Kimpton heiress shares hotel picks and travel calm

Marcia Kimpton’s – Marcia Kimpton, heiress to Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants and director of the fictional 2025 film “An American Abroad,” lays out how she chooses hotels, what she packs, and how she avoids travel stress—right down to skipping lines and prioritizing organic food

By the time Marcia Kimpton starts planning a trip, she’s already thinking about what she wants the experience to feel like—quiet, grounded, and not something that fights back.

In a 2025 film she both directed and co-wrote. “An American Abroad. ” Kimpton’s character—also named Marcia—moves through a multi-step nighttime routine that includes trying to minimize the impact of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and refusing to stand in lines because they make her anxious. The story is fictional, but Kimpton says it draws on her own habits.

She told USA TODAY that “almost every one of those things have happened on some level.” She also called the portrayal “an exaggeration,” then didn’t shy away from the part that hits close to home: she “stand[s] in lines.”

What doesn’t feel exaggerated is her confidence about travel. Her father, Bill Kimpton, founded Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, and Marcia Kimpton has visited an estimated 58 countries for both work and vacation—she even joined the interview from Namibia, where she was filming a documentary.

Her travel rules are specific. For vacation destinations. she looks for a certain kind of convenience and atmosphere—“In my perfect world. it’ll have hot yoga nearby. ” she said. She’s also “purposely going to Nice. France (next) because they have great hot yoga.” On an ideal day. she likes to book “the best lunch in the area. ” and she often travels solo.

Her approach to dining reflects that same preference for control without rigidity. She seeks out top chefs. but said booking a daytime reservation can be more affordable and less of a commitment than dinner service with many courses. At night, she likes to visit a local restaurant and sit at the bar, and organic food is a priority.

Then there’s the practicality that turns a new place into something navigable. Kimpton always gets a guide on the first day of a trip to show her the sights.

Even her packing list is built around calming rituals. Like the onscreen Marcia, she carries essentials that help her reset. Her must-pack items include Balipura aura spray—made with essential oils—and unscented soy candles. “I just travel so much. I’m just a nomad. so for me the one thing is that candle or incense. and that kind of grounds me. ” she said.

Hotel choice, for Kimpton, starts long before check-in. Her upbringing shaped it. She pointed to her father’s philosophy. describing how he had a history of “growing up with great hotels” and how his concept with Kimpton Hotels came before boutique hotels were widespread. The idea. she said. was simple: “you’re going to have a relationship when that person walks in.” She frames it as especially important because she travels alone a lot—“you’re going to make them not feel alone.”.

That same idea of warmth and familiarity shows up in her on-the-ground experiences. While filming in Cappadocia, Turkey, she got to know a hotel manager who grew up in the region and helped Kimpton and her crew get set up; the manager even made a cameo in the movie.

In the last five years or so, Kimpton has also placed a sharper focus on ecotourism when booking lodging. “I now want my dollars to go help. if I have a choice. so that’s what I look at first. ” she said. In her Africa documentary. she plans to highlight businesses where reinvested funds are used “to save animals or land or back to helping the indigenous (populations) get jobs.”.

There are still the everyday considerations that keep a trip from turning into a fight with the surroundings. She makes sure to ask if accommodations face a high-traffic street. “If I’m on vacation, I don’t want to be on a busy road, even if it has a great view,” she said.

Even when she’s looking at mid-range to high-end hotels. she’s thinking about how they can smooth the stressful parts of travel. She said those hotels can sometimes help guests secure VIP airport services that escort them through customs. get their bags. and move them to transportation. Kimpton said those services typically cost between $100 and $250, and emphasized that flyers should book through a reputable provider.

Flights and logistics can still be stressful. but she urges travelers not to let the process swallow the point of going. “I just think that if you’re traveling. to get to know the culture and get to know the people around you. and to just be grateful. because you’re so lucky to travel. ” she said. “I think, ultimately there’s so many good people.”.

The through-line in her advice is that travel doesn’t have to be a test of endurance. For Kimpton, it’s something closer to a practiced way of living—choosing hotels with care, packing small comforts, and leaving room for the people and places that make the trip feel real.

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