Alright then, you’ve heard the news but don’t be too sad. We’re still publishing until Friday.
Last week we told you that the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco, a flagship Kimpton Hotel, had been deflagged into The Marker Hotel, managed by Destination Hotels and Resorts. The move was apparently due to a union dispute as Kimpton is now a part of InterContinental Hotel Group, and all IHG hotels in SF need to be unionized.
A tipster with inside knowledge on the rebranding told us last week to expect “More Kimpton hotels to be rebranded in the weeks ahead to avoid become unionized.” And now, here is news of another one–Hotel Palomar, the choicely located hotel at 4th and Market, just steps away from the Powell Street Cable Car.
Here’s a letter that was sent to Kimpton Karma members from Kimpton CEO Mike DeFrino regarding the Palomar’s departure from Kimpton portfolio:
As a valued member and important part of our extended family, I wanted to share some news about Hotel Palomar San Francisco and Dirty Habit in San Francisco. As of July 28, 2015, Hotel Palomar San Francisco and Dirty Habit will no longer be part of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. The hotel and restaurant will honor all existing reservations, but will be operated under new management. If you have any questions, you can contact the hotel directly at 1-415-348-1111.
Given the short notice, for reservations booked by today you will automatically receive Kimpton Karma Rewards stay credit for arrivals through August 4, 2015, which will be reflected in your member profile by August 30, 2015. After this transition period, you will no longer be eligible to receive stay credit for future stays at this hotel. If you have a future reward reservation already confirmed, we will honor it through December 31, 2015.
We’re sorry to see this property leave the family and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We’re committed to helping alleviate any issues to the extent that we can so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us with any questions or concerns that you might have. You can email KarmaHelp@KimptonHotels.com or call us toll free at 1-888-695-4678.
Indeed, as of today, the website for the Palomar just redirects to Kimpton’s general (dwindling) SF hotels page. We had a little trouble figuring out who is now running the hotel and under what name, but the Dirty Habit restaurant site now redirects to Hotel Zelos, a Personal Luxury Resorts and Hotels property, which is part of Benchmark Hotels.
According to our tipster, the Buchanan and the Sir Francis Drake are already unionized so Kimpton will be keeping them but that leaves the Argonaut and The Tuscan, both in Fisherman’s Wharf to drop next. Ugh. This is just sad. And Kimpton, we feel your pain. Truly.
[Photo: HotelChatter]