The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center

This vast Westin is a bustling hotel filled with the comings and goings of guests that include many business travelers as well as families with kids. Still, the lobby has a stylish vibe, mostly due to the many cozy clusters of seating sectioned off with translucent screens hanging from the ceiling. Wooden shelves filled with lush boxwood provide a bit of greenery throughout the space, which features modern chairs and sofas with clean lines. The most stunning part of the lobby is a waterfall feature with a natural limestone cliff. The rock formations were exposed during construction and were incorporated into the fountain, and a man-made stream runs through the foliage. The hotel is massive and feels that way, as it's attached to outdated convention and conference facilities as well as the Crown Center Mall. The restaurant and bar don't have the most personality that we've seen. This isn't a shocker at a large-scale corporate hotel like this Westin, and the vibe is a bit airport lounge, though they are popular with guests.

Located just south of downtown, the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center is attached to Hallmark's Crown Center Mall, and a number of shops, restaurants, and theaters can be accessed from within the hotel. The hotel is surrounded by large corporate buildings and is near many family-friendly destination spots, including Legoland and Sealife Kansas City Aquarium, both a four-minute walk away. Union Station, known for its six-foot wide clock hanging in the central arch, is a two-minute walk from the hotel. The space is used for business meetings, weddings, events, and parties, and has a permanent rail exhibit, a planetarium, Science City, an interactive science center, and is part of a vibrant theater district. Liberty Memorial is a 12-minute walk, the National WWI Memorial and Museum is a 10-minute walk, and Bartle Hall Convention Center is a seven-minute drive from the hotel. Downtown Kansas City and the vibrant Power & Light District are five minutes away by car. The Kansas City International Airport is about a 25-minute drive from the hotel.

Modern and simple interiors create a pleasant, if bland, vibe in rooms and suites, with plenty of cherry wood furniture with black tops that includes console tables with pull-out desks and media bureaus. The hotel offers all of the signature features the brand is known for, including pillow-top Heavenly beds with white duvets and linens for a clean, classic look. Rooms are painted a soft blue-gray hue that matches the curtains and carpets, and lower category rooms have a small seating area with two handsome, contemporary armchairs near the windows. There is minimal wall art that's limited to one token piece of abstract work. Larger rooms feature separate living rooms, dining areas, balconies, and wet bars. All rooms have 37-inch flat-screen TVs, work desks with ergonomic chairs, mini-fridges, and coffeemakers with Starbucks coffee. Free in-room Wi-Fi is only available for Starwood Preferred Guests. Bathrooms are clean and simple, with large mirrors and vanities and shower/tub combos with rainfall showerheads, along with toiletries and bathrobes. Some guests have reported hearing noise from neighboring rooms due to thin walls. 

The hotel has a large 24-hour fitness center with state-of-the-art exercise equipment, as well as a sauna and steam room, but there is a fee to use it. There is also a heated outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool with a large sundeck lined with lounge chairs. In-room spa services are available. A lighted outdoor tennis court and a jogging track -- nice and unexpected touches from a chain -- are available as well. The Brasserie Restaurant, located in the lobby, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and has a full bar, plus 24-hour room service is available. Breakfast is not included with most room rates. Geared toward business travelers, the hotel has 53,873-square-feet of meeting space with 31 meeting rooms, a direct connection to the Crown Center Exhibition Hall for additional 52,000-square-feet of meeting space. The hotel offers a free shuttle service between the hotel and the downtown government and financial districts as well as other local area businesses. There’s a gift shop and a Hertz rental office in the lobby, and dogs are allowed if they’re less than 25 pounds. Valet parking is available for a fee, but parking at the mall is free. Free Wi-Fi is available in common areas, but in-room Wi-Fi incurs a fee -- unless guests are Starwood Preferred Guest members.