The Elms Hotel & Spa, a Destination by Hyatt Hotel

We had our wedding here May 31st and it couldn’t have been more perfect! The planning process with Tori was seamless, and from the time that we checked in the day of our rehearsal, to the brunch after the big day, it all flowed together so well. Lori, Kara and the rest of The Elms staff that we worked with that weekend made us feel at home. The food and drinks were amazing. The Elms itself is absolutely beautiful and the rooms are so comfortable. The hot tub is to die for. We have gotten so many compliments on our wedding venue and our family loved it so much that we want to host a big family reunion here. We truly had the best weekend ever and can’t wait to come back!

This trip was way more than I expected. A board retreat became a haven in the Midwest. I love the historical site but what stood out was the service, and attention to detail. My favorite spot was poolside- a true oasis. I love that they had peloton bicycles in the workout room but I do wish they had a treadmill. Everything was clean and the staff were amazing. Loved it!

Beautiful Hotel!! The whole place was super clean and upgraded! The Grotto & spa experience was awesome, I can’t wait to go back! The pool & hot-tub were good size and clean. Really enjoyed my stay! The one negative is the restaurant; service was mediocre and food was mostly meh. Chocolate cake was not good! But the pool side bites & drinks were great!

We had an amazing stay with our family over the 4th of July weekend! From start to finish, every single staff member we interacted with was incredibly friendly, helpful, and clearly enjoying their work—even during such a busy holiday.||||A huge shoutout to the team who helped coordinate a birthday surprise for my husband. He also did the Paranormal tour and absolutely loved hearing all the stories! We even came home and watched the Ghost Hunters episode. ||||Despite the crowd, the atmosphere at the hotel was upbeat and fun. The pool party was a highlight for our kids—kudos to everyone who made that such a great experience!||||As a dog-loving family, we also appreciated how dog-friendly the hotel was. We brought our pup, Kai, and it made us so happy to see other dogs around the property—even by the pool!||||One small piece of feedback: while walking our dog, I noticed a few people seemed to park and enter the pool area without wristbands or visible passes (which I don't believe they use.) The pool staff was awesome and clearly working hard, but it did make me wonder how access is monitored during peak times like this. Just an observation, and it didn’t take away from our experience!||||And finally—the Truman Latte at the café is a must-try. Absolutely chef’s kiss!||||Thank you for a memorable and joyful stay.

The spa experience was ok. My facial was wonderful but very overpriced. They charge a 21% service charge on top of the expensive facial. 15% of that is a tip for the esthetician. When I arrived for my spa treatment I was taken to a very crowded room called the sanctuary. There was nowhere to sit and many people standing in front of the water and trail mix they provided. I had to ask for a tour after my facial so I could go to the grotto. If a spa wants to charge the prices and fees like this place then the experience and details need to be on point from the moment the guest arrives. First, provide the tour and provide a robe, locker, etc. make sure they feel relaxed and welcomed. The grotto was a mess. No attendants helping to clean up empty chairs. If they don't want to provide attendants then they should tell guests during the tour that they need to clean up their own cups and towels before they leave the grotto. It would level up the experience if they had an attendant come thru and put a clean, rolled towel at the end of the loungers as people leave. The grotto was a disappointment. Thankfully the sanctuary cleared out some after my treatment so I could reach the water and snacks. Our room in the hotel smelled musty. The AC kicked on constantly and it was loud. I had a horrible night's sleep due to the loud AC and huge temperature shifts in the room. Very overpriced for what you get. The bathroom is tiny with watery shampoo and conditioner. I had hoped for a better experience overall. They want to be a luxury resort but lack the attention to details needed to achieve it.

Visited the Elms with a friend to celebrate my 50th birthday. The hotel is clean and service in the hotel, spa, and breakfast cafe was exceptional. ||||I can't say enough about the spa experience. Martha provided the best facial I've ever had, and I am still dreaming about the grotto! I would go back again just for those precious 2 hours in the grotto! If you have the chance, I'd also recommend Jay's ghost tour. It was fun and I learned something. ||||There is definitely room for improvement in the restaurant options. Both the Owls and the Tavern served food that was terribly oversalted; we couldn't finish either meal because of it. The drinks were not well-made. My friend ordered Old Fashions, and I asked for a lemon/lime/bitters non-alcoholic drink - neither were good in either location. The service in both needs an upgrade.||||Overall, though, The Elms was a great experience, and I would definitely return.

Staff was very friendly and prompt. The grounds were beautiful but not near as big or updated as the photos look. It was a quick stay so we didn’t get too use the spa but I’m not sure I’d go back to try it. It’s a very old and charming building but for the price and location could use some updates to make it worth the trip.

I recently stayed at Elm’s and, at first glance, was thoroughly impressed. The rooms were spotless, the location is stunning, and most of the staff were courteous and hardworking. I truly wanted to love everything about my time there. However, what I witnessed from the housekeeping manager was deeply troubling. She spoke to her staff with hostility and condescension, using a tone and language that bordered on harassment. It was not just once — this was a pattern. No employee deserves to be treated like that, especially not in front of guests. To upper management: this is a serious issue that demands immediate attention. You cannot expect guests to enjoy a peaceful stay while witnessing your staff being bullied by someone in a leadership role. The work your housekeeping team does is the backbone of your operation — they deserve respect, not intimidation. Until this manager is held accountable and there is meaningful change in the leadership of your housekeeping department, I will not be returning — and I will not recommend Elm’s to others. It’s your responsibility to create a healthy, respectful workplace for every employee. Act like it.

My daughter and I spent a few days at the Elms hotel and spa. The service from the waiters and bartenders was amazing!! So friendly and hospitable. We had massages and facials done, and our estheticians were amazing and listened to our needs. The food at the three owls restaurant in the hotel was top notch! Kudos to the cooks! The pool staff was so kind and the pool and seating area was beautiful and clean. Will be making this an annual trip because of such an amazing experience!! Thank you to all of the staff!!

