Where to stay in KC?

August 9, 2012 2:54 PM

Looking for Kansas City accommodation recommendations for a group of 8 in September.

I'm going to be spending 3 days in Kansas City in September with a group of 8 guys. Is there any place fun and interesting to stay there? We were thinking near the Plaza, but none of us are actually from there and are mostly spit-balling ideas. Proximity to good food and drink in the evenings is important.

Specific hotel (or whatever) recommendations welcome, but I'd benefit from even getting ideas of good areas of the city to stay.

posted by mcstayinskool to travel & transportation around Kansas City, MO (5 answers total)

The Plaza is always good, but can get a little crowded. It might be a little pricier than other parts of town, too. In addition to it, you might look to the Crossroads area, just north of Westport which is just north of the Plaza: http://www.concerthotels.com/venue-hotels/crossroads-kc-at-grinders-hotels/327364
That puts you near the new Kansas City Power and Light District, as well as a lot of really good food/drink and other options. If you're in town around September 7, you can do First Fridays in the Crossroads District which is always fun (and also crowded)

Full disclosure: I live in KC and haven't had to get a hotel room here.
posted by RainyJay at 9:17 PM on August 9, 2012

For evening dining and drinking, I definitely second the rec for the Crossroads/Power & Light District. My favorite hotels down there are the Marriott in the old Muelbach and the Phillips. Both book rooms through Priceline at considerable discounts, so if you pick 3/3+ stars in that area of town, you'll likely do okay. I find that area a bit more walkable than the Plaza, but both are pretty easily navigated.

The Plaza can be kind of pricey, but I find some of the down-market properties in the area are quite nice and affordable. I've stayed in the Holiday Inn Express, the Hampton Inn, and a Homestead in the area, and all were perfectly fine and a fraction of the cost of the more upscale properties. I've also stayed in the Marriott there and the Intercontinental, and have never had a bad room in the area.

If you're in a position to drive or take the limited public transit rather than walk, you could look at the Crown Center/Union Hill area, which is pretty equidistant from Westport/Plaza and the Crossroads/Power & Light district. I've stayed in both the Fairfield and the Residence Inn on Main St. and the Hyatt Regency (which is now a Sheraton, I think.) The Fairfield and Residence Inn both offered free parking and limited shuttle service to the Plaza.
posted by kellyk801 at 9:00 AM on August 10, 2012

Personally I would avoid P&L --- it's not as terrible as a lot of people around here (K.C., not Metafilter) say it is, but a lot of the restaurants and bars down there are chains, and it's not really anything special or unique to Kansas City. I'd vote for Westport/Plaza --- if the weather is nice it's not that difficult to walk from one to the other. My parents have stayed at the Q and liked it; there is also a Holiday Inn Express only a little further down on Westport Road. The Courtyard Marriott on JC Nichols could work, too.
posted by slenderloris at 7:56 AM on August 11, 2012

I'll second slenderloris' recommendation for the Q in Westport. I occasionally host meetings there, and my out-of-town guests seem to like it. It's a nice, simple, recently-renovated hotel within walking distance of some cool restaurants and venues in Westport. As slenderloris says you can walk to the Plaza if you like a longer walk (20-30 mins, I think), but the hotel also has a free shuttle that'll take you pretty much anywhere worth going in the city.
posted by jacobian at 4:11 PM on August 11, 2012

That's true, I forgot about the shuttle!

Hope you found something that works for you, please come spend lots of money :)
posted by slenderloris at 7:00 PM on August 15, 2012