Kansas City can be either a wonderful place or someplace which alternates between muggy hot days in the summer and winter ice storms.  But the reason Kansas City is worthy of this website rests solely with The Hotel Savoy.

Alternative lodging we would recommend would not be in the C.B.D. but would be at Country Park Plaza -- The Raphael (816.756.3800), and would qualify for Beyond MudHole status.

WHEN TO GO AND HOW TO GET THERE:

• Right downtown
• Avoid the ice storms and summer humidity

MAPQUEST: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=kansas+city&state=MO&address=219+west+ninth&zip=64105&country=us&level=7

The property, built in 1888, is proud of its heritage which includes patronage by Teddy Roosevelt, John D. Rockefeller, Sarah Bernhardt and many others at the turn of the century.
 

The genuine attraction here is simply the hotel.  Business customers rent by the night, but others apparently lease by the month or year.  Walking down the back halls into wings meant for others, one finds doorbells, paw prints on the hall runners, etc.  Of particular interest is the seventh floor.  Here, there is no electricity (bring a flashlight and walk softly).  You can illicitly view the partial demolition of what was once the top floor and restaurant.  The floor lay-out shows what hotels were really like a hundred years ago -- no bathrooms in the rooms, showers and toilets in rooms at the end of the hall, a barbershop, etc. 

On my most recent visit, the top floor doors were locked; I imagine that a polite daytime request would facilitate a tour, however.

The rooms themselves are large, but far from remarkable.  The trim is oak not pine, the radiators are poorly shimmed, the window air conditioners noisy.  The three-room suites are priced at about $130, however, and are very comfortable.  The hallways demonstrate the real challenge of this place:  200 rooms spread over six floors makes it impossible to really fix everything when I suspect occupancy is less than fifty (including the long-term rentals).  Every step one takes is met with creaky floorboards; the lighting is dingy and the carpet tired. 

The ground floor public spaces, however, are wonderful.  Yes, the lobby skylight needs cleaning, but everything else is in first-rate shape.

On a serious note, the Savoy Grill restaurant is of the highest caliber; save some money on the hotel room and spend it for dinner!

Excerpts from "A Brief History of a Kansas City Landmark" by Valerie Lee, with an emphasis on the restaurant:

.....The original east wing was constructed in 1888.  In 1903, it was remodeled and the west wing was added along with The Savoy Grill dining room......The Savoy Grill dining room opened, with an exclusive Men's Grill that did not serve women.  That restriction was soon changed.  In the early years, The Savoy's clientele dined on such delicacies as prairie chicken and buffalo steak.  After the dinner hour, tables were pushed aside for music and dancing late into the evening.....Dating from 1903, it is the oldest restaurant in Kansas City, with stained glass windows, high beamed ceilings, lanterns that were once gaslights, and an enormous carved oak bar.  Booth No. 4, known as the presidents' booth, has been host to Warren Harding, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan.  The original Grill Room is surrounded by The Savoy Murals, painted by Edward Holslag in 1903 when he was in his early 30s.  These murals depict the pioneers' departure from Westport Landing and their journey along the Santa Fe Trail.....Holslag is represented at the Congressional Library in Washington, D.C......On December 30, 1974, the Hotel Savoy and The Savoy Grill were entered in the National Register of Historic Places.....

RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS

THE SAVOY GRILL

We last visited this property in August 2003.