This beautiful 4-star Loews Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri is located downtown right across the street from the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It’s surprisingly large for an inner city hotel with 800 rooms and suites and a sprawling lobby that contains many comfortable seating options, including a partially enclosed space with a fireplace.
Escalators in the lobby lead to meeting rooms, and the hotel is connected to the convention center via a pedestrian bridge. So obviously, it’s a popular location for conferences. That’s no surprise since the building contains a whopping 22 meeting and banquet rooms, three board rooms, and the largest ballroom in the city. There’s also a 6,000-square foot outdoor terrace.
It’s also apparently quite popular for weddings, as I saw two wedding parties during my two-night stay. The lobby bar (Bar Stilwell) always seemed to be bustling, too – even during the daytime hours. This made me a bit concerned that the hallways upstairs might be loud, but they weren’t. I had a nice quiet sleep.
Other amenities include a 24-hour fitness center and an indoor saltwater lap pool. Valet or self-parking are both available, and it’s a fully non-smoking property that’s pet-friendly (for an additional fee).
Since I booked my room through American Express, I got a free upgrade to a Premium room on the 23rd floor with a city view. It was about 350 square feet with a pull-out couch, floor-to-ceiling windows, and curtains that closed all the way (much appreciated). It had a shower but no tub, and the bath products were by Julien Farel. I also appreciated that the shower was very simple to operate. Sometimes, I spend ten minutes just trying to figure out a hotel shower.
The room amenities included a large safe, a Keurig coffeemaker, a 55-inch TV with lots of channels and current movies to rent, USB ports and electrical outlets on the bedside lamps (thank you!), a refrigerator (no minibar), free Wi-Fi, a desk, 24-hour room service, and laundry/dry cleaning service. The bed was very comfortable with a Stearns & Foster pillowtop mattress.
I think Loews hotels have the best bathrobes of any I’ve experienced. They’re much softer than your average terry cloth, both outside and inside, making them feel especially luxurious against your skin. Some 4-star properties these days don’t include a robe, so I’m always pleased when I find one in my room. I didn’t find any slippers, but those are generally reserved for 5-star hotels.
There are several dining options on property. The Stilwell serves classic American fare, and there’s Horsefeather Social for quick bites and drinks. There’s also a grab and go market called Red Wheat Baking Co. for artisanal coffees, sandwiches, and bakery goods.
Nevertheless, my one complaint about the hotel was that I wasn’t impressed with the food. I had a mediocre chicken Caesar salad and a mediocre breakfast of eggs, toast, and home fries. For a property of this caliber, the food really should be better.
Overall, however, I enjoyed my stay immensely and wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again when in Kansas City, Missouri.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, New York Travel Writers Association, and International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 43 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
0 Comments