Two Major Hotel Projects in Downtown Kansas City Continue Moving Forward in Addition to New Convention Hotel

By Kevin Collison

Two major hotel projects continue to move forward in downtown Kansas City, which combined with the planned convention hotel, will add more than 1,200 rooms by early 2020.

Last week, New York-based Loews announced it has become a substantial investor in the planned 800-room convention hotel at Wyandotte and 17th Street, and will operate the $311 million facility under its flag.

Developer Mike Burke said that partnership will allow a groundbreaking in early October with anticipated opening in late 2019 or early 2020.

Progress also continues on the $98.4 million redevelopment of the former Kansas City Reserve Bank building at 925 Grand Blvd. into a 301-room Embassy Suites, and the $48 million conversation of the historic Savoy Hotel at 219 W. Ninth St. into a 120-room boutique hotel.

Attorney Doug Stone said the developer of the Grand Reserve project, Colorado-based Delta Quad Holdings, currently is doing interior demolition work in the historic 21-story Federal Reserve, and anticipates major work to begin this fall with an anticipated opening in spring 2018.

“They are putting the final touches on banking funding, it’s been complicated,” Stone said. “It’s a little behind schedule, but still on track.”

Historic Savoy Hotel and Grill

Construction is well underway on the renovation of the Savoy, which is one of downtown Kansas City’s oldest buildings. The historic hotel was built in 1888 and an addition was completed in 1903. It’s being renovated by Louisville-based 21C Museum Hotel group and is scheduled to open in 2018.

In addition to those high-profile projects, work continues on hotel projects totaling more than 640 rooms:

–-A new 112-room Home2 Suites by Hilton at 20th and Main
–A 75-room Holiday Inn Express redevelopment in the former Interstate building at 417 E. 13th St.
–A new 132-room Hampton Inn at 16th and Main.
–A 118-room Indigo hotel as part of Brookfield building redevelopment at 11th and Baltimore.
–An 80-room Indigo hotel redevelopment of 2020 Grand.
–A 125-room Aparium hotel redevelopment of historic buildings at 2101 and 2107 Central St.

Two new hotels also opened last year downtown, the 261-room Courtyard Marriott/Residence Inn at 1535 Baltimore, and the 70-room Hampton Inn in the historic Gumbel building at 801 Walnut.

Courtyard Marriott/Residence Inn