Announced at the end of October, IHG Hotels & Resorts welcomes back its Winter Chalet experience, which includes Chalet Day and a menu of seasonal programming and activities that meeting planners can take advantage of. The offering runs Nov. 1, 2024, through Jan. 31, 2025.
“At IHG, we have always believed the magic of the holidays lies in bringing people together,” says Vicki Poulos, head of IHG’s Luxury & Lifestyle brands in the Americas and the Global Kimpton brand, in a prepared statement. “Whether it’s [a gathering of] family, friends, or newfound connections, our intimate spaces are designed to create those meaningful moments through curated, experiential programming that brings the season to life.”
Specific meetings and events offerings to note include Winter Chalet meeting space takeovers, available at properties including the Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia in Pennsylvania and the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile in Illinois. These envelope gathering spaces in cozy furnishings, seasonal decor, and notable add-ons including vinyl listening stations, interactive art, and pop-up beverage carts—all of which are complemented with curated catering menus.
If planners are hosting at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Philadelphia, also in Pennsylvania, they will find access to seasonal spirits and drinks specific to group and event bookings. One option is the “Some Like It Hot” station, which features cozy cocktails like hot toddies, mulled wine, spiked hot chocolate, and a “Whiskey Warm-Up” tasting.
Chalet Day celebrates the Winter Solstice on Dec. 21, and participating properties within IHG’s Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio—which include the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, and Vignette Collection brands—will offer early check-in, late check-out, and an early happy hour from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. dubbed “Winter Hour” for sips as the sun sets on the shortest day of the year.
Participating Kimpton Hotels & Resorts properties will offer an extended Kimpton Social that features the Singapore Sling cocktail and a retro-themed snack mix. Participating InterContinental properties will offer a complimentary Freezer Martini during their Winter Hour, and participating Hotel Indigo properties will offer light bites and drinks during theirs, including a Just the Bean zero-proof cocktail. And at Yours Truly DC, Vignette Collection, in Washington, D.C., guests and attendees might try the Cranberry Margarita and Membrillo Toddy.
Additional fun, seasonal extras include the Secret Social Password—guests who say “It’s Giving” at the front desks of participating properties will unlock special amenities and gifts. Guests at the Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel in Portland, Oregon, will receive Pendleton Woolen Mills socks; and those at the Kimpton Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara, California, will receive a vintage-style mug with hot chocolate fixings and Cutler’s Artisan Spirits. Winter-themed packages are another add-on found at hotels including the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City in Utah, which will offer the “Room to Ride” ski/snowboard package with ski passes, rental discounts, and aprés-ski bites.
Between meetings, find festive hotel lounge additions like the holiday cocktail bar at InterContinental Miami in Florida, mulled wine and holiday jazz at InterContinental Boston in Massachusetts, and spiked caramel apple cider with seasonal treats at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco in California.
