Polle de Maagt 
Polle de Maagt
Story.
At the Kimpton Fitzroy in London, guests gathered on the first floor between 17:00 and 18:00.
There was Champagne. Someone from the team shared stories and ideas from the Kimpton brand.
The hour reportedly grew from founder Bill Kimpton’s habit of having a glass of wine with his team at the end of the day. Guests eventually became part of it.
Whether every detail of that origin story is exact matters less than what Kimpton did with it.
Many hotels offer a complimentary drink. Kimpton gave the drink a time, a name and a story.
The difference is small but important. A free glass of Champagne is an amenity. A recurring gathering with a story behind it is a ritual.
What they did.
Participating Kimpton hotels host a daily Social Hour, usually in the lobby or another shared space.
Guests receive complimentary drinks. The exact execution changes by hotel. One property serves local wine and beer. Another adds snacks, cocktails or stories from the neighbourhood.
The format stays recognisable:
- Choose a fixed hour.
- Invite guests into a shared space.
- Offer something to drink.
- Let a host create conversation.
The brand provides the ritual. Each hotel gives it local character.
Why it works.
The fixed time creates anticipation. Guests can plan around it and may start to treat it as part of their stay.
The shared space changes the hotel from a collection of private rooms into a temporary community.
The host matters too. Social Hour gives employees a reason to talk with guests without waiting for a question, complaint or transaction.
And the origin story gives meaning to an otherwise ordinary perk. The drink is free. The story makes it memorable.
Try it yourself.
Find one small benefit you already offer and turn it into a recurring ritual.
Give it a clear time, place and name. Add a host. Explain why it exists.
Keep the structure consistent, but leave enough room for each location or team to make it their own.
Pick one ordinary customer benefit and add a fixed moment, a name and a short origin story.
More from Kimpton: the CEO’s phone number, raid the bar and the secret password.
Source: my visit to Kimpton Fitzroy London and my original post of December 2018. Kimpton still describes Social Hour as a signature perk on current hotel pages, including Kimpton Da An Taipei and Kimpton Palladian Seattle. Bottle and glasses made with Midjourney.