The Elms provides a great little getaway weekend! The spa alone is a destination for a lot of people. All of the staff were incredibly kind and helpful. They give you a quick tour when you show up to orient you, and then you get slippers and a robe to wear during your appointment. They have lockers for personal items. The facial and massage treatments were wonderful. The Grotto (saunas, steam showers, hot tubs, etc) was really hyped up to me, but it was very crowded in the tiny space. The hotel itself was satisfactory. The front desk staff were phenomenal! They gave a great orientation of the property and answered all my questions. The hotel room was comfortable, and the bathroom was mostly clean. A little expensive for what you get. The rooms don't have mini fridges or microwaves, which would be a helpful addition because your food options are limited in Excelsior Springs. The restaurant, the Three Owls, is expensive and fancy with okay food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There's a small cafe/market, but otherwise you have the small handful of local restaurants to choose from. The outdoor hot tub and the lap pool are nice and quite large. There's currently a lot of construction going on outside around the outdoor pool, so hopefully it looks nice when it's finished. The paranormal tour with Jay was awesome! He has tons of stories, so there was a lot packed into the one hour tour around the hotel. There's a parking lot for hotel and spa guests, so parking is really convenient. Overall, the Elms creates a great getaway weekend experience. It's certainly not a cheap trip, but the spa is awesome!

The a/c in the room sounded like a departing jet every 1/2 hour. That kinda sucked. To the point that when it shut off the silence was startling. The soup was good. Probably not the best place to order scallops. The steak was a 3/5. The portions were somewhat small...which we see as a positive. Not too much, not too little. The outdoor pool was nice, as were the surroundings. Quaint and nice. 4/5 Indoor pool, too much chlorine. It's in the basement. A little outdated maybe, but kind of cool. The evening was not very busy, so privacy was not interrupted...which was nice. *Not as tawdry as it sounds. (3/5) The service was very friendly, but maybe a little lacking, and slow...sloooooow. It didn't ruin the experience, but it was a little frustrating. We can say that the staff must have worked hard to fit the historicity of the building. You'll know it when you see it. (3/5) The spa. We couldn't partake in a massage because the trip was last minute. Book ahead. The spa area was pleasant. The temperature of the area was warm, not hot. I prefer warm, she prefers HOT. (4/5) Would recommend for a quick weekend getaway, not for much else.

Service everywhere was amazing front desk, food service, poolside service was 5 stars friendly and helpful! It was crazy busy for the 4th of July and everyone was working hard but took the time for friendly and helpful service! Shout out to the F&B manager working the coffee in the morning and everyone else! This is a wonderful quality oriented resort! Our room was great! Comfy bed, plush robes, and lovely coffee.

I can only review the spa as my boyfriend gifted me a day at the spa and a 90 minute massage for my birthday. And I give it a 4 star experience. We arrived in the morning and had an amazing breakfast of Brûlée French toast, morning Tequila, and coffee. It was outstanding!!!! Before your spa treatment you can use the grotto for 2 hrs. You get shown the facility, are handed a robe and sandals and have access to the locker room where you can safely lock everything up. After you change into swim gear you can make your way over to the Grotto. There you will find a Dry Sauna, steam room, hot tub, cold plunge shower, and a steam shower. The area is surrounded by comfy lounge chairs and a counter filled with ice towels and essential oil sprays. You can use the sprays in the showers as well as spritz your towel for ultimate relaxation. Ten minutes before my treatment I went and stripped to nothing but my towel and sandles and made my way to the sanctuary where there was coffee, tea, snacks, water and comfy seats to lounge in while you wait for your Therapist. My therapist came and got me and walked me through the most wonderful massage experience. I have to say the massage tables were unmatched, heated, and super comfortable, so comfortable I nearly fell asleep. Heidi has magic fingers! After the treatment I went back for a little Grotto time and then showered, dried my hair (everything provided by the spa) and met my other half for a cocktail and appetizer before heading back home! Would 100% do it all over again!

Spa: 50 min Swedish massage was great, heated table and pressure was amazing. Sara did an excellent job. They don't do your feet though - wish I knew that that would have made it 10/10 75 min massage with cupping is not worth it in my opinion. This should be a 50 min massage with cupping to problem areas but ends up being 45 min of partial/inadequate cupping and a 30 rushed massage. Grotto: very busy, too crowded, there are so many staff around you would think they could assign a full time person here to pick up towels, cups and make other stuff people leave behind For the money: do not have enough slippers, snacks were low/no cups, many of the lockers were broken Summary: get the Swedish massage and spend a few minutes in the dry sauna in the grotto but be prepared to be there with 50 other people Hotel was nice, no issues here except the hallway is loud as is the AC. Bathroom is tiny. Three Owls restaurant is pricey but good ambiance. Pork chop was great but a touch overcooked. If you order the old fashioned with the pony back taster make sure they don't forget the taster. Gnocchi was very good. Summary: Hotel 3.8/5, Spa 3.5 (too pricey to justify the broken stuff and crowded house), Restaurant 4/5 mostly for price and minor service issues. Front desk help: 10/10

My mom and I had a great stay at The Elms! Leslie at the front desk was wonderful and put us in the Al Capone room - so much fun! The room was clean and had a great view. It was funny being in a room that was talked about on the paranormal tour. We were happy to see the daily wellness class offerings. We enjoyed an essential oils class with Jordan. The wellness offerings were new to us and we thought they were a great addition. We booked manicures at the spa with Kim and enjoyed our service. The Grotto is a must, always a highlight of the trip! It was rainy so we didn't use the outdoor pool, but the lower level pool and outdoor fire pit were great. We dined at Three Owls and had delicious Brussels sprouts, bread, and salad. Always a great stay at the Elms!

Went for a little weekend get away and got just that! This hotel is so beautiful and has a lot to offer. The staff was helpful, quick to respond and was welcoming. I loved the spa so much as well. Check out not only the hotels spools and but also check out the spa grotto !!

