Kimpton Hotels added to the “100 Best Places to work” list

Broad recognition of Kimpton as a top employer demonstrates company’s commitment to employees

SAN FRANCISCO, January 23, 2009—Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, a collection of 44 boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants in the US and Canada, today announced that the company has been named to FORTUNE’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the first time. FORTUNE recognized Kimpton as a top employer for striking the right balance between streamlining operations for financial efficiency and maintaining a steadfast focus on developing and rewarding existing employees.

“We are honored to be included on this prestigious list and are proud that our commitment to care for employees, even in times of economic difficulties, has been recognized,” said Mike Depatie, Kimpton’s president and chief executive officer. “At Kimpton, our employees are our brand, and their happiness in their job is our number one priority. We know that if an employee is happy at work, that feeling transcends to colleagues, guests and to their home life.”

According to FORTUNE, a driving factor for the companies on this year’s list is that they excel at creating jobs. As of January 2009, Kimpton has more than 180 available positions for its hotels and restaurants at all levels. Kimpton will also have additional positions to fill for new hotels and restaurants scheduled to open in 2009. These upcoming job opportunities will be primarily located in new markets for Kimpton, including South Florida/Miami, Atlanta, Baltimore and Philadelphia, and will also include an expansion of the company’s presence in Alexandria, Va.

To pick the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” FORTUNE works with Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz of the Great Place to Work® Institute—a global research and consulting firm with offices in 30 countries—to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America.

More than 81,000 employees from 353 companies responded to the 57-question survey created by the Institute. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the survey, which is sent to a minimum of 400 randomly selected employees. The remaining third is based on a company’s responses to the Culture Audit questionnaire, which asks detailed questions about demographics, pay and benefits, and open-ended questions on philosophy, communication and more.

“Our employees are passionate advocates for our company’s culture,” said Niki Leondakis, Kimpton’s chief operating officer. “We are confident that their enthusiasm for working at Kimpton every day and their passion to provide heartfelt care, both to each other and to our guests, coupled with our unique culture, are what sets Kimpton apart in the hospitality industry and shined through in this process.”

In addition to being named a top employer by FORTUNE magazine, in the past year Kimpton has also been recognized by several publications and organizations in their annual rankings of the best places to work, including: Center for Companies That Care 2008 Honor Roll, Chicago’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For, Crain’s New York, Dallas Business Journal, Human Rights Campaign’s Best Places to Work 2008, Oregon Business Magazine, San Francisco Business Times and Washington Business Journal.

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