Westin Kansas City at Crown Center [Master Thread]
Apr 4, 2009, 12:05 am
#32
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,624
Not bad...for a Motel 6
Arrived at about 10pm and was met at front desk by a very enthusiastic pimple-faced kid at check-in (think Kenneth from 30 Rock minus 15 years).
Took my ID and credit card and said with no small amount of attitude: 'I guess you want the points, right?'
'Sure,'says I. And he says 'you've been 'upgraded' to the 16the floor.'
I ask if it's a suite and he says derisively 'sir, we only have 2 rooms left. And neither are suites.you're lucky to have a room tonight.'
Ok. This is a US property. What did I expect?
Well, teenagers in the elevators touching all the floors, natch! YES! A hotel full of high school volleyballers! So. Very. Awesome.
Luckily my room has neither a heavely shower nor a decent mininbar though! Whew!
One redeeming thing about this place: when I couldn't decide between a Guiness or a Stella at the bar, the waiter suggested 'why not one of each!?'
Duh!!
Took my ID and credit card and said with no small amount of attitude: 'I guess you want the points, right?'
'Sure,'says I. And he says 'you've been 'upgraded' to the 16the floor.'
I ask if it's a suite and he says derisively 'sir, we only have 2 rooms left. And neither are suites.you're lucky to have a room tonight.'
Ok. This is a US property. What did I expect?
Well, teenagers in the elevators touching all the floors, natch! YES! A hotel full of high school volleyballers! So. Very. Awesome.
Luckily my room has neither a heavely shower nor a decent mininbar though! Whew!
One redeeming thing about this place: when I couldn't decide between a Guiness or a Stella at the bar, the waiter suggested 'why not one of each!?'
Duh!!
Apr 4, 2009, 9:09 am
#33
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,753
Koko has given an excellent visual of the hotel. Without a suite upgrade, there is little to recommend it. It's an adequate hotel - but so is the Four Points at the airport which is $75 cheaper when you add in free parking.
Koko, I was offered free internet as a plat. You should check if you weren't. Then, again, it was on my bill this morning.
My telephone doesn't work. That means no one can call the hotel and reach me. I advised the hotel of the problem yesterday. I came back to the room last night with a scrap of paper on the desk saying they had been unable to fix it.
Teens are everywhere in town this weekend. There are volleyball, wrestling, and basketball tourneys. Oh, and there was a Britney Spears concert on Thursday night. There was a group of 65 girls at Jack Stack last night.
Koko, I was offered free internet as a plat. You should check if you weren't. Then, again, it was on my bill this morning.
My telephone doesn't work. That means no one can call the hotel and reach me. I advised the hotel of the problem yesterday. I came back to the room last night with a scrap of paper on the desk saying they had been unable to fix it.
Teens are everywhere in town this weekend. There are volleyball, wrestling, and basketball tourneys. Oh, and there was a Britney Spears concert on Thursday night. There was a group of 65 girls at Jack Stack last night.
Apr 4, 2009, 10:13 am
#34
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,624
I dunno about the internet. When I opened IE the Wifi wanted me to agree to pay which I did not do. But when I opened Firefox, it didnt ask me to pay. We'll see.
I forgot to put my DND out last night, so got a knock on the door from housekeeping at 8:15am
BTW, in defense of this Motel 6, there is an excellent gym with lots of newish treadmills and a complete weight room. The sign says I'll be paying $5 for having used it, but we'll see about that, too.
[follow up] Policy there is to charge Plats for internet but not the gym. After a few words with the front desk at check out, they charged me for neither. ^
I forgot to put my DND out last night, so got a knock on the door from housekeeping at 8:15am
BTW, in defense of this Motel 6, there is an excellent gym with lots of newish treadmills and a complete weight room. The sign says I'll be paying $5 for having used it, but we'll see about that, too.
[follow up] Policy there is to charge Plats for internet but not the gym. After a few words with the front desk at check out, they charged me for neither. ^
Last edited by kokonutz; Apr 4, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Apr 4, 2009, 9:04 pm
#36
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,753
Today, on departure, the young thing denied that the hotel offered free internet to plats. She was implacable, even when told I was offered that on check in. In the end, it was comped due to service problems. They do waive the $5 gym fee for platinums.
