Inside Look: Behind Kimpton Hotels' Complete Digital Overhaul

[gallery ids="133086,133090,133088,133087,133089,133092,133085,133067,133084,133091"] Kimpton Hotels launched an all-new version of its website this morning, designed by the San Francisco-based FINE agency, following the relaunch of the hotel group's Life Is Suite travel blog in June. Kimpton reached out to Skift for an advance look to highlight some of the changes. According to Kathleen Reidenbach, SVP of marketing at Kimpton Hotels, the focus of the new website and blog goes beyond just being more photo-centric and more streamlined in its navigation architecture. She says the new Kimpton platform is an attempt to make viewers feel something on a deeper personal level, engage them on a year-round basis, and most importantly, make people smile. “Our goal was to ensure that our digital experience really matches and aligns with the hotel experience, or the feeling you have when you walk into one of our hotels,” says Reidenbach. “Anyone can put a great website together that has glossy pictures and cool content, but does the website and blog make you smile? We want to make sure that the love affair that occurs between guests and Kimpton is happening when you plan your next trip.” To begin the redesign process, Reidenbach and her crew looked at the primary brand values—"different, original, down-to-earth, healthy, simple and carefree"—and started working backwards. Kimpton already had strong brand recognition and loyalty, and its differentiators are well communicated. Reidenbach says the goal with the new website and blog revolves around “sharpening the pencil a bit,” and establishing or maintaining guest engagement better on a year-round basis via the ramped up blog content. The trick was aligning the website design and content with Kimpton's stylish, casual sophistication, while keeping thing