NEW YORK -- With the expected openings of the Kimpton Era Midtown New York and the Kimpton Ashbel New York-Park Avenue in March, the boutique brand will have four properties in Midtown Manhattan.
And that is just part of a major growth spurt for the IHG Hotels & Resorts brand.
Vicki Poulos, IHG's vice president of luxury and lifestyle brands, said Kimpton is projecting 16 openings in 2026 alone, a 20% expansion of its portfolio.
Last year, Kimpton opened properties in China, including the Kimpton Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong. It entered Malaysia with the debut of the Kimpton Naluria Kuala Lumpur. It also opened the Kimpton Main Frankfurt in Germany. In 2026, it opened the Kimpton Mirador Pacific Grove in Monterey, Calif., and Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Upcoming openings include properties in Doha, Qatar, and Marrakech, Morocco. And Kimpton will make its Hawaii debut at a landmark property when the Coco Palms redevelopment on Kauai is completed. The original Coco Palms, which closed in 1992, was known as a premier destination during the golden era of Hollywood, with guests such as Elvis Presley, Rita Hayworth and Gene Autry.
Kimpton is entering the all-inclusive segment with the Kimpton Tres Rios, a revamp of the Hacienda Tres Rios Resort on Mexico's Riviera Maya. Poulos said the family-friendly resort would demonstrate "how Kimpton translates its human-first, place-driven approach to the all-inclusive resort model," with the property focusing on "locally inspired design, chef-led dining across multiple venues, wellness and nature-forward programming."
Including the 16 hotels opening this year, Kimpton has 67 properties in its pipeline.
Kimpton will brand the redeveloped Coco Palms resort on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Photo Credit: KImpton
Keeping things fresh
For most lifestyle brands, having four hotels in one neighborhood, even in a market like New York, might pose a risk of cannibalization. But Kimpton's model has always relied on distinct, boutique-style positioning rather than cookie-cutter replication, which has enabled the brand to scale without competing against itself, said Robert Cole, Phocuswright's senior research analyst for lodging and leisure.
There's room in Manhattan for all four Kimptons because each property has "a distinct personality," said Geraldine Burgos, director of sales for the Kimpton Era.
Poulos echoed that sentiment.
"Our model plays particularly well in cities with clear micro-locations, where each property can have its own design, F&B and energy," she said. "We concentrate where the market can support a portfolio of distinct hotels, not to saturate but to offer different experiences."
The Kimpton Era Midtown New York is expected to open in March. Photo Credit: Kimpton Era Midtown New York/Extell Development Co.
The Kimpton Era
The 529-room Kimpton Era, a newbuild near Rockefeller Center, will be Kimpton's largest hotel in New York. It will join the 292-room Kimpton Hotel Eventi and 364-room Kimpton Theta New York-Times Square as well as the 205-room Kimpton Ashbel New York-Park Avenue, which is expected to open in the early spring.
The 33-story Kimpton Era will feature brand staples like a living room lobby with a daily social hour that includes complimentary drinks. The Era will also offer digital check-in kiosks on its third-floor lobby alongside traditional front-desk service.
"A big point is the human touch," said Kori Yoran, managing director of the Kimpton Era, during a January hard-hat tour of the property. "Even for the mobile check-in area, there will always be someone there."
Hospitality group Apicii will oversee four food and beverage venues at the property, and in true Kimpton fashion, each promises an elevated culinary experience. They'll include a Latin restaurant and taqueria; an upscale, brasserie-style concept helmed by celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito; an all-day coffee and cocktail venue; and a rooftop pan-Asian concept.
A boutique trendsetter
Phocuswright's Cole called Kimpton "the first true boutique hotel brand." Founded in 1981 by the late Bill Kimpton in San Francisco, the flag pioneered trends that have since become hallmarks of the lifestyle segment, including sophisticated food and beverage programs and a design-forward ethos.
"They were kind of ahead of the curve on the foodie trend," said Cole, adding that Kimpton was also early to embrace pet-friendly policies and what he described as a "very customer-centric" approach.
That approach includes brand standards like the daily social hour in the lobby and complimentary morning coffee service.
"If you look through all the [boutique] trends, Kimpton did it first," said Cole.
IHG acquired the brand for $430 million in 2015. Cole said IHG has been deliberate about maintaining Kimpton's character.
"They were kind of hands-off and [chose to] not mess with the guest experience," said Cole. "And I think IHG did that well, which is really smart."
Cole added that IHG has been careful about scaling the brand.
He did express some concern about Kimpton venturing into all-inclusives because of their operational complexity.
"Doing a true all-inclusive is an art form, but maybe they'll be great at it," he said.
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Correction: Kimpton opened properties in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Germany in 2025 and in California and Arizona in 2026. In addition, there are 67 properties in Kimpton's pipeline. A previous version had an incorrect date for some openings. Also, the title for Geraldine Burgos was corrected: She is the director of sales for the Kimpton Era.