Review: IHG Elite Benefits & Upgrades at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle

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After staying at the Hyatt’s Motif Seattle, I decided to check out the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle, a short 5 minutes walk from the Motif property. It also gave me a chance to use my IHG Anniversary Free Night

The Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle property is definitely one of the best uses of your IHG free night certificate in the United States. Here’s my review in detail:
Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
Table of Contents  [show/hide]

    Which Kimpton Hotel in Seattle is Best?

    I want to address this commonly asked question before we go into a detailed review of the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    There are two Kimpton properties in Seattle, Washington:
    • Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    • Kimpton Hotel Vintage Seattle
    Which Kimpton hotel in Seattle is best really depends on your personal preferences, but here are some basics to help you answer that question:
    • Cash and points price, the Monaco Seattle is higher than the Vintage Seattle
      • For IHG points and IHG Anniversary Free Night value, I’d pick Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    • Both properties are located in downtown Seattle; however, Vintage Seattle is situated on steeper hills than Monaco. 
    • Monaco Seattle is closer to the light rail station. 
    • Vintage Seattle is closer to the Interstate. 
    • Both properties receive excellent review scores from TripAdvisor. 

    Location

    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle is centrally located in the heart of downtown Seattle offering a convenient way to experience Pikes market, enjoy the waterfront promenade, and more that Seattle has to offer. 
    The only downside about the location is that you are walking uphill to the property if you walk from the ferry terminal. However, if you walk along the pikes street instead, it’s as flat as you were to walk without hills. 

    Room Upgrades

    My original reservation room type was a Premier Neighborhood View room. Upon arrival in the early morning, I was surprised that Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle had a room available and even upgraded me to a bigger room with a soaking tub as an IHG Platinum Elite member. 
    My IHG Platinum Elite status is complimentary from my Chase IHG Premier Credit Card, and I can have the status as long as I remain the cardholder. 
    Review: IHG Elite Benefits & Upgrades at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle

    Room Review

    The room is located on the 9th floor. When I first opened the door and saw the bedroom area, it made me ooh and ahh. The boutique-style room decoration looks very stylish and complimented well with the sofa seating area. 
    Review: IHG Elite Benefits & Upgrades at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    Huge Premier Room Upgrade

    Review: IHG Elite Benefits & Upgrades at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    Comfortable King Bed
    The room’s view is pathetic, but the room space is enormous. There are a lot of rooms to roam.
    Review: IHG Elite Benefits & Upgrades at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    Disappointing View
    The bathroom wallpaper decor is bold, but it’s very interesting, which caught my eyes at first sight. Inside the bathroom, There’s a soaking tub and a standup rain shower. 
    Review: IHG Elite Benefits & Upgrades at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    Bathroom With A Soaking Tub

    Here’s the video of the room that I posted on the Instagram: 

    Club Lounge

    Kimpton Hotels brand does not have a club lounge for IHG elite members. 

    $10 Raid The Bar

    Upon check-in, I was offered the welcome amenity of being an IHG Platinum Elite member with two choices:
    • 600 points
    • $10 raid the bar
    I gladly took the $10 raid the bar credit because 600 IHG Rewards Points are not a lot according to my valuation. 
    The way $10 raid the bar credit works at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle is this:
    • You can use the credit for any in-room dining services. 
    • You can use the credit for the in-room mini bar purchases. 
    • You can use the credit for food and drinks purchased at the on-site restaurant. 
    • You receive the credit upon check-out only. You will not see the credit applied to your dining bill in the restaurant. 
    • Make sure to have your dining bill charged to your room. 
    Review: IHG Elite Benefits & Upgrades at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    $10 Raid The Bar

    Food & Beverage Credits

    There is no food & beverage credit, only the welcome amenity of $10 raid the bar credit for elite check-in mentioned above. 

    Complimentary Breakfast

    Kimpton does not offer complimentary breakfast, but when the IHG One Rewards fully go live this summer, IHG Diamond Elite members can receive complimentary breakfast at select Kimpton properties. I hope this Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle participates in that!

