Like many in travel, Alex Kirkwood pivoted to this industry after working in a completely different field — he was a marketing executive at 20th Century Fox, where he spent his time producing movie trailers, posters and TV spots.
Then, a family friend with real estate holdings (including a hotel in Mexico) piqued his interest. Kirkwood ended up buying a couple vacation rentals, then a boutique hotel in Palm Springs, California, in 2012. He quickly learned that managing a hotel is not a part-time job.
“It became so much to manage, on top of my 18-hours-a-day job at Fox,” he said. “So, I basically never slept for a few years. When I fully transitioned, everyone was like, ‘What a weird right turn you took, from the movie business to hotels.’ And it really was. I went from selling a two-hour movie experience to selling weekend hotel experiences. And I think you can kind of see that through line — we have a theatrical approach to our marketing materials and creative content.”
The Kirkwood Collection has grown in the decade since its inception, and there’s many ideal options for clients looking to book multigenerational family escapes, weddings, reunions and more. We sat down with Kirkwood to talk more about the portfolio.
Alex Kirkwood is the founder and CEO of the Kirkwood Collection.
Credit: 2024 Kirkwood Collection
Your transition from the world of film and television to hospitality is pretty unique. How else has your past professional experience aided you with the Kirkwood Collection?
I actually see a connection between hotels and when you sit down to watch a film: the filmmaker is trying to make an experience for the viewer, and in a hotel or in hospitality, you're trying to create an experience for the user as well. And perhaps especially in the luxury boutique space, where it's all experiential. There's nothing commoditized about the products that we create and the experiences we curate.
The Garden Street Inn is set in an 1887 Victorian home in San Luis Obispo, California.
Credit: 2024 Kirkwood Collection
Let’s dig into the collection more. What should travel advisors shopping for those luxury boutique spaces know?
We have 10 hotels across the state of California, and one vacation rental, so 11 properties total. But we are definitely expanding. We would like to be in every first-rate leisure destination in California. For example, we are already in Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Luis Obispo. Napa would be great — that’s a very equivalent market.
Who are the typical guests at these properties?
During the pandemic, we had an eclectic mix of international and domestic guests. Also, many guests drove in, since we are mostly in drive-to markets from major gateway cities such as San Francisco or Los Angeles.
Then, because our properties are pretty low key counts — from nine or 12 rooms to 26 rooms — full buyouts work well. They are often used for corporate retreats and weddings.
Because our brand standards are not specific to one single aesthetic, and we're not trying to commoditize the experience at all, you can curate different types of experiences for different types of clients.
Advisors should also know that we’re working on a GDS connection to give them more direct access to single reservations, too.
All rooms at Seven Gables Inn offer views of Monterey Bay.
Credit: 2024 Kirkwood CollectionWhat properties in the portfolio should advisors take a look at first?
La Serena Villas in Palm Springs is one of the most beautiful boutique hotels. We acquired it last year and it offers just a phenomenal experience, including a full-service restaurant.
Then I would name Seven Gables Inn on Monterey Bay. It’s a luxury bed-and-breakfast with 25 keys, and every room has an ocean view. There’s complimentary breakfast in a dedicated breakfast room that’s also an event space we can open up to a client’s group.
Next, I would point to the phenomenal Ballard Inn, which we just acquired this spring in Santa Ynez Valley, and The Hideaway Santa Barbara. The Hideaway was one our first hotels and it definitely exemplifies our design standard.
If you look at each of them, they're very different. We're not trying to stamp the same idea over and over again. We’re aiming for a home-away-from home experience.
As you grow the portfolio, how do you decide what properties are a good fit?
Typically, we like to pursue historic properties — though not always. Ballard Inn was built in the 1980s, but it has character and historic vibes. That's kind of our criteria. It has to feel independent and differentiated from the rest of the market.
There’s clearly a migration from the commoditized hotel over to the boutique and luxury boutique sectors.
There’s clearly a migration from the commoditized hotel over to the boutique and luxury boutique sectors. That's likely due in part to some of the new players coming in, such as Palihouse and Warwick Hotels, which are really elevating the experience.
How can advisors best work with Kirkwood Collection right now?
We photograph each property with guests and advisors in mind, so take a look at our galleries online. We’re also happy to do property tours, if advisors are local or able to visit.