We LOVE it here! We try to stay every October for our anniversary weekend! From the bar, to the restaurant, coffee shop, spa, grotto and pool....what is there not to love? You really get a feel for the history when you walk inside and they have updated the rooms and entire hotel recently. Our favorite part is the live music in the tavern after a nice day in the spa and steam rooms. Also pet friendly!! Can't wait to go back!

Ok, this place is beautiful! Amazing g landscape, views, and pool. Welcoming from the moment you walk in. David at Three Owls is an amazing server! He made our breakfast experience fun and informative. Overall, 5/5

I really wanted to love this place. As a Hyatt Globalist member, I've had my eye on visiting here for a couple years. I love old hotels and their history but I feel the Elms has some work to do both with their upkeep and customer service. Like others mention, the website makes the town sound like a walkable, quaint town but most everything is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Upon arrival, the exterior is impressive. The lobby area has been updated but maintains its older look and feel. I stayed in a parlor suite on the second floor. It seems like a half-hearted remodel was attempted. The bathroom is tiny but updated. The bed was comfy but everything else felt older. Walking around the property you can see where the remodel did not occur. The history, from President Truman, Al Capone, Jack Dempsey, etc is not featured as much as one would expect. The restaurant's food was good but the service was slow. They seemed to be understaffed and the bartender, who made a great drink, seemed to get overwhelmed easily. Also, as of March 2023 the tavern is only open on Friday and Saturday. If you're planning a visit here, two days enough and just know the website pictures are a bit deceiving. I'd stay here again in the future but only for a weekend and probably in the summer. If you like history and old buildings, this is still a great hotel to checkout.

The only reason I took a couple days off was to enjoy the pool during the heat wave. I wasn't even able to enjoy this yet was charged the same amount. Angry doesn't even begin to explain how I feel.

Beautiful place the restaurant is so nice. We had the crème brûlée French toast it was so good. They had a buffet there we went in a Sunday. Definitely eat at the Owl is you come for a spa service. We then went and checked in for our massage and got the tour of the venue. The grotto is amazing there is a wet sauna dry sauna steam shower hot tub and cold plunge. Spent just under hours in the grotto before our massage and hated that the two hours went so fast. We miss the scrubs in the grotto. The massage beds they have here are the best massage beds I have ever laid on. They are heated and adjustable so they don't need to put a pillow under your knees when you are face up. The only thing I can say that they can do better is to have the belts that hold the massage oil.

We came to The "Elms" because we had a free night stay. We didn't go to the spa other than to look. Property is adorable, comfortable, romantic, decor matches the mood. They even upgraded our room to a king suite - for free.

My fiancé and I go here every season, it's more spectacular every time. Great relaxation, Food, spa, love to take her here.

I would say probably a 3.5/5. The facilities are absolutely gorgeous. The locker room area is clean, spacious, and offers lots of amenities. The sanctuary (waiting room) was very comfortable and had great refreshments. My friend and I each had a massage and a facial. The massage was awesome. My LMT was great! She was very informative and educational. I appreciated her asking and talking to me to make sure I was ok with techniques. The facial was just ok. We had the glow facial. The person doing the facial was great, it may have just been the Glow Facial we didn't care for. It felt like our faces were simply washed and lotioned several times. It was relaxing, but I have had much better facials. Now for the surprising part, the Grotto. It was pretty disappointing. The Grotto had different areas-steam room, sauna, hot tub, steam shower, cold shower and a sitting area. I did the sauna, hot tub, and cold shower. But, to be honest it wasn't that special. Would I return to this spa??? Maybe. I felt like it was a bit pricey compared to other spas in the area. Overall, it was pretty good. Just depends on your preferences really.

Easy to find. Easy traffic. We got a room with a double on the third floor. Lights are very dim. One small window. Very old fashion feel. If you googled it, you would see that it has ghost/paranormal. It kind of feels/looks that way. Awesome indoor lap pool/hot tub/cold tub that we enjoyed. They also had a pool and hot tub outdoor. Small market, cafe and a restaurant/bar all at the front desk. 1 tiny elevator(which fits probably 4-6 people) for 4 floors. Taking the stairs was way faster. Food at the restaurant was okay. Only concern was the lights are so dim.

What an amazing place. Stayed here with my wife to celebrate our birthdays. The room was comfortable, clean and quiet for a building this old. We had king size bed and the mattress was amazing! We enjoyed the bar, the bartender was creating his own drink and was passionate about what he was doing and I enjoyed talking with him about cocktails. Dinner at Three Owls, Omgosh is a MUST! The food was delicious and served by a server who was one of the best I've ever had! The steaks were perfectly cooked and the desert ... well just look at the pics attached to this review and you will see ... yummy!!!! We will be back for dinner if nothing else! Note, and they do not tell you this when you check in. You are charged $15 a day for parking and internet access, it's called a destination fee. They will add it to the credit card you give them for incidentals. They also charge $70 a person to go into the Grotto.

