Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center

Coordinates: 39°05′06″N 94°34′48″W / 39.085°N 94.580°W / 39.085; -94.580
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Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center
Sheraton Kansas City Hotel with glass skyway connection to Crown Center.
Map
Former namesHyatt Regency Kansas City, Hyatt Regency Crown Center
Hotel chainSheraton
General information
LocationUnited States
Coordinates39°05′06″N 94°34′48″W / 39.085°N 94.580°W / 39.085; -94.580
OpeningJuly 1, 1980; 43 years ago (July 1, 1980)
CostUS$150 million
OwnerHallmark Cards
ManagementMarriott International
Height153.62 m (504.0 ft)
Technical details
Floor count45
Design and construction
Architect(s)Edward Larrabee Barnes
PBNDML
DeveloperCrown Center Redevelopment Corporation
Other information
Number of rooms733
Number of suites39
Website
www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcicr-sheraton-kansas-city-hotel-at-crown-center/
[1][2][3]

The Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center is a 504.0 ft (153.62 m), 45-story hotel located in the Crown Center complex in Kansas City, Missouri. It was Missouri's tallest building from 1980 to 1986. It is now the state's sixth-tallest building and Kansas City's third-tallest building.

History[edit]

Opening[edit]

The hotel opened on July 1, 1980 as the Hyatt Regency Kansas City. It is part of the Crown Center complex, built by Hallmark Cards, adjacent to their headquarters, and southeast of the Downtown loop, where most of Kansas City's tallest buildings are located.

Skywalk collapse[edit]

On July 17, 1981, 114[4] people were killed in the Hyatt Regency when the fourth-floor walkway in the atrium collapsed on the second-floor walkway during a tea dance attended by more than 1,600 revelers. An investigation revealed that tie rods supporting the walkway did not meet Kansas City building codes.[5]

Rebranding and renovations[edit]

The hotel went through a $5 million reconstruction following the collapse, replacing the skywalks with one large second floor balcony supported by massive pillars, with local authorities saying in 1983 that the building was now "possibly the safest in the country."[6] The hotel was renamed the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in 1987. Starwood took over the hotel November 30, 2011, renaming it the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center the following day and announcing $30 million in renovations and a $5,000 donation to The Skywalk Memorial Foundation.[7][8]

Facilities[edit]

The hotel has 42,860 sq ft (3,982 m2) of function space, a 17,487 sq ft (1,624.6 m2) ballroom and a dedicated exhibit hall with 15,360 sq ft (1,427 m2). It has 733 guestrooms, including 42 suites.

The hotel was formerly topped by a revolving rooftop restaurant, Skies, which closed in 2011 along with the hotel's Peppercorn Duck Club when the hotel became a part of Starwood.[9] The former Skies restaurant reopened as the Sheraton Club Lounge, a private club.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Emporis building ID 121804". Emporis. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  2. ^ "Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center". SkyscraperPage.
  3. ^ Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center at Structurae
  4. ^ http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/build82/PDF/b82002.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ "Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse". School of Engineering, University of Alabama. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  6. ^ Haskins, Paul J. (29 March 1983). "COLLAPSE OF HOTEL'S 'SKYWALKS' IN 1981 IS STILL REVERBERATING; IN KANSAS CITY". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  7. ^ Hawley, Brenna (13 December 2011). "Sheraton, Starwood will donate to Hyatt skywalk memorial". www.bizjournals.com. Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  8. ^ King, Danny (July 20, 2011). "Hyatt Regency Kansas City to become a Sheraton". Travel Weekly.
  9. ^ Hawley, Brenna (12 October 2011). "Three Crown Center restaurant closings signal changing tastes". American City Business Journals.

External links[edit]