Tom E.
Yelp
Usually when I stay in KC for the night, I stay near the airport, its cheap, and usually quiet (believe it or not!), and the parking is usually free. Yea, it is north side of town, but I am here to sleep, not to sightsee.
I decided to have a change of heart this time. I kept seeing all those hotels with the term "Country Club Plaza", having no idea what that is. I did notice though, it was close to my fav bbq joints in town, so that made it easy. I had some IHG points, and I decided to get a room here. I saw a lot of mixed reviews, but that can happen more often than not, so I decided let me see for myself.
First of all, upon entering, it looks like there are 2 entries- the ballroom off the main street, and the main entry off a side street. It looks like the parking deck connects with both, but it is easier to go in the main way.
During covid times, don't expect a valet to greet you (saw a few snobs getting snappy waiting for a valet LOL, I was able to park and enter before they even realized). I guess only in their defense the website does NOT state valet is not available ATM.
Masks are required here, as stated by a sign in the foyer. They have them for sale for $1 up front (I cannot attest to what type of masks they have, fyi). Also, when checking in (I came about 20 minutes before official check in time), they have a few sheets showing what amenities are available, and what nearby restaurants are open for dine-in.
Check in was easy, and thankfully, a room was ready for me. They said it was 2 queens, and believe or not, I got a room with a "view". When I did first enter my room, I almost choked. Have you ever gotten gotten into a rental car where the asshole before you was smoking, and they try to mask it with those stripper smells and it just smells like a trainwreck? It was kind of like that, but toss in some burnt lettuce. It was unexplainable, but as the night went on, my nose either grew accustomed to it, or it went away. Hopefully, they didn't charge me for the mess.
Other than the boiled skunk smell, the room was clean. It had a balcony (something you don't see often anymore), and enough space to not feel cramped. There is a coffee maker, but bottles of water were only available at the front desk. On a side note, the tap water there wasn't terrible.
In the bathroom, there was a hit, and miss. The miss, was the toilet. Holy shit, I never sat that low on a toilet in years. Add a marble floor, and you would have wished you had those hospital socks on. Thankfully, no injuries here- but keep that in mind! The one hit, was that the mirror, it kept the steam out of the middle of it, perfectly (see pic)! For a place that has odds and ends all around, that was a cool find!
The beds, so you see, I had 2 of them, I decided to sleep away from the window. I noticed throughout the night, I kept waking up, like I was about to fall off the bed. I sleep in a queen size at home, and that is not usually the case. When I woke up, I did more investigating. These sly clowns, have 1 queen size (the one next to window), and then a full size (which, figures, the one I slept on!). I stared at each long and hard and could tell a difference, I also rolled on the other and could tell I had more leeway in it- so, just keep that in mind, if you are a family- make sure the kids or whoever you don't like gets the narrower bed- or maybe just my room was a fluke, but needless to say, it'll make you look twice next time!
The pool, which overlooked the intersection, it was interesting layout. I have never seen a pool so close to the street before, but it looks like no one drove up into it, or threw something into it, so that was good. Also, I am not sure if there is a separate set of elevators or not, if there isn't, i would trust you have a lot of people coming through it with swim attire, lol. Hopefully, I am wrong, but again, I did not investigate (how dare me).
The parking, they say is $20 a night. There was not attendant. While, I knew my stuff would be physically safe from break ins, there were two things that concerned me. First, the parking deck reminded me of the deck at the Beverly Hilton, post apocalyptic. Second, I was wondering if it cave in, or I would get asbestos from being in there. It definitely looked rough, especially for a 4 diamond hotel. But hey, there were plenty of spaces and I made it in and out.
I would definitely like to come back here and do more exploring, to get the full jist of this place, as they do have a lot to offer. It is definitely quirky in some places, and elegant in others. I would like to see it in its full former glory!