Long before Hotel Kansas City welcomed travelers, 1228 Baltimore Avenue was home to the Kansas City Club - a landmark built for gathering, conversation, and civic life. Opened in 1922 and restored with care nearly a century later, the building still carries the details that defined it: stained glass, carved woodwork, soaring spaces, and a spirit of community rooted in downtown Kansas City.
Established in 1882, the Kansas City Club became one of the city's most prominent social institutions. After outgrowing its earlier clubhouse, the Club commissioned a new home at 13th and Baltimore. Completed in 1922 in a Gothic Tudor style, the 15-story building quickly became one of downtown Kansas City's defining addresses.
Designed as more than a clubhouse, the building brought a full social world under one roof. Its floors housed meeting rooms, athletic facilities, restaurants, a bowling alley, and 160 private hotel rooms. A five-lane swimming pool occupied the 13th floor, while an open terrace restaurant crowned the top of the building. Over time, figures including Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, and Ewing Kauffman helped reinforce the Club's place in local history.
When the Kansas City Club relocated in 2002, the building entered a new phase as event space and residences before a full restoration began in May 2019. Hotel Kansas City opened in October 2020 as part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, giving the landmark a new role while preserving the character that made it memorable. The former champagne bar now lives on in the lobby experience, original pool tile can still be spotted on the 13th floor, and the building's craftsmanship remains part of each stay.
Today, Hotel Kansas City blends historic character with a distinctly local point of view. Guests can stay in one of 144 rooms, gather across more than 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space, and experience storied venues like the Tudor Ballroom and Starlight spaces. Dining and nightlife - including The Town Company, The Classic, The Lobby Market, and Nighthawk - continue the building's long tradition as a place where Kansas City comes together.