We heard many things online about the Elms Hotel and spa, so we thought we would give it a try. We booked for our anniversary weekend. Friday to Sunday. First thing when we pulled up we liked the look of the area and the older building, very cutesy. But then immediately couldn't find anywhere to park. There were cars parked in grass next to one of the parking lots. We ended up having to park back behind the building where the employees park, there is no entrance on that side so you have to walk up the little hill to the front. The lobby is very nice. The front desk staff weren't overly welcoming or anything. And then we started off to our room which was quite the walk, but we walked past their ballroom and pool so it was nice to see some of the hotel on the way there. When we first came in the room it was a little smaller than expected, but overall it was cute and clean. There is not a mechanical air vent in the bathroom, the central air for the room does not have a option to leave the fan on (so if you need that noise to sleep be sure to bring a fan or ask the front desk for one right away), and my biggest complaint about the room was the mattress. It was surprising comfortable...BUT it was SO loud. I couldn't roll over in the middle of the night without waking up my husband and he is not a light sleeper. We wanted to go hang out by the pool before the spa day. But it was busy and there wasn't enough lounge chairs. We walked out and people reserved all chairs with towels etc. it was definitely very busy and looked fun, but we wanted to be able to sit down. There were other couple that showed up after us who we saw leave too because they couldn't find chairs. They have another pool in the basement, it is a looped lap pool. We did end up going down there for a little while. It was a little dirty in the areas surrounding the pool so that was unfortunate. We had a couples massage and facial reserved at the spa. You have grotto access a couple hours beforehand and it wasn't quite what I was expecting. You go into this room that has everything. It has a dry sauna, steam sauna, some lounge chairs (again, not enough for how many people were in there), a hot tub (I think it had like oils or smelly stuff in it), a hot shower, and cold shower. It was PACKED in there. Wasn't really the relaxing environment we were hoping for. People were really talking too much or too loud, it was really the steam, it would go off every 30 seconds it felt like and it was SO loud. Eventually we left that area and went to the waiting room area. This is where they tell you to go 5-10 minutes before your appt starts and where they come get you for your appointment. They had a water station in there and hot tea. They did have "snacks" too but we did not partake because it didn't seem very sanitary to us. It was like big containers of trail mix or like Chex mix and they had little like paper cones to put it in. This room was much more relaxing than the grotto, I almost fell asleep in there before our appointment. Our massage therapists were awesome! They did an amazing job, and our facials were so good too! This was definitely the best part of our trip. With that said I still believe this is over priced because I'm sure they are upselling to make up cost for the grotto etc, which we could have done without. We ordered room service for breakfast and it was super good :) the little potatoes are delicious and my husband had the rancheros and loved it. We went to the tavern and that was nice, we really enjoyed the environment. There was live music and it was very good. We really enjoyed listening to him play. The drinks were really good too :) For our anniversary dinner we went to the on site restaurant and were underwhelmed. Our waitress was very kind. But food took forever, and the bread app was not good or not cooked correctly. The steak my husband got was so chewy he didn't even want it and he is not one to complain usually. I just switched my food with his because I felt bad for him. So he ate the pork with grits I had ordered.

While the accommodations were fine. Smallish rooms with the only amenities being a Kurig coffee pot and a couple of luxe robes to borrow. The indoor and outdoor pool and hot tubs were quite nice. The spa Grotto was loud and messy. There were wet used towels and robes strewn about, and it seemed attendants were not around much. Be careful with pricing as they added a mandatory service charge without disclosing to us prior to service . Dining and wine bar were nice and the employees were polite and friendly. We likely will not return. Pricey $$$

We booked the "spa and stay package" which offer a $200 credit to the spa. Upon my online checkout, it was not noted in the itemized list so I called the hotel. Hotel staff explained that when we checked in, the credit would be sent to the spa. WELL, upon check in, we asked and they said the package was NOT available. When asked why, we were told it is not available on the weekends. That WAS not and is STILL NOT listed in any of the terms for this offer yet they wouldn't honor it. We showed management proof and they still wouldnt get out credit. We had booked this for our 1year wedding anniversary and it was an awful experience, we woulndnt go back and I also wouldnt recomment it!! The 3 owls was SO overpriced. We had a drunk lady fall out of her chair at the table next to us and staff said nothing. We paid nearly $200- dinner for 2- and that is NOT the atmosphere we were paying for. Rooms were old. Whole experience was overpriced and the staff was NOT helpful. DO NOT GO, THEY WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY- ADVERTISING PACKAGES THAT ARE NOT EVEN AVAILABLE!

Really enjoyed my experience here! The spa was really relaxing we got to enjoy the salt detox room and the grotto. The only thing about the grotto was that there weren't really seats available for the amount of people that were there. If you have an appointment that will ensure you access to the grotto either 2 hours before or after your appointment or you can also purchase the day pass to give you access to the grotto but seating is limited either way and there really isn't a way to ensure you have a seat in the grotto which would probably be my only issue. Seemed like a lot of groups/ couples were having this issue no matter what time you came. The food was also very delicious. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the steak was tasty. The service could be improved originally we ordered the NY Strip but ended up with the filet mignon (wasn't an upgrade on the tastebuds). The service was slow, and communication between the servers was lacking. I wanted to cover dinner since the whole trip was a surprise so I gave them my card early so I could cover everything but still they charged my card and the room. We ended up getting it resolved after they had sent an email receipt but thankfully we were hanging around the hotel 2 hours after check out to actually talk to someone. Overall good experience and will be back but will make sure to have earlier appointments for spa services and to double check payment and food at the restaurant.

Love coming here. Best spa experience in the KC area. They are always welcoming and everything is always clean

Email sent to Hyatt: This was a getaway mid-week for my wife and I for an early anniversary. Check in- 3 people working the desk. We were in a line. With one couple in front of us. Bar service- waited 10 minutes for someone to come out of the kitchen. Keys- stopped working. Went to the front desk and asked for more. NO ID REQUIRED TO GET 3 NEW KEYS. SECURITY ISSUE! We will not be back. I'll throw this on Yelp also. Maybe this is why I'm a Marriott guy. I never return a steak at a steakhouse. However, for the BS, I'd request a refund to my Marriott card. Not needed, recommended.

10/10 experience!! If you are looking for a relaxing getaway The Elms is your spot! The gretto- included a dry sauna, steam sauna, cold plunge, jacuzzi, and some relaxing chairs to enjoy your day of nothing but relaxation!

