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Bits: Kimpton Amsterdam on points, British Airways dropping and starting routes at City

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News in brief:

Amsterdam’s new Kimpton bookable on IHG points

OK, if you’re not a bit of a hotel geek the headline above might not mean much.  However, fans of Kimpton Hotels – the cult US boutique hotel brand now owned by IHG – have been eagerly awaiting the launch of the first European site in Amsterdam.  This will be a conversion of the Crowne Plaza in the city centre, pictured below.

Kimpton has now been owned by IHG for two years.  IHG has been very wary of messing with a successful formula, however, which is why Kimpton has retained its own loyalty programme and the hotels do not allow you to earn or spend IHG Rewards Club points.

Except … Kimpton Amsterdam (home page here) IS now available for IHG Rewards Club redemptions.  It is due to open on 26th June and is pricing at 50,000 points per night.

As a trade off, you will NOT earn Kimpton Karma Rewards if you stay here.  This may not go down well with Kimpton fans in the USA.

50,000 points is a little toppy, given that cash rates for the opening period are around €260 – €280, but I would still redeem at that level.  In fact, I will be redeeming at that level because I want to check it out as soon as I can!

Note that the hotel cannot be booked on the Kimpton website, either for points or cash – you need to use ihg.com. 

Crowne Plaza Amsterdam Kimpton

Changes for British Airways at London City Airport

British Airways has announced some adjustments to its London City services.

Flights to Hamburg, currently 3 x daily, will be suspended from 27th March

Flights to Angers, due to operate 3 x weekly during the Summer starting from 27th March, will not now happen

If you are booked onto either of these routes you will be transferred to a Heathrow service.

Instead, BA is launching a new route to Skiathos in Greece.

The timings are a little odd.  There will be three flights per week, but those days are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday only.  The service runs from 26th June to 6th September.

BA will also offer an extra flight to Mykanos from City.  This will operate on Fridays from 30th June to 8th September, adding to the existing Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday services.

Avios and cash seats for these new routes are already available at ba.com.

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Category

British Airways and Avios, IHG One Rewards

Comments (59)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Callum says:
    5 Feb5 February 09:58

    The huge appeal of Kimpton is it’s like you’re going to a non-chain hotel? Why not just go to a non-chain hotel then? (Not meant to be quite as flippant as that sounds – there may be a genuine reason!)

    • James67 says:
      5 Feb5 February 11:29

      Probably because in the States there are few full service boutique hotels relative to chain hotels when compared to Europe or Asia. Then there”s the loyalty scheme I suppose.

  • Gary says:
    5 Feb5 February 10:10

    Can’t help but feel IHG/Kimpton have created a bit of a mess here – a Kimpton hotel that you can’t earn Kimpton Karma points at, can’t book on the Kimpton site and, presumably won’t get any Kimpton recognition at. Not a problem for me as I’ve never stayed in a Kimpton, and as I have IHG Spire status. I’m presuming that Kimpton Amsterdam will honour my IHG status… which is entirely inconsistent with all other Kimpton hotels. Unless this is the forerunner to proper integration (it would be about time), I don’t see why they would do this.

  • Jovanna says:
    5 Feb5 February 10:33

    I used to like Kimpton hotels. I’ve stayed at several in the States – San Francisco, Miami, Boston and New York. We usually stay at the Eventi in New York. I first stayed there the week that it opened. I stayed there in August.

    When I arrived, they’d given away my corner room and I ended up on a sofa bed in something called the ‘library’. Fortunately, I was upgraded to a ‘suite’ on the top of the hotel for the rest of the stay.

    The hotel was looking tired and it just looked chaotic in the public areas. Decided not to book the Eventi for my trip last month.

  • Stuart says:
    5 Feb5 February 10:47

    The continuing shift from business to holiday flights. The Hamburg flight for me was very useful and usually busy. More pricey than from LHR but still

  • Cate says:
    5 Feb5 February 11:53

    Looks nice but is the only way in down those stairs?

  • Lewis Watson says:
    5 Feb5 February 12:35

    Why does article say Kimpton and picture shows a crowne plaza?

    • Genghis says:
      5 Feb5 February 12:39

      “This will be a conversion of the Crowne Plaza in the city centre, pictured below.”

  • rams1981 says:
    5 Feb5 February 13:38

    OT curve. They suspended my card asking me to verify some items. This was over a week ago and still no response to use the card. Anyone had this before?

    • Genghis says:
      5 Feb5 February 14:11

      What did they ask you to verify? How do you use the card?

      • rams1981 says:
        5 Feb5 February 17:03

        Mixed usage. Contactless payments and a few transactions online.

        They asked me to provide some things to their KYC team which I did and no reply. It’s poor customer service

  • Lewis Watson says:
    5 Feb5 February 15:06

    Remember to use the Kimpton secret password at check in

    • Lewis Watson says:
      5 Feb5 February 15:08

      If they still do this anyway. Last time I was a t a Kimpton was before it was IHG. Does anyone know if it’s still a thing?

      • Jovanna says:
        5 Feb5 February 15:35

        Yes. Worked last August. Received a $50 restaurant credit from recollection or, maybe, a raid the mini-bar credit. Check out the Kimpton thread on FT.

      • Rob says:
        5 Feb5 February 15:53

        You still get a yoga mat in your room and a free wine party every night!

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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