$22 Million Renovation Completed for Kansas City, MO Crown Center Sheraton and Westin Hotels
Kansas City, MO - September 23, 2013 - Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center and The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center recently announced its completion of a two-year $22 million renovation of both hotels including significant upgrades to Sheraton's guest rooms and improvements to both Sheraton and Westin's meeting rooms and lobbies. The hotel complex now offers a total of 1,454 guestrooms featuring Kansas City skyline views and 150,000 square feet of meeting space. The renovation to Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center is part of an ongoing effort to enhance Sheraton hotels across the globe, following the recently completed $6 billion brand-wide revitalization including $400 million in signature brand initiatives.
"Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center and The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center truly embody the best of both brands while offering meeting planners options for one-stop shopping for meetings of all sizes and experiences," said Steve Shalit, general manager for the complex. "Thanks to Starwood's support, we can provide the combined resources of two great brands to our clients. Plus, our Kansas City location, home to the country's only WWI monument, Liberty Memorial, historic Union Station, Hallmark Corporation headquarters, lively jazz scene and famous barbecue, make it a destination worth visiting."
The two Starwood-hotel branded complex now boasts 52 meeting rooms, 30 parlors, 21 breakout rooms with more than 1,000 square feet of space and 19 breakout rooms with 500 square feet of space. Two ballrooms with 17,487 square feet and 16,089 square feet each (both seating up to 2,000 people), and a third at 5,000 square feet as well as direct connection to the Crown Center Exhibition Hall, providing access to an additional 45,500 square feet, rounds-out the hotels' event space. In fact, the complex has the largest hotel ballroom in Kansas City and is the only hotel attached to its own exhibit hall. These versatile meeting spaces give Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center and The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center the capacity to accommodate events of any size.
The center of the Sheraton's renovated atrium-style lobby, now boasting signature amenities such as Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft lounge where guests can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi and printing is a copy of the original Rick Neblurg Ball Sculpture Chandelier. Shimmering above the lobby, the chandelier shines with more than 2,000 aluminum-plated Polypropylene silver balls connected by 361 chains, each measuring 34 feet long.
Adding to benefits for groups is the hotels' convenient location in the heart of Hallmark's Crown Center district. Guests can use "The Link," a climate-controlled, glass-enclosed skywalk to access the famed Crown Center Shopping Center home to more than 60 shops, restaurants, live theaters, ice skating in the winter and the international headquarters of Hallmark Cards Inc. Restaurant options include The Brasserie, Spectators Bar & Grill and the Terrace as well as Crown Center favorites - the kid-friendly The Crayola Cafe, the fine dining American Restaurant, and Milanos offering Italian fare. Guests can also use "The Link" to access nearby Kansas City must-sees like Union Station, the Liberty Memorial, Legoland Discovery Center or Sea Life Aquarium. Complimentary transportation will also takes guests of both hotels to the popular Power and Light entertainment district.
Westin Kansas City's Tangent™
The final piece of the $22 million renovation is the opening of the Westin Kansas City's Tangent™, an innovative, flexible workspace concept that meets the changing needs of today's mobile business traveler. The 260-square-foot room accommodates small groups of 4-6 and can be booked on a moment's notice - answering the call of today's mobile business travelers.
The fully-wired room also features media:scape by Steelcase technology, video conferencing, and seamless connectivity and collaboration areas in addition to televisions, printers, sound systems, and Xbox 360® for games or DVDs. Floor-to-ceiling white boards and fully stocked office supplies are also provided and wireless Internet is available for no additional fee.
"We are pleased that this small highly-functional and flexible meeting space is the cap to our renovation," said Shalit. "While a hotel room or lobby is a place where you can do work, Tangent was specifically designed with the new mobile business traveler in mind - as a smart room and personalized work space that enhances productivity and that can be booked on demand."
Sheraton and Westin Offerings
Known for outstanding service and quality, each hotel boasts signature amenities from the Sheraton's Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft lounge where guests can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi and printing to Westin's trademark wellness approach including exclusive SuperFoodsRx dishes and industry-leading WestinWORKOUT. All rooms offer flat-panel LCD HDTVs, coffee makers and workstation. All 724 of Westin guestrooms feature the world-renowned Westin Heavenly® Bed- an oasis of lush sheets, down and a patented pillow-top mattress, which cradles and contours to the body for complete comfort. All 730 Sheraton guestrooms offer the all-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® bed, designed to meet AAA's Five Diamond Award® criteria. Both hotels also offer state-of-the-art fitness centers and outdoor swimming pools. Guests can grab a bite at the Sheraton's Terrace restaurant and Spectators Bar & Grille, at the Westin's Brasserie, or venture to the nearby restaurants of Crown Center.
Westin Hotels & Resorts and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, like all brands within Starwood's robust portfolio, are proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG® offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any other hotel program.
For more information on Westin Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.westin.com, Facebook or follow Westin on Twitter. For more information on Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.sheraton.com, Facebook or follow Sheraton on Twitter.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