Stayed here while judging BBQ at the American Royal. The hotel lobby was stunning. Very fancy. The reception area is vintage and well maintained. The young lady who checked us in was cheerful and upbeat. She told us we had a poolside room. See view of room 215 as poolside. It technically was poolside, but there was no way to see the pool. It didn't bother us as we were only there a few nights, The king size parlor room was good. It was dated. The view of the kin parlor in the website was not the same/. Colorful. The bed was comfortable, The room was very clean. The history of the hotel is very neat. Roosevelt, Truman, Capone. All,stayed here. To think of this place in the 1930s. It is also a,axing to think that this was the rebuilt hotel in 1912. While the original from the late 1800s burned down, the history of the springs, mineral water making this a potash destination location. The pool was relaxing and the gardens were immaculately kept. They had a nice bar with very nice severs and a good variety. The hot tub was very nice too. The only downside to the pool area was all the annoying flies. No matter where we sat, they were very bothersome. There was a wedding going on in the back pavilion. The staff were hustling to get it set up and everything taken there. It was a very nice setting for a wedding. On our last night, we signed up for the ghost tour. It was interesting. The history was the most interesting. The ghost stuff was just ok. I was disappointed that it was a $20.00 per person charge to our room. When we signed up, they didn't tell us their was a charge. The sign in the lobby, also didn't indicate their was a charge. It should be posted. When I mentioned this at checkout, they said it included tip and taxes. Again, would've been nice to know, I'd recommend this hotel. Just ask before you sign up and realize, the hotel rooms do need some upgrading. They are not as they appear on their booking sites. Patronage here is needed to keep the history of places like this alive ! The staff and maintenance teams should all be commended. Keep up the great work. .

I came to the Elms for a conference. This is a mixed review. I'll lead with the two best aspects-- the staff was friendly and helpful. And the food was unexpectedly delicious! Random other notes: * I was surprised that my (small!) room included neither a microwave nor a fridge. When I mentioned it, they brought me both. * For such an old building, I was impressed that it was clean and there weren't lots of obvious areas of decay, mold, etc. * The exception to the cleanliness comment above was the gym. First, it was a bit paltry. Second, the stretching/yoga mats were GROSS. They should be cleaned or replaced. * The "Ghost Tour" ($25 at 9pm) was well done. Some of my colleagues found it vaguely scary. I thought it was interesting and an easy opportunity to tour this grand hotel. * The spa was WAY outside my price range. Would have splurged if it had been more affordable. * Really odd-- their little necessities shop in the lobby carried no diet sodas. And there were no (healthy) juices and just bottle of a sugary spritzy faux juice. Nearly everything was in plastic, which I try to avoid (enviro reasons). In general, cool place with its history. I wouldn't necessarily choose to return, but I'm glad I had the experience of visiting!

Unfortunately I was not completely wowed by my experience at the Elms spa. I couldn't decide between 3 stars or 4, but the overall impression is what knocked it down. My husband and I tried a massage and a facial and they were kind enough to put us in a room together for our treatments. We both felt the treatments themselves were well-executed, my comments are more about the facilities. I know this place is historic but there are a lot of little things they could have done to make the appearance look cleaner and nicer. For example, there's a big brown stain at the bottom of the stairs to the indoor pool. All over the place I saw chipped paint, bits of metal rusting, lots of little things like this that just changed my overall impression of the place. The grotto was a nice addition but again a couple things brought down the experience. The eucalyptus steam room did not smell like eucalyptus but rather sweat socks. I couldn't find a quiet area like most spas have. The pre-treatment room was full of chatting groups and I just wanted a place to relax and meditate. The locker room facilities were lacking a lot of things like hair ties, hair dryer, suit bags, things that I would otherwise normally expect to be available.

Life the hot tub and pool!! Beautifull decor! Clean, friendly staff. Good vibe. I have not done the tour yet!!

The Elms 4/5 Overall, we had a very nice time for our stay. We got in on a Friday and there was a wedding that weekend, so the place was unfortunately pretty packed. Good for them, just a little jarring for us. We started the weekend off with the paranormal tour with Jay which was a lot of fun. A bit silly, but a lot of fun. Great to learn so much history about the building and town. The building was stunning. Truly stunning. There were many historical things we learned about during that tour that over the course of the weekend we realized were in disrepair and we were sad to see that greater efforts to maintain were not in place. Small note - it was clear after visiting all floors for this tour that not all floors are created equal. The AC on the fifth floor was crisp and cool. Pretty much every other floor was hot and muggy. The front desk was friendly and helpful at check in / check out. We had a room on the fifth floor, so the elevator was used frequently. It was very small, and smelled badly. Was not able to pinpoint the smell, but it was very unpleasant. A woman named Debbie hosted a happy hour on our floor and served a variety of cheeses, fruits, meats and crackers. A very nice touch for sure. She was sweet and gifted us a postcard of her art. We were very grateful. Some of the other staff however were not very friendly. Caught myself holding doors open for staff who didn't even acknowledge me while doing it. Some of them need to be reminded of the 5 & 10 hospitality rule. Saturday morning we took advantage of the spa and did a salt rock treatment. This was definitely more my wife's thing, and she enjoyed herself. Afterward we spent some time in the grotto. We thought it was very odd to have soft cushion seating in a place like that, but whatever, even if we wanted a seat, every single open seat was completely soaked through from the previous occupant. The steam shower was incredible and we spent some good time in the hot tub. Unfortunately, it was so overbooked and packed that it wasn't quite relaxing, so we left fairly quickly. Our room was fine. The shower was incredible with 3 shower heads, hot, hot water and supreme water pressure. We wished we'd have had a small fridge in our room. Our bed was comfy but the wooden encasement around it was flighty and looked like it has never been or rarely is cleaned. The outdoor pool was PACKED. Impossible to find a lounge chair. The outdoor hot tub was deep and cozy. There was shuffle board, supervised checkers and other outdoor games available for free. In the morning we had delicious iced coffee from the coffee bar. I also had a breakfast burrito which I enjoyed, my wife had a vegetarian quiche and said it was super dense and oily, not light and fluffy like a quiche should be. We enjoyed our coffee so much, we returned the next day. They were out of iced coffee which was a disappointment. The woman working the register was very rude about the coffee being out. I ordered 2 iced americanos in lieu of the iced coffees and they skipped my coffees for people who ordered behind me. Had to ask for my drinks after someone 3 people behind me were getting their drinks and I still hadn't gotten mine. We are big water drinkers and carry reusable water bottles with us always to cut down on plastic usage. The tap water was disgusting. Was disappointed to not see a bottle filling station anywhere on grounds. Lastly, we loved drinks at the tavern at night. Well constructed and quick service. Live music was great if that's your thing. In the end, this was a 3 / 5 experience for us. We enjoyed ourselves overall, but learned that maybe booking on the weekend was a mistake due to the crowds. We would probably come back during a weekday visit and not during wedding season.

