A new hotel perk: Free booze at night

You'll always be up for a nightcap if you're staying at a Kimpton Hotel.

That's because it's free.

Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants is now offering guests free liquor many nights at 17 of its properties. The company, which was acquired by InterContinental Hotels Group in January, plans to roll out the nightcap program to its remaining 48 hotels over the next year.

"It feels like a perk, like a hidden treat," says Kimpton master sommelier and beverage director Emily Wines. "We are constantly looking for ways to surprise and delight our guests."

But don't expect an entire bottle of Hennessy. Participating hotels will offer a "wee dram" or small pour of a libation with a snack.

The choices will vary from property to property. Nightly samplings may include a brandy cognac or port paired with a snack such as nuts, a cookie, chocolate, or cheese.

Typically the nightcap will be served from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. But that too can vary. For instance, at the Sky Hotel in Aspen, the nightcap will be offered earlier to accommodate the après-ski crowd.

The liquor may appear in mini-bottles in the lobby. But at some locations, such as the Hotel Monaco Denver and Hotel Monaco Philadelphia, staff members will hand out "speakeasy" cards inviting guests to visit the front desk for a special treat.

The nightcap program is an extension of Kimpton's free wine hour, which has been a staple of the hotel chain for years.

Many other hotels now offer similar wine programs. Sheraton Hotels and Resorts partnered with Wine Spectator to launch a Sheraton Social Hour with premium wines at properties around the world. Affinia Hotels, a boutique hotel collection, also has complimentary wine hours at some properties.

"It's all about bringing guests out of their rooms and having an opportunity to chat with the staff and get a chance to feel like a local," Wines says.

And if guests decide to hang out some more at the bar, that's all the better, she says.

"Having a nightcap would mean they can probably capture that late night crowd," Wines says.