    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle Restaurant

    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle has an on-site restaurant called the Outlier, and I love the food, drinks, and the atmosphere there. People that work there were super friendly and always ready to serve! 
    You can see the Outlier Menu here. The food and drinks are better than the Hyatt’s Motif Seattle, and the price is way lower!
    Meanwhile, thanks to its centrally located location, several restaurants near Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    Review: IHG Elite Benefits & Upgrades at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    On-site Restaurant: Outlier

    Happy Hour

    Outlier has happy hour from 1-6pm, but please check with the restaurant or Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle for the exact happy hours during your visit. 
    Appetizers and drinks were at a discounted price, and they were very good. My favorite appetizer is the Rib with Huckle Berry sauce. 
    Here’s the menu at the Outlier
    Review: IHG Elite Benefits & Upgrades at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    Rib with Huckle Berry Sauce

    Social Hour

    The complimentary Social Hour was quite of a hit at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle. It runs from 3-6pm. 
    Starting at 5pm, quite a few people were already in the lobby hanging out and drinking complimentary wines and beer. You have to push yourself to socialize with people if you want a seat. Being introverted like me, I had to push myself to speak to strangers, but it was worth it after a few free beers, LOL!
    The social hour at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle all took place in the lobby, and the manager even came around and handed guests some chocolate goodies too! 
    Review: IHG Elite Benefits & Upgrades at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
    Social Hour at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle

    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle Amenities

    Kimpton does not have a resort fee, but they have an amenities fee. It was odd when I made the reservation using my IHG Anniversary Free Night; the reservation includes an amenities fee that I had to pay at the property. However, after checking out and looking at my bill, I was not charged for that fee. The IHG One Rewards program is not known for waiving resort or amenity fees with points or free night certificate bookings. 
    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle charges $22 + tax amenities fee. The amenities fee covers the following:
    • 2 Water Bottles at Check-in
    • $15 Credit to apply towards Parking, our Bodega, or Outlier
    • Upgraded Wi-Fi for up to 5 Devices ($14.99 value)
    • Unlimited Local + Long Distance Phone Calls
    • Up to 50 Pages of Black + White Printing
    • Access to Our On-property Fitness Center with Peloton bike
    • Complimentary Access to Fitness Classes at Riot Athletics Gym
    • Complimentary Newspapers + Magazines Digitally via PressReader
    • A Pre-paid Postcard
    • Jewelry Cleaning at Siamonto
    • 10% Discount at Trudy’s Floral Design
    • Direct Link to Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle Amenities Fee Benefits

    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle Parking

    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle offers valet parking service only. It costs $49 per night, but you receive a $15 credit applied towards parking from the amenities fee mentioned above. 

    Housekeeping

    Yes, available. 

    Internet/Wi-Fi

    Internet Wi-Fi is complimentary to guests, and there’s an access code provided by the front desk. 

    Bottled Water

    According to the amenities fee benefits mentioned above, two bottles of water were supposed to be given upon check-in, but I did not receive any, and I did not ask either as it was not that crucial. I am also not sure if that is why I did not get billed for the amenities fees because I use my IHG Anniversary Free Night, or perhaps the front desk staff forgot about it. There’s no bottled water in the room either. 
    If you pay for amenities fee at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle anyway, make sure you ask for bottled water if that’s necessary. 

    Late Check-Out

    I was able to check into the room very early morning. So I’m pretty sure if the hotel is not busy, they’ll offer late check-out, but I did not request one as I had to leave Seattle in the morning. 

    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle Spa

    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle offers in-room spa services, but I did not use the service. I bet it’s not cheap either. 

    Fitness Center

    Yes, there’s an on-site fitness room located down below the lobby. 

    Swimming Pool

    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle does not have a swimming pool. 

    Contact

    Kimpton Social Password

    There was no Kimpton Social Password at the time for me to use. However, if the secret social password is available, you can use it to receive some prizes such as complimentary parking, wines, cocktails, drinks vouchers, etc. 
    You can check the current Kimpton Social Password in the following post:

    How to Stay at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle For Free?

    Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle is part of the IHG One Rewards program. Therefore, you can use IHG rewards points to redeem for a free night’s stay. Moreover, you can also use the IHG Anniversary Free Night certificate to redeem for a free night’s stay there as well. 
    The IHG Anniversary Free Night can be earned every year by just having the Chase IHG Premier Credit Card. Aside from the huge sign-up IHG rewards bonus points, you also receive complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status for room upgrades, raid the bar credit, late check-out, 4th IHG Reward Night Free, and more as long as you remain a cardholder. 

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