My wife got a king parlor suite for my Birthday weekend. Super nice room. Nice separation between the front room and the bedroom with a wet bar type area. Good size refrigerator and plenty of tabletop space. We did a ghost tour with Jay and got to hear lots of cool stories of the past. We definitely want to stay in Room 425 next time since that is supposed to be the most active room in the hotel. We had hoped to have something ghostly happen, but nothing happened that we can tell. I did record the room while we were gone and while we slept...hope to catch a shadow or something move, but not holding my breath.

Was really impressed with The Elms. Excelsior Springs really doesn't have much around it - maybe a brewery or winery, but that's about it. The Elms, however, seems to have so much IN it. My wife and I spent several hours at the spa, for instance. They give you 2 hours total to soak up the amenities before or after your service, and we were able to try all the saunas and perks before our couples massage. There was also yoga outside on Saturday morning, a nightly haunted tour, movies, and more. You can come to The Elms and just hang for a while! The restaurant has excellent foot and service. Truly, the bison burger on the bar menu is spectacular. Regardless of the steak options on the menu, someone from your group should order the burger and share it around. Basically, come to the elms and just hang. It's worth it!

Stayed Saturday in March overnight with 4 ladies celebrating a Birthday from Omaha, NE! I didn't realize it was a Haunted Hotel that has $20 for a nightly Haunted Tour at 9 PM! We had plans already, but looking back, I wish we would've taken the Haunted Tour!! That should be a Must Do if you stay here!!! They were doing some remodeling, but the place looks really nice. They claim it's the #1 spot for weddings in MO! Truly it's a beautiful location with woodsy outdoors, pool & sauna, gazebo, ballroom & fine dining! There was a big wedding going on when we stayed & several other guest were in the dining room area & hotel bar-that had a one man band playing guitar with a variety of favorite hits! We decided to get up early the next morning & walk the indoor lap pool & hot sauna! Although, there's a cold sauna as well & other spa treatments: massages, facials, nails, etc. that you will need to sign up for in advance-there was a 3 week wait when we arrived! So my experience with the dining room-88 at the Elms is they have a good selection of dinner options-the shrimp skewers were delicious! The Birthday gal ordered the Filet & raved about it! She also received a complimentary Birthday dessert-Chocolate Lava Cake, that too was a Big hit!! We moved into the hotel bar for some entertainment. It was pretty busy with 2 bartenders that really know how to mix a concoction of Prohibition cocktails. It's not a very big bar, so go early if you want a seat. The rooms are nice with a couch, chaise lounge chair, TV & desk in one room, side walk with mini fridge, sink, mirror, & counter space. A door that separates the bedroom with 2 tall hanging closets, TV & bathroom. The SPOOKY part is when we were watching TV at night in bed with the door closed.......The door slowly opened all the way!!!!!!!! What in the World?!?!?!?!?! True Story!! Needless to say, I was afraid to open my eyes the rest of the night-but I got a good story from it! 3rd floor, 1st room on the right! #318

We recently had the pleasure of hosting a multi-day conference for about 50 colleagues at The Elms. What a fabulous retreat it was! We looked at several properties when we were planning our event, and this one appeared to check all the boxes. However, we know that what is on paper does not necessarily translate to reality. Lucky for us, this property exceeded our expectations! I strongly recommend this location for a retreat or conference. The hotel is stunning, and the amenities - both for the conference and the individual rooms - were really well-appointed and comfortable. The property grounds are a nice size, providing plenty of space to spread out and take time away if needed, but not so big that one gets lost or disengaged from the group. The multiple seating areas throughout the hotel lobby, around the perimeter, and in the yard, as well as all of the lawn games available throughout, provided many opportunities for teammates to connect. The gazebo and the fire pit added to the overall ambiance. (Definitely book the s'mores activity if you have time! What fun!) And a special shoutout to Jay for the super fun ghost tour! What a great collection of stories with a little jump scare thrown in for good measure . . . For conference amenities: Having the option to choose between two ballrooms allowed us to pick the location that was JUST RIGHT for our group; we weren't just forced to pick the only option that could accommodate our group. We wanted lots of natural light, so the Regent Ballroom was the perfect choice. And because of the size of our team, we were able to have both an E-shaped conference area setup AND rounds in the back for meals. The A/V was setup perfectly and very easy to use, and the breakout spaces were well appointed for our needs. We did run into a couple of snags with regard to a couple meals not being in alignment with stated dietary restrictions, and difficulty in coordinating some transportation for out-of-town guests, but when we brought these issues to the staff's attention, they promptly - and very apologetically - addressed our concerns. Based on their reactions, I suspect these won't be issues in the future, but I would encourage you to confirm these with your event coordinator prior to your event. We would happily return to this property if we need a Kansas City retreat area in the future, and recommend you make a visit if you're in the market for the same!

Stayed first weekend in August. Nice outdoor pool. Not enough chairs. Music was depressing. AC in rooms is very loud. Due to construction, the outside of the building was painted including painting over the windows. We had no view. Jay and the ghost tour were great. Deby was the best part of the 5th floor. Otherwise not worth it. Unfortunately the amenities on the concierge floor are minimal at best. Drinks and charcuterie 4-6. No breakfast, no coffee, no snacks, no sodas. Nothing like any concierge floor I have ever visited. Website says $75 for grotto access. No reservation. Too full we could not use. I learned grotto only, only available during the week. Plenty of other nicer hotels in KC area.

