• by Tanya Gazdik , April 28, 2013

Kimpton Hotels is offering guests a way to relax on the road.

Newly custom-designed Gaiam yoga mats with a playful butterfly motif will now be stocked in every guest-room closet and available for use at no charge whenever the itch for a stretch, pose or plank may strike.

Kimpton also is helping to remove obstacles to getting in a little healthy activity while on the road, with a new complimentary "Roll-Out Service." Upon request of the service, Kimpton will come to the guest's room, roll out the mat and furnish extra towels, flavored water, an assortment of fresh fruit or an energizing mix of dried fruit and nuts, and set the TV to Kimpton's complimentary on-demand yoga or Pilates channel for inspiration.  

"We know that some travel – particularly for business – can suck the life out of you,” said Mike DeFrino, executive vice president of hotel operations at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, in a release. “Our point of view is that it doesn't have to, so we're making it easy for our guests to work in some restorative activity."

DeFrino says the hotel managers do not profess to be “yoga experts.”

“Some of us can't even touch our toes,” he says. “But we think that incorporating exercise in the form of something like stretches or pushups are a good idea on the road. If a guest rolls out the mat and decides to take a nap or have a glass of wine and watch TV, no judgment from us."

To introduce guests to the new in-room yoga mat offering, Kimpton hotels across the country will invite guests to participate in yoga-centric activities – from pose challenges to trivia triumphs – during its popular hosted evening Wine Hour, which runs through May 3.

Kimpton will couple these activities with a "Strike a Pose" sweepstakes contest on Kimpton's Facebook page. During the month of May, guests and fans of Kimpton are invited to snap a picture of them striking a unique or humorous pose that might reflect the ways they like to live life and post it to Kimpton's Facebook page. Those voted as having the best poses will win a relaxing getaway at any Kimpton hotel nationwide among other prizes, including yoga mats.

Kimpton has created playful hang tags to accompany every in-room yoga mat to add fun inspiration to help guests feel their best while on the road.

Additionally, to inspire guests to get to know "Mr. (Yoga) Mat," Kimpton has also launched a playful video on YouTube.