Apr 9, 2009, 8:47 am
#37
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Allentown, PA
Posts: 95
KC Westin Crown Center
I stayed there pretty recently for a conference. Was on the top floor with a nice city view. I was told that they had just reopened my renovated room the same week. I had a chance to see other, non-renovated rooms, and it looked like mine got new paint (blue) and new curtains. (I could still smell the paint!)
The renovationed rooms were an improvement. Still, I think the other facilities (meeting rooms, banquet food, etc.) were better than the rooms. Not the best room, but not the worst I've been in, by any means. The staff was very helpful.
The renovationed rooms were an improvement. Still, I think the other facilities (meeting rooms, banquet food, etc.) were better than the rooms. Not the best room, but not the worst I've been in, by any means. The staff was very helpful.
May 17, 2009, 10:52 am
#38
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta Diamond, WOH Globalist, Marriott LT Titanium, MSC Dia, Nespresso Club, ZTL Queen in Italy
Posts: 304
This is my last night of a 3-night stay here. I too had a late check-in around 12:30-1:00am on a Friday night.
Check-in was somewhat prompt. The hotel is undergoing "renovations" the staff stated....
For late-night food, the menu was pretty limited; so it was nice that the front-desk staff recommended another food choice that delivered late night. (Not the best food... but nice to have other choices.)
No suites were available for Platinum upgrade... but they stated that I was upgraded to a corner room. Certainly was larger than the standard room, in a triangle-L shape.
There was always a taxi waiting outside the hotel to bring me to the convention center. So no worries about the transportation.
I have a feeling from a previous poster that my room has already been upgraded, (blue drapes, nice bathroom fixtures) -- but I think this property still has a way to go.
If I visit Kansas City again, I would stay here again. But... if there was an Aloft in town (in the downtown area) I would rather stay there.
Check-in was somewhat prompt. The hotel is undergoing "renovations" the staff stated....
For late-night food, the menu was pretty limited; so it was nice that the front-desk staff recommended another food choice that delivered late night. (Not the best food... but nice to have other choices.)
No suites were available for Platinum upgrade... but they stated that I was upgraded to a corner room. Certainly was larger than the standard room, in a triangle-L shape.
There was always a taxi waiting outside the hotel to bring me to the convention center. So no worries about the transportation.
I have a feeling from a previous poster that my room has already been upgraded, (blue drapes, nice bathroom fixtures) -- but I think this property still has a way to go.
If I visit Kansas City again, I would stay here again. But... if there was an Aloft in town (in the downtown area) I would rather stay there.
May 17, 2009, 7:52 pm
#39
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,753
The hotel subsequently did a backcharge for fees which I had been told on check out had been waived. I had to call their accounting department 3 times in order to get this rectified. This has certainly put me off future stays.
May 17, 2009, 8:02 pm
#40
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: A lovely little town filled with cows
Programs: US2, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,284
Add me to the list of people who were unimpressed with this hotel. No upgrade of any kind, hotel filled with lots of teenagers (do they actively target them or what?), and then the charges for parking and Internet (they could comp one or both for plats seeing as how there are really no other benefits to staying there).
It's a convenient location, and the doorman was the friendliest I've ever encountered. Beyond that, there was nothing redeeming about it and I don't plan to return.
It's a convenient location, and the doorman was the friendliest I've ever encountered. Beyond that, there was nothing redeeming about it and I don't plan to return.
May 17, 2009, 8:22 pm
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 1999
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 15,354
I stayed at both the Sheraton Suites (Country Club Plaza) and the Sheraton Sports Complex (across the street from Kauffman Stadium). The Suites was very, very nice and I got the biggest suite I've ever gotten at the Sports Complex Sheraton (a 2-room suite bigger than my first apartment -- and the whole place is newly remodeled), along with a plate of chocolate covered cherries and strawberries and big, homemade chocolate-bottom cookies. If you're doing business downtown, the Sports Complex hotel is about 8 miles from 9th and Walnut (which is where I went last week).
Oct 6, 2009, 9:17 pm
#42
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: SPG Platinum, MVP Gold 75K, HH Gold
Posts: 215
I stayed here last night and had a nice 17th floor view. I slept well, received good service (from the valet to the room service), and paid a fair rate. I was only in the hotel about 12 hours, but I'm guessing the location is nice enough.
