The oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi
21c Museum Hotels
Where is the oldest hotel in the west? If you’re looking for a sleepy old inn with passing tumbleweeds you will never find it. America’s oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi is neither dusty nor clumsy, and it’s barely in the middle of nowhere. Despite its 19th century construction, the renovation of the former Savoy Hotel in 2018 brought one of the most recognizable brands in the hospitality industry to the historic site and continued its record breaking service as the 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City. Here’s a look at the history and fascinating art collection within the walls of this Missouri masterpiece and the brand that is breathing new life into its venerable bones.
What is 21c?
The Dome Gallery, 21C Museum Hotel Kansas City
21c Museum Hotels
The essentially contemporary 21c Museum Hotel is a cultural enclave that appeals to both locals and travelers alike, with a free modern art museum, chef-run restaurant, and chic boutique hotel in a single location. The restaurants at 21c hotels have different visions, but all include strong locavore programs highlighting local farmers and producers, and the amazing range of art collected by founders Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson offers more than enough material for reflective, changing exhibitions as well as permanent, often monumental, often monumental installations in most places. There are currently nine 21c Museum Hotels in the United States and two more are in preparation (St. Louis and Des Moines), which are slated to open this year. However, Kansas City, Missouri has most of the history.
The savoy cabbage
Original bar in the Savoy Grill
21c Museum Hotel
What began in 1888 when the Savoy Hotel was quickly remodeled and expanded in 1903 with the addition of a new wing and the Savoy Grill (still the oldest restaurant in Kansas City) as the property gained top status for a luxury stay in the area rise. While the hotel itself became less of a travel destination as the city expanded outward, the Savoy Grill kept business going and attracted the city’s businessmen, such as future President Harry S. Truman, to the popular’s upscale menu and club-like vibe Restaurants. During Prohibition, it certainly didn’t hurt that the Savoyard decided not to remove alcohol from the premises, but instead hung thick curtains over the entrance to hide the alcohol in it. Today, the restaurant is home to many of the most recognizable original features of the place, including the carved oak bar, the 1903 murals painted by Edward Holslag, and booth # 4, a former favorite of the Trumans and preferred booth of later visiting presidents including Harding, Ford and Reagan.
Stand No. 4
21c Museum Hotels
While all of these elements weathered several renovations and even a major restaurant fire in 2014 and you can still book the famous Presidents’ Booth today, small groups may want to ask if they’d like to reserve the secret table in a quirky alcove behind a private door – a modern addition that adds exclusivity and a touch of speakeasy style in the style of the Prohibition era to compliment the heavy drapes that again guard the front door. New to the restaurant is one of 21c’s permanent installations, “Super Catcher,” which contains seven hanging wire and bell dreamcatchers of various sizes and adds Native American voices to the one-sided story previously celebrated within these walls.
Art
The exhibitions in 21c hotels usually take place an average of nine months prior to departure and are monitored by the museum director and chief curator of the 21c Museum Hotels, Alice Gray Stites, with the assistance of museum managers at each location. In Kansas City, museum manager Jori Cheville is currently hosting OFF-SPRING: New Generations, which swaps identity themes often shaped by rituals, ranging from ordinary domestic to lavish cultural themes, all of which have profound formative effects. Sculpture, photography, textiles, technology and mixed media illuminate the cave-like public spaces with high ceilings and original tiled floors on the ground floor. The exhibition continues on the second floor.
Luftwerk, Linear Sky, 2018
21c Museum Hotels
The museum is accessed via an entrance corridor made of powder-coated aluminum LED lights that display an almost infinite series of ever-changing hues in “Linear Sky” and the colors of the natural light of Kansas City are never the same as the look behind them. Opposite the main gallery, in the Dome Gallery, is the museum’s last signature piece, “USA, Crystal Palace”. This lively chandelier crowns the gallery’s dome of the same name and avoids crystals. Instead, uranium glass pendants are used to reflect UV light in the largest of the original 31-part installation at the 2013 Singapore Biennale. This shows the comparable size of the 31 nuclear power countries in the world.
Mohau Modisakeng, Inzilo, single-channel digital video, 2013
21c Museum Hotels
While all 21c museums are typically open to the public year-round, pandemic considerations have restricted open access to hotel guests only at the Kansas City location. However, the public can reserve time to explore at 45 minute intervals. Reservations are available online or online -person. Educational programs and regular tours are also offered during more traditional times and will hopefully come back later this year.
The hotel
21c Museum Hotel Kansas City
21c Museum Hotels
If you’re coming from out of town or looking for a sophisticated place to stay, there’s no need to leave the museum at night. Like all 21c locations, the Kansas City Museum of Contemporary Art is home to a boutique hotel with rooms that display another impressive collection of one-of-a-kind pieces. In Kansas City, every room is adorned with original photos from 21c’s founder and owner Laura Lee Brown’s Arctic voyages, drawing special attention to another of the brand’s most iconic collections, the Penguin Colonies. From the Italian studio Cracking Art, the recyclable plastic penguins are just under 4 feet tall and each city’s colony is a different color. She roams the property freely, showing up in elevators, restaurants, halls and even bedrooms – almost anywhere that guests or employees feel like she is being taken. What started as a temporary installation at the original 21c Louisville location is now a symbol of the brand. While the wild penguins hibernate temporarily to reduce contact points during the pandemic, a handful of light blue birds can still be found on the property in the museum (and above the main entrance).
All 21c Musuem Hotels are pet friendly
21c Museum Hotels
In contrast to most museums, four-legged art lovers are welcome in all 21c Museum Hotels and are treated just as kindly as two-legged guests. Bowls and beds are readily available at most locations, a designated door hanger to alert staff to furry family members, and recommendations of nearby pet-friendly stores for shopping and dining for the whole family so no one needs to be left out of an ornate 21c adventure .
