Kimpton Rolls Out the Bikes

We’re pumped … and so are the tires on our brand-new fleet of super-sweet PUBLIC bikes.

That’s right … starting this month our hotels will have stylish, easy-riding bicycles — custom designed by our friends at San Francisco-based PUBLIC — available to guests free of charge. Hop on one of these cherry-red babies with their orange-and-blue accents, cream tires, matching double-walled rims, brass bell and back-tire rack, and have yourself an adventure.

See the sights, get some exercise or find the perfect picnic spot. Our Kimpton chefs have dreamed up an assortment of picnicking options, available for purchase at each hotel, that range from light and healthy, to romantic shareables, to locally sourced goods. And with these three-speed, European-inspired street cruisers, getting out and about will be a breeze whether you’re a novice or hardcore biker.

Our partnership with PUBLIC was the vision of Kimpton’s newly appointed Chief Operating Officer and avid bicyclist, Mike DeFrino, who regularly commutes to work on his bike and counts cycling as his go-to form of exercise. Within Kimpton he is affectionately known as the CBO (Chief Bike Officer). Mike recognized the kindred qualities of the boutique bike brand whose founder, Rob Forbes, also started up the modern-furnishings mecca Design Within Reach.

“PUBLIC is a perfect partner for us,” says Mike, “because we both share the impassioned belief that design matters in everyday life.”

And, he adds, not only is biking eco-friendly — a concept near and dear to our hearts — urban biking is also one of the best ways to see a city.

And of course, each hotel will bring a unique perspective to the program. For instance at Kimpton’s Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara, CA, an “Urban Wine Trail” package has been created to take advantage of the area’s local tasting rooms. At the Hotel Monaco in D.C. you can get competitive and try to best the times set by the general manager — a dedicated cyclist — on a particular route. Winners will get a special prize.

Or maybe you’ll just want to clip a baseball card into your spokes and cruise. That’s cool, too.