InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza — Hotel in Kansas City

We normally enjoy spending a weekend at the Plaza InterContinental where we utliize the pool, have drinks at the bar, and visit restaurants and shops in the area. However, this visit was unfortunately disappointing. Upon checkin we were told we were receiving the last available room in our room category due to a large wedding party being onsite. The room we received was the first one in the west wing just off the lobby.

When we entered the room we noticed only one pillow on the king bed, what appeared to be dog kibble on the floor, and dirty rags in the bathroom, as if cleaning were still in progress. There was no bath mat and only two bath towels and two hand towels stacked on the shelf. We requested additional pillows on our way out to dinner, which were delivered by the time we returned.

The next day we went to the pool when it opened, but pool towels were not available until almost an hour later. The stocking of the pool towels continued to be a problem throughout the day leaving several visitors without towels for long periods of time. When we returned to the room after our pool day, we were surprised to see it had not been serviced. Since Covid, we are used to being notfiied by the front desk upon checkin whether service is to be expected daily - we were not told either way.

While getting ready for dinner, we realized the sink pipes leaked onto the floor whenever the faucet was on, so we used the only two hand towels we had plus the dirty rags leftover from when we checked in to mop up the water. (We needed the two bath towels for bathing) Before leaving for dinner, I requested a full set of towels to be delivered to our room. When we arrived back from dinner three hours later, the towels had not been delivered, so I went to the front desk and again asked for a full set of towels - including bath mat. The associate sent a request, and moments later a person showed up with one bath towel, one wash cloth, and one hand towel. I politely asked for a full set, and she returned with a mountain of towels, including a bath mat, which I appreciated.

Positive points of our stay included the air conditioning in the hotel and in the room - it worked very well. The bed was comfortable, though I was a bit unnerved by the thought of it not being completely clean since there was only one pillow on the bed when we arrived. The valet, bartenders, and servers were friendly. The selection of food available at the pool and the coffee stand could be improved, but the quality was fine. Also, the hotel was not crowded, and it was obvious there were still many rooms available - even in the west wing, despite what the person told us upon checkin.

We will likely stay again because it's one of the only hotels in the area with a decent pool and drink service. However, I would not recommend this location to my friends or family given the poor experience we had this...

I was traveling with my family and wanted something a bit upscale, and we've stayed at other Intercontinental properties, such as the one at MSP. This property is party central, first off. Many of the guests were obviously there to have a good time at the bars, which is fine, but it's not something I would have booked with my young kids in tow. The massive police presence across the street didn't help the vibe, either. It just didn't exude "class" in any manner. It was tacky, from start to finish.

Not knowing the area, I picked the location due to its proximity to a bevy of restaurants, and we thought we'd get a nice dining experience while in town, but all the restaurants were fully booked and required reservations, which we didn't make. That's on me, I suppose. If you stay here, make reservations!

We walked past no less than three active police scenes with people being investigate, arrested or otherwise detained in the three blocks we walked to the recommended BBQ restaurant. On one hand, it's nice the KCPD is on the job, but it's also unnerving that crime is such an issue. It didn't feel unsafe, but it wasn't warm and fuzzy, either. My head was on a swivel the whole time. We wound up back at the hotel restaurant, which was a not a good experience, for a variety of reasons, starting with the long wait for food and ending with some eye-popping prices.

The check in process was a fiasco. We arrived at about 6pm, and our room wasn't ready. After standing at the counter for 30 minutes as various people were consulted, we finally got a room key...there were no towels. We were told that somebody would deliver them by the flamboyant head of housekeeping. The towels never came. We inquired at the desk and were told there were only two towels available. There were four of us. Nope. No more towels.

Overall, the room was ok for its age, although it did show some signs of past abuses by partiers. Loose fixtures, cracks in the plaster, that sort of thing. Not bad, though.

Aside from the flustered and overwhelmed staff, it really was the location that was the problem for us. It seems that this is like the Vegas Strip of Kansas City. I had no idea, and I will not stay here again. If you're looking for a place to flop after a nice of debauchery, there are certainly cheaper options and better options for debauchery. If you want a nice drink at a quiet bar, this is not the place for you. Honestly, I don't know who the ideal clientele are. It's definitely not for families.

In hindsight, I should have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express out of town. I would have had a far superior experience, and saved several hundred dollars. I say this as a Gold Elite member who has stayed in a lot of IHG properties over the years. I expect more from the Intercontinental...

I have been staying at this hotel for over 20 years and I am sorry to see the state to which it has devolved. I remember a time when I would pull into the drive to check in and the doorman would either greet me by name or at least recognize me and welcome me back. Now there is no doorman as far as I can tell. When I checked in, there was someone at the door, but he offered no recognition or assistance with bags, doors, and so on. He was more of a bouncer than a door man.

There was a time when I could request a room by number and it would be held for me if available (there are a couple on the higher floors that I especially like). Not any more. This time there was no recognition of my request at check-in. I was not even given a room in the main tower, but rather in the six story annex. Decent room and nicer balcony, but not the same view. And more complicated to access the club on the 11th floor.

And it is a travesty what they have done to the cozy lobby bar. It has been ripped out and replaced with a non-descript utilitarian bar adjacent to the new (and less appealing) restaurant. I remember fondly nights at one of the six or so stools at the classic antique bar sipping a martini and listening to lounge music. No more.

And -- wait for it -- one staying multiple nights must actually request their room to be serviced during the day. This is basic stuff like new towels, a bathroom wipe down, a made bed, and a vacuum. This should be automatic at any InterContinental property, but not here. And, when I actually requested service the morning of the second day, I returned to my room in the evening to find out it still had not been serviced.

In a similar vein, at what Intercontinental property does one have to carry their dirty laundry to the front desk rather than have it collected at their door? And pick it up at the front desk rather than have it delivered to the room? You guessed it, this one.

Other bad experiences included a meh breakfast experience on the club level, with no ceramic cups for coffee (only paper to-go cups), over-cooked scrambled eggs compressed into the heating container, and at least one moldy blackberry. But for the moldy blackberry, it was something one might expect at a low budget extended stay hotel, except no self-serve waffles.

Despite all the above, I do love this hotel. The location and views cannot be beat, and we even held one of my daughters' weddings here in better times. I only wish management would fix these and other issues and provide the guest experience one expects at an...