Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report ranked the best lodging facilities in the country. The standings are based on industry awards, hotel star ratings and reviews from visitors.
As part of its annual Best Hotels in the USA report, the magazine also broke out its rankings by state and by metro.
The publication’s list of the 25 best properties in Kansas City includes a number of hotels that opened within the past 10 years, including 21c Museum Hotel (2018), Crossroads Hotel (2018), The Fontaine (opened as Hotel Sorella in 2013; renamed in 2017) and Hotel Kansas City (2020).
Click through the attached slideshow to see which Kansas City hotels the magazine ranked as its top 10 in the area.
The Fontaine, which opened in 2013 as Hotel Sorella, received the highest national rank — No. 559 — as well as the top spot among Kansas City-area properties.
The 132-room boutique hotel, 901 W. 48th Place, is located on the west side of the Country Club Plaza. Among its amenities are a rooftop swimming pool and a top-floor restaurant, Parker.
“Recent guests commend The Fontaine’s modern, stylish design, and the hotel’s friendly customer service,” the magazine wrote. “The Fontaine appeals to travelers looking to shop at Country Club Plaza, and those seeking a quiet retreat while doing business in Kansas City.”
Four other local hotels ranked among the nation’s top 1,000 properties. More than 6,100 luxury hotels were included in the U.S. News ranking.
Locally, the Kansas City metro boasts more than 36,000 hotel rooms spread across 328 properties.
According to Andrea O’Hara, executive director of Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City, occupancy rates are continuing to recover, but average daily rates are where local hotels are seeing the most success lately.
Occupancy rates in the metro hit 59.9% in the year to date through October, which is about 9 percentage points higher than the comparable period in 2021. Average daily rates also have climbed to $113, the association’s data shows.
In Downtown, occupancy has risen from 36% to 55.4% through Oct. 31. The average daily rate for downtown hotels is $164.
One lingering issue from the pandemic: hotel construction has cooled.
O’Hara reports that there are three hotels currently under construction in the area. Those are:
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