Where to stay · Kansas City · United States
Where to stay in Kansas City
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: User:Charvex, Public domain
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Downtown and Power & Light. Office towers, the T-Mobile Center arena and a covered entertainment block of bars. Best alternatives — families: River Market; budget: River Market.
Key facts
- First visit
- Downtown and Power & Light
- Families
- River Market
- Budget
- River Market
- Nightlife
- Downtown and Power & Light
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Downtown and Power & Light | Office towers, the T-Mobile Center arena and a covered entertainment block of bars |
| Families | River Market | Weekend farmers' market, international grocers and lofts by the Missouri River |
| Couples | Crossroads Arts District | Converted warehouses full of galleries, coffee roasters and restaurants south of downtown |
| Budget | River Market | Weekend farmers' market, international grocers and lofts by the Missouri River |
| Luxury | Country Club Plaza | Spanish-style towers, fountains and outdoor shopping streets built in the 1920s |
| Nightlife | Downtown and Power & Light | Office towers, the T-Mobile Center arena and a covered entertainment block of bars |
| Food lovers | Crossroads Arts District | Converted warehouses full of galleries, coffee roasters and restaurants south of downtown |
| Solo travellers | Downtown and Power & Light | Office towers, the T-Mobile Center arena and a covered entertainment block of bars |
| Shopping | Country Club Plaza | Spanish-style towers, fountains and outdoor shopping streets built in the 1920s |
| Quiet stays | Crown Center and Union Station | Hallmark's office-and-shopping complex beside the grand 1914 railway station |
Kansas City neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife and solo travellers
Downtown and Power & Light
Downtown holds most of the city's large hotels, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the Power & Light District, a few blocks of restaurants and bars around the KC Live! courtyard where crowds gather to watch Chiefs and Royals games on a big screen. The free streetcar runs along Main Street, so the River Market and Union Station are a short ride in either direction.
- Good
- Largest choice of hotels; On the free streetcar line; Easy walk to the Crossroads
- Watch out
- Quiet on weekday evenings outside Power & Light; Hotel parking adds up
- Nearby
- Power & Light District, Kauffman Center, T-Mobile Center, KC Streetcar
$$$ · Best for food lovers, couples, culture and nightlife
Crossroads Arts District
The Crossroads, roughly between downtown and Union Station, is where old brick warehouses became galleries, studios, breweries and some of the city's most talked-about restaurants. On First Friday evenings the galleries open late and the streets fill with food trucks and street performers. Jack Stack's Freight House location and several boutique hotels are here, and the streetcar runs along its eastern edge.
- Good
- Some of the city's best dining; Walkable to Union Station and the WWI Museum; First Friday art walks
- Watch out
- Limited hotel choice; Street parking is scarce on First Fridays
- Nearby
- Union Station, National WWI Museum and Memorial, Kauffman Center
$$ · Best for food lovers, families and budget
River Market
The River Market grew up around City Market, where farmers and vendors sell produce, flowers and street food at weekends, ringed by Vietnamese, Middle Eastern and Italian grocers and cafés. The Arabia Steamboat Museum is on the market square, and the River Market is the northern terminus of the free streetcar.
- Good
- Great for breakfast and weekend browsing; Streetcar to downtown; Riverfront trails nearby
- Watch out
- Few hotels in the district itself; Quieter at night
- Nearby
- City Market, Arabia Steamboat Museum, Berkley Riverfront Park
$$$ · Best for families, first-timers and quiet stays
Crown Center and Union Station
Crown Center, built by Hallmark, combines hotels, a shopping centre with Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life Kansas City, and a covered link to Union Station, home of Science City. The National WWI Museum and Memorial is across the road on the hill. It is the most practical base for families who want to walk to the children's attractions and ride the streetcar into town.
- Good
- Indoor walkways in bad weather; Children's attractions on site; Streetcar stop at Union Station
- Watch out
- Feels corporate after shopping hours; Few independent restaurants
- Nearby
- Union Station, Science City, National WWI Museum and Memorial, Sea Life Kansas City
$$$ · Best for couples, shopping, luxury and families
Country Club Plaza
Developer J.C. Nichols modelled the Plaza on Seville, with tiled towers, courtyards and fountains, and it is still one of the city's main shopping areas. Brush Creek runs along its south side, and the Nelson-Atkins and Kemper museums are a walk away. On Thanksgiving night the buildings' outlines are lit for the holiday season.
- Good
- Walkable to the art museums; Attractive streets and fountains; Good choice of upscale hotels
- Watch out
- Off the main streetcar line; Chain-heavy shopping
- Nearby
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kemper Museum, Loose Park, J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain
$$ · Best for nightlife, budget and solo travellers
Westport
Westport predates Kansas City itself as a supply point on the Santa Fe and Oregon trails, and its 19th-century buildings now hold bars, live-music rooms and late-night food along Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. It is the city's busiest weekend nightlife area, a short drive or rideshare from the Plaza.
- Good
- Lots of bars close together; Lower prices than downtown; Near the Plaza
- Watch out
- Loud on Friday and Saturday nights; Few hotels inside the district
- Nearby
- Country Club Plaza, Midtown, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
$$ · Best for shopping and culture
West Bottoms
The West Bottoms, on the river flats below downtown, was the site of the city's stockyards and meat-packing plants. Its huge brick warehouses now hold multi-storey vintage and antique dealers that open on First Friday weekends, along with bars and the city's big autumn haunted attractions. It is a place to visit rather than stay: hotels are almost non-existent.
- Good
- Distinctive vintage shopping; Industrial architecture
- Watch out
- Many shops open only on First Friday weekends; Very few places to stay
- Nearby
- Hy-Vee Arena, Downtown
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown and Power & Light | $$$ | Power & Light District, Kauffman Center, T-Mobile Center, KC Streetcar |
| Crossroads Arts District | $$$ | Union Station, National WWI Museum and Memorial, Kauffman Center |
| River Market | $$ | City Market, Arabia Steamboat Museum, Berkley Riverfront Park |
| Crown Center and Union Station | $$$ | Union Station, Science City, National WWI Museum and Memorial, Sea Life Kansas City |
| Country Club Plaza | $$$ | Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kemper Museum, Loose Park, J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain |
| Westport | $$ | Country Club Plaza, Midtown, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art |
| West Bottoms | $$ | Hy-Vee Arena, Downtown |
Getting to your hotel
Kansas City International Airport (MCI), with its single terminal opened in 2023, is about 30 km north of downtown — roughly 25–30 minutes by car or rideshare. Most visitors use a taxi, rideshare or rental car; RideKC public transit to the airport is limited.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Kansas City for first-time visitors?
Downtown and Power & Light. Downtown holds most of the city's large hotels, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the Power & Light District, a few blocks of restaurants and bars around the KC Live!
+Where should families stay in Kansas City?
River Market: Great for breakfast and weekend browsing.
+Which area of Kansas City is best for a budget stay?
River Market ($$): Weekend farmers' market, international grocers and lofts by the Missouri River.