Holiday Inn Kansas City Downtown - Aladdin, Kansas City, United States of America

Arrived at check in only to be told that the air conditioner was broken and was just getting fixed but would take a long while for it to cool things down and no guarantee.. Heat index outside was over 100 degrees. Told us we could cancel and informed us we had booked through Expedia and quick frankly made us feel like second class citizens. Registration staff were not friendly or helpful! Booked us on the 15th floor at the very end of the hall. Got us one box fan. Called the front desk to ask them to reserve us a different room for the following night. They said they would call us. The next morning I checked out all rooms that had been vacated. Again called the from desk to inform them that there was a room available with a window AC unit.. They said it would have to be cleaned but made no effort to have a maid to take care of it promptly. They had well over 3 hours but we did not get moved until late Had to get ready for a wedding in a room that was 90 plus degrees. Rode down the elevator with a gentlemen who said he was treated rudely a the front desk at check in and also had booked through Expedia. He was told they would contact Expedia to comp him for the first night. We were never offered this but did go to the front desk and request it. They said they would. Had breakfast at the Hotel and must say all of the waiters, waitresses and the chef could not have been nicer. They made our breakfast a delight. I mentioned they should be at the front desk.

I really enjoyed my stay here. The big plus for me was the location, which is in the heart of downtown and is only a short walk away from many bars, restaurants, and shops. The hotel itself was beautiful and the staff was very friendly. The breakfast buffet is the best I've ever had whilst staying at a hotel. If the hotel was less expensive, I would've given it a full five out of five stars. However, because it comes with a higher price tag, I did nit pick a little bit. I went to use the hotel's business center, which only had one computer, which was not able to connect to the internet because the computers date and time were off. I called the front desk who sent an engineer who was extremely apologetic but told me that there was nothing they could because you need an administrative password to change the date and time, and the only guy in the hotel who knew the password had the day off and they couldn't get a hold of him. The only other downside to staying here was one of our shower heads (there were two which was awesome) had a problem and sprayed water all over the place so you had to be really careful how you positioned it otherwise it would get all over the floor, ceiling, etc.

I liked that this was a historic building. The lobby was relatively nice. I didn't like that I was there on a 3-night business trip and they put me on a low floor that faced a cement wall. The room was small. The bathroom was dirty. They didn't vacuum between nights. I brought a salad in from the supermarket and wasn't allowed to eat it in the "bar" area that really wasn't a bar. It had a bar but it was just basically a crappy hotel lounge, so that was disappointing. I had to eat in my small dirty room that faced a cement wall. I asked to change rooms two times and they weren't able to accommodate me. The cleaning staff left towels and garbage all over the hallways and stairwells. There were some nice staff that worked the front desk.

I'd have to say that I expected a lot more from a "boutique hotel" in downtown KC, especially for the price. I have had a lot nicer stay in a $70 hotel. From the time we pulled up to the hotel, I was disappointed. I pulled up looking for the parking lot and did not see anything other than a pay parking garage. I was informed that this was the only place to park. You could self park for $12, and would have to pay $12 every time you left the parking garage, or you could pay $19 per day for the valet service. At LEAST this should have been listed in the description. The hotel was neat looking, as it is a very old hotel and had some character, but it also smelled old, and like smoke. Our room never got above 77 degrees, despite the extremely loud window unit trying its best. We called the front desk about this several times, and nothing was done about it. Neither one of us could sleep well because of the heat. Also, the Hispanic Festival was going on all weekend 50 feet outside our room, all weekend at the park. It was unbelievably loud and went on till the wee hours of the morning, every night. Then there were a handful of little annoyances like a tv remote that barely worked, a shower rod that was hanging down causing the curtain to remain open no matter how many times you try to close it. We were hoping that staying downtown, there would be some good stuff to see within walking distance, but there was nothing other than bars close by. Don't let the charm fool you!

The rooms are small but cozy, clean and functional for two people. I was really disappointed that the ceiling of the exercise room collapsed while we were there. The hotel is old but nolstalgic. Elevators are small and slow but that's only a problem if you are impatient like me. The parking is my biggest complaint. It is expensive and the valet service tries to convince you it is cheaper to use them but do the math. It is $12 a day max. We were in KC for 4 days. You have to pay every time you leave. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The room rates were ok.