Going to Kansas City. The best “city’’ hotels are the ones that tell stories about their locale. After all, most of the guests don’t have time to seek out most – if any – of their host city’s attractions, so why not bring at least some of a city’s history to them?
Loews Kansas City Hotel beautifully shows off the Heartland city’s history in three themes – Aviation, the Arts and Agriculture. Through the city’s “One Percent for Art Program,’’ which highlights and showcases photography and art from local artists in the hotel, particularly on the 6th floor mezzanine level. Loews Kansas City Hotel brings bits of the city’s culture and history to guests. . The hotel’s participation in the program is only one of two in the region – the other being at Kansas City International Airport.
The experience begins immediately when guests step into the lobby of the 800-room, 24-story hotel – in the heart of downtown Kansas City, MO. It’s actually above the lobby, as the sculpture, “Amber Waves of Grain,’’ created by Matthew Day Jackson out of reclaimed wood from Kansas barns, pays homage to Kansas’ agricultural history.
Amber Waves of Grain
The Red Wheat Baking Company, one of three F&B outlets in the hotel, honors the “red wheat’’ that predominantly grows in Kansas.
The Stilwell restaurant is popular with downtown business workers, as well as guests, for all kinds of occasions or just a Happy Hour cocktail. The Stilwell’s patio bar overlooks the city’s Power & Light District. The Stilwell offers breakfast, lunch and dinner.
And if you’re looking for classic KC dinner, don’t pass on the Stilwell BBQ Platter featuring porkribs, smoked chicken thigh, burnt ends and house BBQ sauce.
The Stilwell Salad featuring locally harvested greens, California, MO., Beets, Radish and Peas from Juniper Hills Farms in Lawrence, KS, and Crisped Quinoa topped with an Avocado- Ginger Vinaigrette, shows off the hotel’s commitment to sourcing fresh from local farmers.
Pieces of artwork hang on the walls throughout the hotel, including the famed “Circles of Color’’ by artist Joelle Smith Ford. Take a look outside the hotel’s mezzanine windows and you’ll see a rocketship – a replica of Howard Hughes’ TWA Moonliner II – that celebrates TWA’s international headquarters from 1968-72.
Circles of Color
The airline component is evident within some of the premium guestrooms and suites of Loews Kansas City. The leather chair in premium king suites, for example, emulates a first class seat on an airplane. Each sofa bed in those rooms emulates a coach seat. On the walls is a copy of a pen sketch Hughes did that mapped out his airplanes on a cocktail napkin.
Connected to the Kansas City Convention Center and just a few blocks from the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Loews Kansas City Hotel is a great headquarters to explore all things Kansas City. For example, a young Walt Disney lived on nearby Bellefontaine Ave, where he began to hone his craft as a movie maker and animator.
The large brick home on East 79th Street is where Harlean Harlow Carpenter (born in 1911) lived with her mother. Harlean would change her name to “Jean Harlow’’ and become one of the biggest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
In 1946, Arthur Bryant’s BBQ, at 18th and Brooklyn, ushered in the beginnings of the city’s barbeque history. Although many “Q’’ purists these days say that Bryant’s is living off its reputation, it’s still a “must dine’’ for a no-frills experience of brisket, ribs, burnt ends and white bread.
With the Royals (Major League Baseball) and Chiefs (NFL), Kansas City is one of the best sports towns in America. It’s made even more so with Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, within the city’s historic 18 & Vine Jazz District, where Count Bassie and Charlie Parker drew thousands to the clubs and dance halls. Bassie, by the way, was born (1904) on Mechanic Street in Kansas City, MO. Parker was born in 1920 in Kansas City, KS.
Back at Loews Kansas City, the hotel recently unveiled “Freshly Rooted by Loews Hotels,’’ a culinary program that brings sustainability to the forefront of the property’s food and beverage offerings. Loews Kansas City Hotel will serve unique, hand-crafted salads made from locally sourced ingredients, reinforcing the property’s commitment to responsible sourcing, supporting local farms, and providing guests with fresh, flavorful dishes rooted in regional agriculture.
Similar to Loews Kansas City Hotel’s popular beverage program, which celebrates regional flavors and artisanal ingredients, Freshly Rooted by Loews Hotels will feature a rotating selection of salads showcasing the best of Kansas City and the Midwest’s local harvest. Sourced from trusted regional purveyors, each salad will be crafted with fresh, seasonal ingredients that align with Loews’ broader sustainability goals while promoting the well-being of guests.
Each salad is locally sourced, with details about the farms and purveyors listed on the menu, offering guests a deeper connection to the sustainability practices behind each dish.
Freshly Rooted by Loews Hotels launched at The Stilwell, with plans to expand into banquet and meeting offerings – ensuring that sustainability remains at the heart of every dining experience, from casual meals to corporate events and large-scale gatherings.
https://www.loewshotels.com/kansas-city-hotel
Feature Photo Courtesy of Loews Kansas City Hotel