DALLAS, October 22, 2009 – Furry, feathered or four-legged guests checking in at Kimpton’s pet-friendly Hotel Palomar Dallas will now be welcomed by one of their own, ready to make their stay in Big D the doggone best. Kora, an adorable four-month-old golden Labrador retriever puppy, has been named as the acclaimed boutique hotel’s first-ever director of pet relations. She joins only seven other canine colleagues nationwide to hold the coveted position at Kimpton hotels, eager to greet guests with a friendly tail wag and the best in pet-friendly tips and treats.

To commemorate the new “top dog” position, Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas is offering a special Kora deal with 50 percent off the best available room rate between November 1 and December 31, 2009. Just enter the KOR rate code when booking. As part of the offer, Kora’s guests at Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas always benefit from a host of complimentary pet-friendly amenities including:

• Welcome board greeting pet guests by name

• “Hotel Guest” pet ID tags with contact information, for safety while out on the town

• Specialty pet bowl and bed for the stay

• “Doggie” bag with bottled water, designer treats, and Kora’s helpful recommendations for

pet-friendly restaurants, dog parks, specialty stores, and other great resources

• Door hangers to alert guests/staff that a pet is in the room

• Steady supply of plastic bags for walking

For guests looking for a pet companion during their stay, Hotel Palomar Dallas even provides a goldfish to keep them company, upon request.
 
 “All of Kimpton's amazing boutique hotels welcome dogs, cats, and other pets - with no fees or special deposits and without weight or size limits, says Andrew Wright, general manager of eco-and pet-friendly Hotel Palomar Dallas. “With her friendly demeanor and love of people and animals alike, we knew Kora would be the perfect addition to our team, eager to make pet-friendly travel an even more pleasant experience at our hotel.”     

Statistics show that pets are popular travel companions. According to Travel Industry Association of America data, 14 percent of all U.S. adults (29.1 million) have traveled with a pet on a trip of 50 miles or more, one-way, away from home in the past three years. Dogs are the most common type of pet to take along on travel.

"Kora will make sure that every four-legged, creeping and hopping guest who comes through the door at Hotel Palomar Dallas is welcomed in style,” says Wright. “She even has her own e-mail address -- kora@hotelpalomar-dallas.com -- where guests can contact her with any special requests or questions for their pets’ stay.”

Kora is making her official debut as director of pet relations tonight at a Hotel Palomar Dallas’ posh Howl-O-Ween Spooktacular event benefiting her favorite charity, Operation Kindness – North Texas’ oldest and largest no-kill animal shelter http://www.operationkindness.org.. Throughout the year, Kora will host other pet-friendly events and announce new deals or packages for pet travelers.

To find out more about pet-friendly offerings - - such as the current Reigning Cats and Dogs package -- at Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas, or for pet travel tips and a list of Kora’s partners such as Choca Loca Design, Lucca Bella, Lucky Dog Barkery, Rachel Easter Photography and A Tender Touch pet trainer, please visit the Pet Friendly section of the Hotel Palomar Dallas Web site at http://www.hotelpalomar-dallas.com/ or http://www.hotelpalomar-dallas.com/dlp-petfriendly/index.html.

For more information or to book the KORA deal, please enter the “KOR” rate code, at http://www.hotelpalomar-dallas.com or call 214-520-7969.
 

###

ABOUT HOTEL PALOMAR DALLAS
A member of the award-winning San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Palomar Dallas originally opened in 1967 as a Hilton Inn and was completely transformed by award-winning designer Cheryl Rowley, reopening as the stylish, modern boutique Hotel Palomar Dallas in 2006. Hotel Palomar Dallas is an eco and pet-friendly hotel that has been named to the coveted 2007 Conde Nast Traveler’s “Hot List” and National Geographic Traveler’s “Stay List” 2009. The hotel has also been awarded the prestigious Four Diamond rating by AAA Travel and has been named the Best Boutique Hotel in Dallas by CitySearch as well as one of the best places to work by the Dallas Business Journal. For more information, please visit www.hotelpalomar-dallas.com <http://www.hotelpalomar-dallas.com> .
 
ABOUT KIMPTON
San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, a collection of boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants in the US, is an acknowledged industry pioneer and was the first to bring the boutique hotel concept to America. Founded in 1981 by Bill Kimpton, the company is well-known for making travelers feel welcomed and comfortable while away from home through intuitive and unscripted customer care, stylish ambience and having a certain playfulness in its approach to programs and amenities. Each hotel provides a range of exciting culinary experiences through locally-loved, top-rated, destination, chef-driven restaurants. Kimpton leads the hospitality industry in ecological practices through its innovative EarthCare program that spans all hotels and restaurants. Privately held Kimpton has consistently earned high customer satisfaction scores by the Market Metrix Hospitality Index, exceeding other hotel companies including those in luxury and upscale segments. Among the company’s newest properties are the Hotel Monaco Baltimore and restaurant B&O American Brasserie by Chef E. Michael Reidt in Baltimore, MD, which opened in July 2009. Currently, projects are underway in New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago. For more information, please visit www.KimptonHotels.com <http://www.kimptonhotels.com/> or call 1-800-KIMPTON.



--
Tresa C. Hardt
Senior Vice President
Lovell Public Relations
214-395-1918 (cell)    972-788-4511 (ofc)
www.lovellpr.com