• by Tanya Gazdik , June 13, 2011

Kimpton Hotels has linked with upscale bag maker Tumi for a promotion to award loyal customers for frequent stays.

However, the partnership comes on the heels of a seemingly more long-term link-up between Tumi and JW Marriott, announced Sept. 8.

"Tumi shot itself in the foot, and slighted Kimpton in the process," Henry H. Harteveldt, Forrester Research vice president and principal analyst, airline and travel research, tells Marketing Daily.

"There's a lesson in here for marketers: When putting together a deal with a partner, ensure you have category exclusivity to ensure that you and your business partner go to market with a truly unique offer and relationship."

Tumi is one of a handful of brands that Marriott International's luxury hotel brand, JW Marriott, is forging strategic partnerships with, including Christie's, Keri Glassman, Aromatherapy Associates and Etude Wines.

All will be represented on a "JW Marriott Panel of Experts," where they will provide exclusive content for the JW Marriott Web site and the soon-to-launch in-room JW Magazine.

A Kimpton spokesperson had no comment on how the Tumi-Marriott deal might affect the brand's relationship with Kimpton.

The Kimpton-Tumi promotion runs through Sept. 19. Guests must be members of Kimpton's InTouch loyalty program to be eligible for the offer.

Guests who stay 25-29 nights within the valid dates will receive a Tumi Pack-A-Way medium duffel (valued at about $145) in their choice of black, smoky quartz or spruce. Guests who stay at least 30 nights will receive one Alpha carry-on piece of luggage (valued at about $595) and can choose from two different styles. The luggage will be sent to the guest's home address within 60 days after the offer ends.

Consumers are finding out about the promotion through emails from both Kimpton and Tumi, says Kimpton Hotels Public Relations Manager Stephanie Luttringhaus. The promotion is a first of its kind for Kimpton, she says. "We haven't really forged a lot of relationships for brand promotions in the past, but we're open to it if it's the right mix," she says.

Typically, such partnerships require a lot of steps and take a lot of time, she says. "At Kimpton, we don't have a promotions team, or even a dedicated promotions person that is dedicated to brand promotions and partnerships," Luttringhaus says. "Instead, this is part of a broader job function so to the extent that we explore these relationships, it tends to be opportunistic."

There are two types of partnerships: Those that are great for the brand and brand perception and those that actually book business, she says. "We tend to look at this holistically -- what is going to be good for our brand and support our focus and goals and what is going to book business," Luttringhaus says. "The latter is necessary when we think about all the moving parts from mailings, promotions, package inclusion, 'Women InTouch' and 'Kimpton InTouch' events, other customized collateral, etc."