by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 1:30 PM ET, Tue March 5, 2019
Over the course of three months this past fall, the Kimpton Everly Hotel in Hollywood engaged in a unique social experiment.
Designed to foster human connection between strangers, the experiment asked guests who stayed in the hotel's Room 301 to leave a part of themselves behind in the space - via pictures, creative notes, or anything else the guest might come up with.
Guests were asked to "dig deep" to help the property create something of a living guest book.
More than 50 people stayed in the room over the course of the three months, leaving behind in excess of 100 confessions they'd never told anyone else, painted directly on the room's wall.
The revelations ranged from, "I didn't know she was married," to "I have to fake empathy," and "I'm a social climber."
Kimpton says the data from the experiment is now in and overall the project was a resounding success. In particular, hotel representatives say the project showed that as our lives get busier and more filled with technology, people are craving connections with other people.
In addition, the data gathered by Kimpton revealed that guest confessions fell into a few key categories, such as relationships and infidelity, which made up 13 percent of the confessions; feelings (12 percent); pets (8.5 percent); depression (six percent); parenting and family (six percent); politics (five percent); food (five percent) and substance abuse (three percent.)
Given how well the Room 301 project went, the hotel brand has decided to launch what it is calling the Kimpton Stay Human Project at properties across the country. The expanded rollout involves a series of highly localized rooms in nearly two dozen Kimpton properties that will each bring the concept of Stay Human to life in its own unique way.
"This campaign extension will transform one premium room in 20 participating properties into a unique activation that honors the hyper-local character of the surrounding neighborhood," the company said in a statement.
From a room to inspire female empowerment in Washington, DC to songwriting rooms for the musically-inclined in Austin and Nashville, to a creative space designed to "leave your ink" in New York, every room will differ in theme and approach.
What each room will have in common is a goal of providing a customized, human-centric experience that deepens guest connections.
"Room 301 was a special opportunity for us to provide a truly immersive experience for our guests," said Kathleen Reidenbach, chief commercial officer at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. "This room showcased how people are craving authentic connections and needing an invitation to pause and reflect in an often hectic and digital world. We're thrilled to be able to bring more of these immersive experiences to our guests this year."
For a list of Kimpton hotels participating in the Stay Human project visit this link.
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