Kimpton Expands into the Caribbean with Boutique Luxury Hotel in Santo Domingo
(IN SHORT) Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, a part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, is set to open its first property in the Dominican Republic with Kimpton Las Mercedes, located in Santo Domingo’s Colonial City neighborhood. Owned by Megeve Investment Office S.A.S and operated by Iberostar Group, this boutique luxury hotel will feature 130 guest rooms, including rooftop suites, blending historic charm with modern amenities. The hotel will offer unique dining experiences, multi-use event spaces, and signature Kimpton perks. Set to open in early Summer 2024, Kimpton Las Mercedes aims to provide guests with a distinctive stay experience while serving as a gateway to explore the rich cultural heritage of Santo Domingo.
(PRESS RELEASE) Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 2024-Apr-5 — /Travel PR News/ — Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury and lifestyle portfolio, announced today it will open a new boutique luxury hotel in the bustling urban destination of Santo Domingo. Marking the brand’s first property in the Dominican Republic, Kimpton Las Mercedes will complement its picturesque and historic surroundings while serving as an ideal launch point for exploration. The hotel is poised to open in early Summer 2024.
Tucked within Santo Domingo’s Colonial City neighborhood, Kimpton Las Mercedes is owned by Megeve Investment Office S.A.S and will be operated by Iberostar Group. The hotel signifies the first operational partnership between the Kimpton brand and Iberostar Group and, while outside the commercial agreement, demonstrates opportunities of the strategic alliance between IHG and Iberostar Hotels & Resorts. The hotel is set within a 16th century structure that has been thoughtfully revitalized by award-winning architect Rafael Moneo to reflect the transformation of its historic neighborhood into a bustling cultural hub. In reimagining the space, original materials have been preserved or repurposed where possible, while a modern addition has been respectfully constructed behind the original structure. Kimpton Las Mercedes will feature 130 guest rooms, including eight expansive rooftop suites, each with a private balcony to give guests a taste of the indoor-outdoor living the city is known for. Local artists and craftsmen have been tapped to infuse each room with colorful design elements that reflect the spirit of Santo Domingo.
Accompanying the stay experience will be unique restaurant and bar concepts. Zola, the signature restaurant with a retractable roof for al fresco dining, marries Northern Italian fare with local ingredients and features an expansive array of aperitivos, tableside cocktails and old-world wines. El Patio, the secluded courtyard garden bar and lounge, will offer snacks and sips to be savored amongst preserved oak and mango trees. Just off the lobby, guests can indulge their senses at the locally-sourced cigar and rum lounge, which showcases a 500-year-old well that was uncovered and restored during the building’s transformation.
Kimpton Las Mercedes will have several multi-use spaces that transition from daytime work and meeting spaces to evening social gathering places. The Jose Marti Ballroom is an idyllic location for weddings or to host business conventions and conferences in an inspiring setting. Additional hotel amenities include a rooftop pool and fitness center. As with all Kimptons, the hotel will also feature beloved perks such as morning coffee and tea service, evening social hour, a “Forgot It? We’ve Got It!” program, in-room yoga mats and pet-friendly policies.
Paul Adan, Regional SVP of Development, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean for IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “We look forward to expanding Kimpton’s presence in the Caribbean, and Kimpton Las Mercedes will bring a distinct, inspiring experience to this historic destination. The hotel will welcome visitors and locals alike with its refined style, innovative restaurants and bars and heartfelt service while simultaneously serving as a gateway for guests to uncover all that Santo Domingo has to offer.”
Founded in 1498, Santo Domingo is one of the Caribbean’s oldest cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While a historic treasure, the city is brimming with some of the best modern cultural experiences in the world. Beyond the maze of cobblestone streets and centuries-old architecture at the hotel’s doorstep in the historic Colonial City, guests can enjoy the area’s local art galleries, exciting nightlife, hidden waterfalls and soft, white sands of the Caribbean Sea.
Rodrigo Silveyra, Director of Operations, Americas, Iberostar Group, said: “We’re thrilled to operate our first property under the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand. While this agreement falls outside of our strategic alliance with IHG for Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, it’s a great example of positive outcomes and opportunities that are surfacing based upon our expanding relationship with IHG.”
When it opens in early Summer 2024, Kimpton Las Mercedes will become the fifth Kimpton hotel in the Caribbean and Latin America. The Kimpton brand currently has 78 hotels open globally, with 54 projects in the pipeline.*
Kimpton Las Mercedes is now taking reservations on its website, with stay dates as early as July 1, 2024. To learn more about Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, visit IHG.com or download the IHG One Rewards mobile app.
*Figures as of December 31, 2023
About IHG
IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.
With a family of 19 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,300 open hotels in over 100 countries, and more than 2,000 in the development pipeline.
- Luxury & Lifestyle: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo
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- Exclusive Partners: Iberostar Beachfront Resorts
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About Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury and lifestyle portfolio, is the original boutique hotel company, which pioneered the concept of unique, distinctive, design-forward hotels in the United States in 1981. Anchored in one-of-a-kind experiences, the San Francisco-born brand now operates more than 75 hotels and over 100 restaurants, bars and lounges across urban locations, resort destinations and up-and-coming markets globally. From inspiring design to forward-thinking flavors that feed the soul, Kimpton spaces and experiences center on its guests. Every detail is thoughtfully curated and artfully delivered so that guest experiences remain meaningful, unscripted and ridiculously personal. For more information, visit www.KimptonHotels.com.
About Iberostar Group
Iberostar Group is a 100% family-owned multinational Spanish company, dedicated for more than 65 years to travel and hospitality, and with origins in the business industry dating back to 1877. The main line of business is Iberostar Hotels & Resorts which includes up to 70 hotels in 15 countries under the Iberostar Beachfront Resorts brand. The company has positioned itself as an international benchmark in responsible tourism by promoting a more sustainable business model focused on the care for people and the environment. The Wave of Change movement reflects Iberostar’s explicit commitment to the oceans, and the company’s effort to share it with all of society.
With sustainability as a business driver and lever, the company places circular economy at the center of its strategy in its own 2030 Agenda, aimed at becoming waste free by 2025, carbon neutral by 2030, 100% responsible in its seafood consumption by 2025, and improving the health of ecosystems surrounding its hotels, among other targets.
Iberostar Group has a global team with more than 30,000 people of 95 nationalities. Thanks to this pool of talent, the company is a leader in quality and boosts differentiation in the customer experience through constant product innovation and digital commitment.
Discover more at iberostar.com
The portfolio of Iberostar Beachfront Resorts excludes Iberostar’s interests in Cuba.
Media Contact:
Allison Worldwide
kimpton@allisonworldwide.com
Allison Vajda
allison.vajda@ihg.com
+1 917-821-0861
Source: IHG
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