I have to agree, however, that this place needs some upgrades. Personally, I don't really get the aesthetic of indoor waterfalls and foliage. But there's no accounting for taste, I suppose. While the wallpaper, fixtures, and carpet all need some attention, nothing stood out to me more than the outdated electrical power distribution in my room. There was a common Walmart power strip between a chair and a night stand. And a complete and total rat's nest of chords under the desk (no fewer than 9 extension chords of one type or another).
I have to agree, however, that this place needs some upgrades. Personally, I don't really get the aesthetic of indoor waterfalls and foliage. But there's no accounting for taste, I suppose. While the wallpaper, fixtures, and carpet all need some attention, nothing stood out to me more than the outdated electrical power distribution in my room. There was a common Walmart power strip between a chair and a night stand. And a complete and total rat's nest of chords under the desk (no fewer than 9 extension chords of one type or another).
Aug 14, 2010, 9:29 pm
#44
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: SPG Platinum
Posts: 15
I stayed here for a night recently. There were still lots of teenagers staying here and some of the same issues I've read about in previous posts. My room on the SPG floor seemed like it needed an update, although the bed was very comfortable. The bathroom seemed old and more like a Four Points than a Westin. The shower only had one shower head. The pool/gym area was nice. Even self parking seems pretty expensive here. I prefer to stay at one of the Sheratons in the area. In my opinion, the Aloft in Overland Park is even nicer than this Westin, and far less expensive.
Dec 30, 2010, 3:57 pm
#45
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA Premier Exec, DL, HHonors Blue, Starwood Gold, Hertz 5*, Marriott Silver
Posts: 261
The wife and I just returned from a stay at this hotel and really enjoyed it. As a disclaimer we had just come from 4 days at her sister's where we slept in a camper trailer at night under 5 blankets and spent the day in the presence of 4 under-10 boys and one under-1 baby as well as various parental units tied to each of those children and her parents as well.
I booked this hotel for its proximity to the National World War 1 Museum and got a mid-week rate of US$92.76 a/i. We arrived very early (10:45am) and I actually expected to have them hold our bags and then check in after the museum, but instead we were checked in, upgraded (?) to a 14th floor city view room, and given our coupon book for the Crown Center. The room view was great and my wife was tickled that the T-Rex outside Union Station was wearing a Santa Hat (he was photographed and named San-T-Rex
).
After the museum and a bit of shopping we grabbed some food from the Crown Center and headed back to the room to unwind. My wife was just getting over a headcold so while she rested I went back into the shopping fray armed with the coupon book from the front desk. It saved me about US$10 on a few little gifts and trinkets (as well as US$4 at the museum!).
The room was comfortable and the service we got from the front desk was very good. I don't know if I would stay in this hotel again, only because it is more of a shopping and conference hotel, but the proximity to the museum I wanted to see and the service we received was excellent.
As an added bonus we didn't need 5 blankets, weren't in a camper, and weren't woken up at 6am by her father banging on the door wanting us not to "waste the day in bed."
I booked this hotel for its proximity to the National World War 1 Museum and got a mid-week rate of US$92.76 a/i. We arrived very early (10:45am) and I actually expected to have them hold our bags and then check in after the museum, but instead we were checked in, upgraded (?) to a 14th floor city view room, and given our coupon book for the Crown Center. The room view was great and my wife was tickled that the T-Rex outside Union Station was wearing a Santa Hat (he was photographed and named San-T-Rex
).After the museum and a bit of shopping we grabbed some food from the Crown Center and headed back to the room to unwind. My wife was just getting over a headcold so while she rested I went back into the shopping fray armed with the coupon book from the front desk. It saved me about US$10 on a few little gifts and trinkets (as well as US$4 at the museum!).
The room was comfortable and the service we got from the front desk was very good. I don't know if I would stay in this hotel again, only because it is more of a shopping and conference hotel, but the proximity to the museum I wanted to see and the service we received was excellent.
As an added bonus we didn't need 5 blankets, weren't in a camper, and weren't woken up at 6am by her father banging on the door wanting us not to "waste the day in bed."