GUESTS “RIDE THE RAILS WITH DART” TO KIMPTON’S HOTEL PALOMAR DALLAS FOR 25% SAVINGS ON ROOM RATE

Photo Scavenger Hunt Sweepstakes & Eco-Friendly Year-Round Promo To Launch for Earth Day

     DALLAS, April 19, 2010 - This Earth Day and year-round, guests at Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas can “Ride the Rails with DART” for eco-friendly savings.  With a new promotion beginning today, travelers with advance booking who present a Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Rail Day Pass used during their stay will save 25 percent off their room rate.
 
Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas and DART are kicking-off the promotion with a three-week “Ride the Rails with DART Photo Scavenger Hunt Sweepstakes” offering participants a chance to win from among over $3,000 in prizes from Hotel Palomar Dallas and its Central 214 restaurant, DART and other partners.

From April 19 – May 8, 2010, players simply:
Visit the DART Web site - http://www.dart.org/ridetherails - for weekly Ride the Rails with DART Scavenger Hunt clues to station landmarks along the DART Red or Blue rail lines
Have someone take their photo at the winning destination
Then e-mail the weekly photo submissions to sales@hotelpalomar-dallas.com by each Saturday at midnight CDT to be entered into the weekly drawing.

The grand prize includes a two-night stay for two in a Hotel Palomar Dallas Luxury Suite, two signature animal print robes, dinner for two at Central 214, two DART VIP Passes, yoga classes at Exhale Spa, and services at Salon Pompeo and Mint.                                                
 
“Guests will not only be able to reduce their carbon footprint but also save big when they ‘Ride the Rails with DART’ said Andrew Wright, general manager of Hotel Palomar Dallas. “The Mockingbird Station DART stop located just across the street from Hotel Palomar Dallas offers guests an affordable, eco-friendly and convenient way to get around Dallas – whether to business meetings or taking in the arts downtown to shopping at the many popular destinations along the rail.”
 
Adds DART President/Executive Director Gary Thomas, “We are excited about this fun promotion with Hotel Palomar Dallas and the opportunity to reinforce DART’s green message with our customers and guests to North Texas alike, with hotel savings incentives for this week’s Earth Day celebrations and throughout the year.”
 
In addition to the Hotel Palomar Dallas and DART web sites, visitors to Dallas can also find more about events and happenings in Big D through the Dallas Conventions and Visitors Bureau. “Visitors to Dallas and local residents seeking ‘staycation’ opportunities should find this promotion irresistible,” said Dallas CVB President and CEO Phillip Jones. “Hotel Palomar Dallas is across the street from the popular Mockingbird Station with its shops, restaurants and movie theater. A few minutes by DART can deliver you to several entertainment districts, the Dallas Zoo and NorthPark Center for the best shopping in the Southwest.  It’s a hassle-free way to enjoy the city while DART does the driving. We salute DART and Hotel Palomar for this creative ‘green’ initiative.”
 
Ride the Rails with DART - Reservations
Until December 31, 2010, Hotel Palomar Dallas guests can receive 25 percent off the best available room rate with presentation of a current DART Rail Day pass used during the stay, by time of checkout. Advance reservations are required by entering the rate code RAILS at www.hotelpalomar-dallas.com <http://www.hotelpalomar-dallas.com>  or by calling 214-520-7969 and requesting the promotion by name. Some restrictions apply.

Ride the Rails with DART – Sweepstakes
No purchase is necessary to enter the Hotel Palomar Dallas Ride the Rails with DART Photo Scavenger Hunt Sweepstakes. Complete sweepstakes rules and prizes are listed on the DART Web site at www.dart.org/ridetherails <http://www.dart.org/ridetherails> ). Facebook fans can also visit the Hotel Palomar Dallas facebook.com/hotelpalomar.dallas <http://facebook.com/hotelpalomar.dallas> and DART facebook.com/DARTDallas pages for updates and to view weekly photo entries.
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ABOUT HOTEL PALOMAR DALLAS
A member of the award-winning Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Palomar centers itself between the vibrant, upscale Lakewood and Park Cities neighborhood, just moments from Southern Methodist University and a few short miles from the Dallas Convention Center. Originally opened in 1967 as a Hilton Inn, it was completely transformed by award-winning designer Cheryl Rowley and reopened as the stylish, modern boutique Hotel Palomar Dallas in 2006. Hotel Palomar Dallas is an eco and pet-friendly hotel that has been named to the coveted Conde Nast Traveler’s “Hot List” and National Geographic Traveler’s “Stay List.” The hotel has also been awarded the prestigious Four Diamond rating by AAA Travel and has been named the Best Boutique Hotel in Dallas by CitySearch. For more information, visit www.hotelpalomar-dallas.com <http://www.hotelpalomar-dallas.com> .
 
ABOUT DART
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is the public transit authority for Dallas and 12 surrounding cities featuring an integrated network of bus, light rail Trinity Railway Express commuter rail, high occupancy vehicle (carpool/vanpool) lanes and paratransit services. Additional information is available at DART.org.

ABOUT KIMPTON
San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, a collection of boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants in the US, is an acknowledged industry pioneer and was the first to bring the boutique hotel concept to America. Founded in 1981 by Bill Kimpton, the company is well-known for making travelers feel welcomed and comfortable while away from home through intuitive and unscripted customer care, stylish ambience and having a certain playfulness in its approach to programs and amenities. Each hotel provides a range of exciting culinary experiences through locally-loved, top-rated, destination, chef-driven restaurants. Kimpton leads the hospitality industry in ecological practices through its innovative EarthCare program that spans all hotels and restaurants. Privately held Kimpton has consistently earned high customer satisfaction scores by the Market Metrix Hospitality Index, exceeding other hotel companies including those in luxury and upscale segments. Among the company’s newest properties are the LEED registered Hotel Palomar and LEED registered Square 1682 restaurant by Chef Guillermo Tellez in Philadelphia, PA, which opened in October 2009. Currently, projects are underway in New York City and Chicago. For more information, please visit www.KimptonHotels.com or call 1-800-KIMPTON.

For more about Kimpton and Hotel Palomar Dallas EarthCare programs - http://www.kimptonhotels.com/programs/earthcare.aspx