Excellent

The biggest hiccup of my stay occured here but was immediately resolved. Despite booking direct on marriott.com, my status went unrecognized, and I was told breakfast was not included until I asked specifically about Marriott Rewards. Only then did the front desk agent double-check his computer and authorize breakfast vouchers for all three guests in my room.

Any Marriott elite would be remiss to skip this breakfast benefit. It's absolutely over-the-top: any menu item (portions are huge), gratuity included—and valid for room service!

Old-world charm with modern touches like a power strip built into the front of the desk for easy access. Beds were incredibly plush, much too soft for my taste but likely ideal for the average American. Duvet was thick and sheets were luxurious.

Wi-Fi is free for all guests and delivered a symmetric 10 Mbps up and down.

If I had to nitpick: the cramped bathtub area limited my range of motion when drying off after a shower.

Employees were gracious and deferential but I observed minor flaws that preclude this hotel from a true luxury categorization:

• The supply of Kleenex in my room was low to begin with and was not replenished by housekeeping. (I did tip, for what that's worth.)
• A room service tray outside my neighbors' door was uncollected for an entire day.
• At check-in, I was informed that valet parking, which I did not use, was free and that the valets worked "on gratuity." That's tacky to say, in my view; of course the valets work for tips, and had I not known that etiquette, the hotel front desk was not the place to learn.

I had dinner, drinks, and breakfast in the restaurant. All phenomenal in taste and quality. Two caveats:

• Dinner appetizers and entrees are tiny. Literally 4 pieces of calamari, $11.
• Breakfast entrees can take a long time to arrive. But if you're in a hurry, room service promises a 30-minute delivery window.

Just south of the Plaza and just about perfect as a base for the KC metro area.

Stately accommodations with fast internet for everyone and unbelievably generous breakfast perks for Marriott elites.

I saw an FT post in another thread drawing a comparison from this hotel to a Mandarin Oriental or Four Seasons; the Raphael is not quite there as it falls short of brutally exacting standards. But it meets every reasonable standard, given the room rates and the general caliber of the Autograph Colleciton, and is something the Marriott brand can be proud of.