Hilton President Kansas City — Attraction in Kansas City

Unfortunately, we were very disappointed with our stay here. On the positive the hotel lobby is beautiful and the room was fairly clean. On the negative: I tried calling the hotel twice to alert them of our late check in and to ask specifics about where to park/drop off/valet etc...it rang and rang and rang. No answer either time. We arrived to check in at about 10pm. The GPS had routed us to the back of the hotel because of road closures (not hotel's fault at all), so we parked at back entrance and came up to front desk. Front desk not helpful with check in. He pretty much just took my credit card and gave me the keys. We were not told were to park, where to find our room, how to get our luggage upstairs, not even our room number? Literally just here is your key. We asked if there was someone available to carry our luggage upstairs or a cart, where to park our car, and where we could find food. The response literally was to tell us carts over there and bar kitchen open until 11. No mention it would be easier to bring the car around front to unload, no mention of room service, no mention of anything. So we grabbed a cart (that was half broken by the way) and dragged it down to the LL up a ramp and outside to load it up. I then pushed the cart up to our room with my 4 year old while my husband went to park the car (there happened to be a parking attendant outside who was beyond nice and helpful). First of all after pushing that cart all over the hotel the key didn't work for the room. Luckily there was a phone by the elevator so I was able to call downstairs. I was told someone was going to be sent up right away....so meanwhile at 11pm I am sitting outside of this room and finally my husband comes up...still no one from the hotel but luckily his key works. The room was nice and clean. Nothing super fancy but since it was right next to the elevator you could hear the elevator so I called and requested another quieter room. They were easy about it and I was told 10 other rooms were available and they sent up someone with a new key. So we pushed this half broken cart of luggage further along only to find the room next to the ice machine....at this point I was just too tired to call and push the cart across another floor. Again the room was clean other than mold I noticed near the bathroom sink and showerhead was rusted. No water pressure but again too tired to really care. We had ordered food from their restaurant/bar which had a nice menu. Food was good. I had whiskey salmon and arugula salad and my husband had steak of some sort. The steak tasted like it might have been expiring the next day and I ended up nauseated and vomiting after eating the salmon. I had some crackers in my bag for the kiddo so I just ate some of those and went to bed. Toilet was running all night but we were so tired and I felt kind of sick so still slept fairly well. Kiddo slept fine. At check out we were asking the attendant where we could grab some food and where the KC streetcar stops were (we've never been here before). Again, the attendant was very short and said the stop is 2 streets over behind the hotel. No suggestions for food, not even the hotel restaurant was brought up. Such a bizarre hotel experience. We came because a friend suggested it but we will not come back or recommend this place to anyone. We have been to many nice hotels and I have never had an experience like this. This was more like a 3 star hotel. For the price I could I have chosen several other 4...

My recent stay at the Hilton President Hotel in Kansas City was memorable, but not quite in the way I'd hoped. The experience started off pleasantly enough with a friendly and personable front desk attendant who made check-in smooth and welcoming. Unfortunately, things took a downturn from there.

The restaurant on Saturday night had only one waitress on duty, who was somehow not only managing the restaurant alone but was also overseeing the entire hotel. Despite her efforts and professionalism, it was clear she was overwhelmed with too many responsibilities, and it affected the dining experience. Things took an unexpected turn when a guest from the bar, who was visibly intoxicated, actually kicked in the elevator door—certainly a first for me in any hotel stay.

The rooms themselves were disappointing. Decor and furnishings felt old and outdated to the point of having a musty smell, reminiscent of an unused closet in a grandparent’s home. To top it off, the TV in my room didn’t work. When I called the front desk, they initially promised to send someone up to check it out. However, after an hour of waiting, I called again and was informed that the issue was actually building-wide, and they had simply forgotten to update me.

Having booked this stay through American Express Travel, I expected a higher standard, especially for a property labeled as luxury. Unfortunately, this hotel didn’t live up to its branding. Between the outdated amenities and an overstretched staff, it’s clear the Hilton President is in need of some major upgrades and better staff support. This stay has made me reconsider my trust in American Express Travel’s standards for luxury properties. Hilton President has potential, but without a much-needed refresh and a more prepared staff, it's simply not there yet.

After spending my second night on an old, uncomfortable mattress, I woke up with a sore back and a tired head. Hoping breakfast might improve things, I ordered the "bacon, egg- burrito" as described on the menu: scrambled eggs, bell peppers, bacon, and cheddar cheese. But when breakfast arrived, it contained no bell peppers. Instead, it was packed with potatoes, sausage and onions. Thank goodness I'm not allergic!

When I called room service to inform them about the missing items listed on the menu, the response was disappointing. The chef explained, "Potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and sausage come pre-prepared." I clarified again that these items were not listed on the menu and could have posed a serious risk if I had been allergic. The chef responded, "I'll let the head chef know."

At 8:30 on Monday, I called the front desk and requested to speak with the general manager or a manager. I was informed that he wasn’t in yet but would arrive at some point that morning. I asked if he could call my room or if I should leave my cellphone number in case I had already left by the time he arrived. The front desk responded, "Let me take your cellphone number, as I don’t know exactly when he’ll be here, only that it will be sometime this morning."

Note: It's 10:15 am and I am still waiting for a call from the GM or manager. I'm...

The pros: The location is excellent. Our room was a corner room with plenty of of windows and one gorgeous view. The lobby and special rooms (meeting rooms) are gorgeous. The breakfast staff (Jan and Joe in particular) are phenomenal. They both were so attentive and helpful. In addition, the security guard over the midnight shift was incredible. He noticed my daughter in her prom dress and opened up the ballroom for us to take pictures in.

The cons: No trolleys or bell hops to help with loading or unloading. As a mother with two children trying to get and out of the hotel, it was a hassle.

Parking was a struggle. There was 1 space available and the other cars were parked crooked making it nearly impossible to fit into the space. I did have new scratches on my door in the morning. Parking was an additional $30 per night.

Breakfast was $15 per person per day. It was a buffet that was mediocre as far as the food goes. There is no pool on site.

Trying to find ice for the ice bucket was like hunting for gold. There was nothing available on our floor. After the woman at the front desk sent me hunting on several other floors for ice dispensers, she finally mentioned she had access to ice at the front desk.

The beds are fulls, not queens. The rooms are freezing. I tried to adjust the thermostate, it wouldn't change temperature.

I had attempted, upon check in, to extend my stay for a night. I was told by the woman at the front desk she couldn't give me the rate I had with the group that had blocked rooms for the convention ($203 per night) we were attending. She then said the hotel rate was actually cheaper at $179 per night. I asked her to switch our entire stay to the hotel rate rather than the convention rate. She refused. When I returned to the hotel that night, I checked with the front desk again about rates. That woman told me she couldn't tell me the actual rate I was paying or what the extended rate would be but that she would extend our stay for a night and I could check with management in the morning about rates. She stated the hotel rates are MUCH higher than $179 so she had no idea what the woman who checked me in was talking about. I called again the next day to discuss rates and extending my stay. I was told the convention rates were $241 per night and an extended night would also be that rate. My mother was interested in joinging us in Kansas City for 1 night. The hassle in trying to book her a room ended with all of us deciding to just get another hotel.

As of writing this, I am still in a battle with the hotel staff to get my actual rate stated on ny email confirmation of $203 per night. No one will honor the $179 per night rate I was quoted upon check in. No one will allow me to talk to a manager. I was told he works Monday nights after 5pm.

As a Hilton member, I am appalled at the rudeness and lack of service...