We used Hyatt points for a getaway from KC and I am so glad we didn't pay money for this. We drove into the town thinking it would be a quaint little place with things to do like the website said. It is definitely not that. This town is very sketchy and not much to do outside the hotel. The restaurant at the hotel is HIGHLY OVERPRICED with few options. We did not want any of the mains so we got a highly overpriced charcuterie. It's one thing if you pay $25 for a nice big charcuterie, but this was not that. It was about 5 pieces of meat and some very odd cheeses and sauces not normal to a charcuterie at all. We ended up going to Applebees which was the only restaurant even remotely close. Now to the hotel itself. It is obviously old and will have some problems but there was some upkeep that needed to be done. The pool areas had weird scrapes and substances on the sides that would concern anyone. The indoor pool area was nice. The outdoor hot tub was perfect temperature. The rooms were okay. Nothing to write home about and the couch in our suite definitely was worn and not taken care of. The bed also squeaked like a mouse. It was very noisy any time you moved. The view was also subpar from the suite which all you could see was the top of the lower level. Service was not amazing. The waitress for dinner was not nice and was absent most of our time eating. The waitresses for breakfast were AMAZING though and super kind. The desk workers were not too helpful and seemed to not know much about Hyatt rewards and perks. Overall, the experience was lackluster besides the hot tubs. I wouldn't recommend coming here unless you really want to spend a lot of money on food and drinks, have minimal services, and be in the middle of nowhere Missouri.

My husband and I wanted to take a few days to focus on us and celebrate our 25th anniversary. This year brought several unexpected expenses, so we wanted to do something close to home for a few days. The Elms fit the bill! The pool, Swedish massage, grotto visit, and a wonderful dinner were just what we needed. We stayed across the hall from Harry Truman's suite, and the room was very quiet. Three Owls was amazing! I highly recommend the steak with roasted Brussels sprouts. Oh, yes, and the Key Lime Pie served in a margarita glass was a perfect finish! Yum!

Hogwarts meets Spa meets nature. Beautifully built stone building with old trees and a massive back yard. Lots of nature (leaves and twigs) find their way in the hotel and pools. Long haired orange cat named "Lucky" keeping the grounds in check. The large natural spring hot tub was very hot, large and deep. One can actually stand in the middle and have the mineral water up to your neck. There is also a basement lap pool with small hot tubs. The huge pool outside was too cold this Oct 2019. There is an odor, not musty, but one that smells like history and time. The bed I had was of a firm foam variety. Lots of free parking. Ghosts?

I would give more stars if I could. The service was exceptional. My husband and I each had the NY Strip prepared perfectly at medium rare. We ordered a bottle of wine that was underwhelming. When the manager, Shay, asked how we liked it, we were honest. Based on what we expressed we liked, she went and opened up the wine bar to bring us a sample of a wine she recommended, and she was spot on. I would recommend this restaurant as the food was amazing and the service was even better.

What a great staycation. Stunning location for a relaxing time away. Gorgeous parlor room. I thoroughly enjoyed the indoor and outdoor hottubs, even on a cooler spring night. Definitely trying the spa services on my next stay.

The Elms is a must stay! We have stayed four times and have done almost everything you can do and loved it all. We even got married there in Fall 2021 and I could not recommend a better place to get married. The Elms staff knocked it our of the park and we will continue to visit for many years to come!

I am very pleased to offer an update to my previous negative review, with a special mention to Amanda. It seems the harshness of my review was indeed taken to heart. Dinner in the Three Elms was greatly improved, of outstanding quality and choices with the addition of flowers on the table, which I believe to be a direct result of Amanda's efforts, and not so very likely a corporate decision. It seems she cares far more than I originally thought. The hotel experience itself was also improved, with large construction equipment stored in the back of the hotel, and not occupying handicapped spaces. The Hotel van was also not occupying a handicapped space. There were however workman's tools stored in clear view next to the reception desk. Sadly, the price quoted for our stay was not exactly the priced charged, as an addition $100.00 per night were assessed as additional fees that were not at all disclosed until check out. Multiple giant steps forward, with clear room for improvement. Other than hidden fees, I did not leave unhappy.

I took my wife to the Elms Hotel and Spa for an anniversary weekend get away from July 11-13. Immediately we began to see concerns. The following is a list of things I noticed and I will try to be as factually unbiased as possible. Room Concerns: 1. Upon entering our hotel room the towel rack was not properly installed. It was essentially hanging very loosely on the wall. (Photo provided) 2. One of the two towels provided to the room appeared to be shredded down the side. Based on the other towels I saw this was not an intentional style. 3. The bed was EXTREMELY squeaky. Each shift if movement was like I was sleeping on a mattress wrapped in a latex glove. 4. The TV did not work in our room initially, but later during our first night the signal did cut back on. 5. My pregnant wife and I were awoken from a midday nap to hammering and drilling. This continued for about 10 minutes until another guest loudly confronted the mechanic resulting in a stoppage of work. 6. All during the day on July 12 there was screeching and sanding of concrete happening outdoors resulting in a dismal experience whenever outside during the day. Spa and amenities Concerns: 1. My wife's manicure was canceled because she has her nails done three weeks prior, and was told they "would not have enough time to remove her dipped nails and still do the manicure." She was also told they "did not have the proper tools to do so." I should clarify that I specifically called and asked about dipped nails when scheduling the appointment to which I was told "that's not a problem we do all kinds of stuff here." 2. During our couples pedicure the fuse on my massage chair blew. The therapist tried several times to turn the fuse back in while my feet were still in the water. She was unsuccessful. 3. Twice the therapists were ten minutes late to appointments I had scheduled. We arrived 5 minutes early and were not seen until 10 after the hour resulting in a 10 minute shortage of our paid appointments. 4. In the "high end" restaurant 88 at the elms the waitress did not fill my water glass during the meal, and there were several flys buzzing about in the restaurant and near the food. 5. The pool was absolutely disgusting. It was full of bugs and leaves. It was very unappealing to the eye. Referring to the building, I was concerned to see what appeared to be young teenagers clearing out rooms of guests that left, many of them containing opened alcohol containers. These teens looked to be between 16-18 years old. I was disappointed with many of the amenities at the Elms Hotel and Spa, especially considering the costs are very high end. When paying such a high price, there is an expectation for a certain level of cleanliness, presentation, and professionalism. The chocolate covered strawberries and brownie I had sent to the room, along with an anniversary letter were beautiful and delicious. That is something I was very pleased with. It is tough to spend so much money on a trip and to be faced with so many problems, but at least I know for next time to avoid The Elms as a destination vacation.

