Hospitality pioneer encourages employees to transfer to one of 65 properties in its chain of boutique hotels. When a new hotel is opened, the goal is to staff it 50% with people from existing hotels. Kimpton plans to open 15 new hotels by 2017. Last year the company was acquired by Intercontinental Hotels Group (owner of the Holiday Inn brands) and will be operated as a wholly owned subsidiary. Upon the merger announcement, Kimpton employees were promised that its exemplary culture would remain intact.