LGBT market.

Award: Human Rights Campaign Foundation - Over the past several years Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, LLC scored 100% on their Corporate Equality Index. That makes Kimpton the only company in the hotel industry to get a perfect score! For more information about the Human Rights Campaign, click here.

Kimpton Celebrates Diversity & Inclusion In New Ad Campaign SAN FRANCISCO - Marketing to the gay and lesbian community is becoming a hot trend for savvy hoteliers who realize this demographic represents some 16 million people in the United States with US$485 billion in buying power. Gay and lesbian travelers represent 10% of U.S. travelers last year, spending US$54 billion on travel. Further research culled by San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels offers that gay Americans tend to travel more often than other customers due to both a more flexible schedule and more discretionary income - usually a result of not having children. Additionally, Kimpton research has found that these travelers tend to be early adopters of new trends, making them a perfect fit for Kimpton's hotel products, which are both stylish and whimsical in design, attitude and ambience. These boutique-style hotels also are concentrated in major urban centers, such as San Francisco and Chicago, locales with large gay populations. "The demographic is a great fit for our hotels," says Niki Leondakis, chief operating officer for Kimpton. "The culture of our company has always been about celebrating individuality. It's one of our core philosophies." As a result of a formal diversity & inclusion initiative, Kimpton has embarked on its first ad campaign specifically targeting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) travelers. "This is just a more formal way of communicating our philosophy with guests," Leondakis says.

See our LGBT ad here

The ad, entitled "Business FUNction," began running this fall in a variety of magazines geared toward gay travelers. The message features an affluent, professional-looking African-American male, offers a unique LGBT loyalty promotion and directs travelers to the newly launched LGBT section of the Kimpton Web site. "We wanted to show what Kimpton is all about - our style, fun, and even how we're pet friendly," Leondakis says. That message is communicated, she says, through the ad's bright colors, light-hearted copy and the fact it shows a chihuahua. In addition, the choice of an African-American male further speaks to Kimpton's diversity & inclusion initiative. The ad will run through the end of the year, and Kimpton will track its effectiveness to determine if the company will continue with the campaign.

Earlier this year Kimpton launched its LGBT travel program that includes special honeymoon and pride packages, details of which are available on the new LGBT section of Kimpton's Web site. A new LGBT loyalty program enables travelers to receive 10% to 15% discounts on hotel reservations.

While Kimpton may be setting the bar on targeted LGBT promotions, it is not the only hotel company focused on this demographic. For instance, Wyndham International also recently announced special offers for the gay community in the Key West, Florida market. Wyndham Casa Marina and Wyndham Reach resorts are offering a special Pride Package, which includes a 50% discount off of regular rack rates, daily breakfast, sweepstakes entry and more.

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