Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center

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.

Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center
Sheraton Kansas City Hotel with glass skyway connection to Crown Center.
Former names	Hyatt Regency Kansas City, Hyatt Regency Crown Center
Hotel chain	Sheraton
General information
Location	United States
Coordinates	39.085°N 94.580°W / 39.085; -94.580
Opening	July 1, 1980; 45 years ago (July 1, 1980)
Cost	US$150 million
Owner	Hallmark Cards
Management	Marriott International
Height	153.62 m (504.0 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	45
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Edward Larrabee Barnes PBNDML
Developer	Crown Center Redevelopment Corporation
Other information
Number of rooms	733
Number of suites	39
Website
www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcicr-sheraton-kansas-city-hotel-at-crown-center/
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History

Opening

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

Main article: Hyatt Regency walkway collapse

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 guests. An investigation revealed that tie rods supporting the walkway did not meet Kansas City building codes.^[5]

Rebranding and renovations

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

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.