We really enjoyed our stay at The Elms. We arrived early afternoon and enjoyed the Grotto for two hours prior to our spa appointment (per their rules). The Grotto is lovely and relaxing. We enjoyed our massages. My only critique would be that the areas needed to be cleaned more frequently although they may have been short staffed. We were surprised to see that they added a 21% service fee to our spa services. I found out that this is listed on their website under rules and regulations but it would have been nice for them to notify us about this on our email confirmation or over the phone when I made the reservation. We had a delicious dinner at Three Elms and we also went on an interesting paranormal tour at the hotel ( Thanks, Jay). Overall, we had a great getaway at The Elms!

I've been here twice over the past few months - once for a work trip and once for a last minute family get away hosted by my mom. My family has been going to the Elms together since I was approximately 3 but life circumstances kept me away for the past 7 years. The current building was built in either the late 1800s or early 1900s. It has a rich history and avoids the cookie cutter feeling I've experienced with other hotels. There are several restaurants and a brewery or two within a half mile of the hotel - close enough to walk but I believe there may also be a quaint trolley you can take advantage of as well. The outdoor pool is heated to 75° during cooler weather with a large outdoor hot tub to accompany it. They also have an indoor lap pool which was always one of my favorite features as a kid. (I still swear that if you swim in one direction long enough you just may be able to create your very own lazy river.) the beds and linens never disappoint. The staff are incredible. They all seemed to be extremely proud to work at The Elms and happy to go the extra mile for the sake of creating a great guest experience.

TAKE ME BACK. PLEASE. My sweet sweet mother called me up and surprised me with an overnight trip to the Elms with a spa day scheduled for the next day. I had never been to Excelsior Springs in my life but it has been on my list forever! The town itself is super tiny and there isn't a heck of a lot going on. But it's quaint and there are a few great shops. The Elms however, towers over the rest of the city and makes you feel like you've traveled to almost a different country. It SCREAMS historic and it's gorgeous inside. We got some wine, walked around the whole place and went to dinner in the restaurant. The food was great (mushroom pasta and asparagus bisque was to die for) and the drinks/service were fun and amazing. No complaints. The outside pool area is amazing, even despite the cold rainy weather. Nothing like a hot tub when it's cold out! The downstairs pool is VERY unique but it's fun and we made our way down there after the outside hot tub. The spa was gorgeous. I'm sad that the chairs were removed in the grotto, presumably because of COVID, but we still were able to have most of the rooms to ourselves and all of the amenities were fun and relaxing. I love a good salt scrub! Overall, it was the loveliest experience. I want to go back ASAP and this was only about a month or two ago! Go support this beautiful establishment. You won't be disappointed.

Beautiful, historical boutique hotel with a nice spa and grotto. We really enjoyed our recent stay and spa services. While the grotto was nice, it was pretty busy on an early Friday afternoon. I would have preferred a more quiet experience. When we arrived in the waiting room for our massages, there literally wasn't a place to sit as every place was already taken, and it's a fairly large area. I expected better since this place is not cheap. We did not dine in during our stay, except for the complementary charcuterie and drinks provided in the concierge lounge on the private 5th floor only open to guests staying in that section. It was very nice and the waitress was extremely kind and friendly. For meals, we went downtown and tried Ray's for breakfast and Broadway Bar & Grill for dinner. Both were great, local choices and a chance to explore the downtown area just a few minutes away. I would definitely visit again. It was a nice weekend getaway.

My husband and I went to The Elms for two nights to celebrate our mini moon. Wonderful stay and the hospitality team are tremendous. We stayed in the Travis Mellion Suite on the 4th floor; although the elevators are out of service, the stairs were not something to complain about. Highly recommend experiencing the spa and grotto that's located inside of the hotel. The massages were wonderful and the overall atmosphere was just what we needed and so relaxing. Whenever we had requests or needed something, the front desk was super receptive and quick to attend to our needs. The Elms is conveniently located close to WoodChuck Axe Throwing and Dubious Claims Brewery. Also right across the street is Wabash BBQ. The location of The Elms, allows you to do many things, within walking distance. Inside The Elms, is a little cafe that serves Roasterie Coffee and yummy pastries. Also, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; The 88 has wonderful menus. The Tavern is a super speakeasy type atmosphere and a wonderful edition to your night plans. I could go on and on; but overall the price was worth every second of our stay. COVID-19 Precautions were in place and we felt very safe around the people who were at the hotel with us (guests and employees). We cannot wait to come back and experience The Elms! Thank you for making our wedding weekend so special.

First observation, it is definitely for couples and women parties. The paranormal tour was awesome and I highly recommend it. I didn't know it cost money when I signed up but I found out when we checked out that everything there costs money and largely nothing is included in your room cost. There is a fee for WiFi, and basic hotel items that are typically included were not. You have to pay for them at the end of your stay. I did experience some paranormal activity. Both of our cell phones alarm went off at 6am but were not set to that. Wooden hangers rattled in the closet in the morning like someone was looking for a clothes. Something kept touching or brushing by my toes. My feet stuck out beyond the bed because they we're definitely full size and not Queen like we paid for but I think I was just in the way. It was cool but may bother some people. The building, pool, hot tubs are AMAZING. You can even have a late night private bonfire with lit path into the woods next to the building. So cool. The spa is EXPENSIVE, just be prepared to empty your wallets there. They charge an automatic 21% gratuity and 16% fee for the spa. Generally speaking, most things in the spa are above $150 dollars. It's way way too pricey and I was sort of shocked. The area is really great and we enjoyed walking around to the bbq place and the downtown shops with antique stores and boutiques. It's very cute. Overall, I recommend it. There are a lot of people on here complaining about stains on the carpet and out of date wall coverings. I think it's part of the charm. If you could see the stains on the carpets in Vegas if they didn't have that wild print, you would complain about that too. Just don't lay on the floor. :)