Kansas City Hotels to Drive Events and Teams to the Area

Kansas City is growing. There is no doubt about that. The city is facing development that it has not seen in years. As one of the best places to live, with one of the country’s highest average household incomes, the city faced one major problem: lack of accommodations held the city back from hosting events that would’ve brought out-of-town spending to the local economy. But hotels across the region are changing the game for event lodging.

Why Kansas City?

A lot of factors make the Kansas City market attractive. With the average annual household income of $155K and surrounding population of 2.4 Million, Kansas City is sparking growth throughout the state economy. Attractions meant to increase tourism and ignite residential involvement in the community like the city’s national sports teams and theaters, will require an increase in available lodging options.

Designing Hotels with the Needs of Kansas City in Mind

Kansas City’s thriving recreational atmosphere provides an opportunity for tourists and residents alike to experience relaxation at their convenience. However, the demand for leisure hotels is juxtaposed with the growing need for corporate accommodations. As the home to Fortune 500 headquarters like H&R Block, AMC, Hallmark and Garmin International, Kansas City is experiencing a need for professional and innovative spaces for meetings and traveling businessmen, while supporting recreational tourism. As a result, hotels throughout the area feature dynamic spaces to encourage both aspects of guest travel.

How Hotels Affect the Surrounding Economy

With the increase in large-scale shows and sporting events coming to the metro area, the surrounding suburbs will grow to support the economic demand that occurs with these endeavors. Areas including Overland Park are adding attractions that will drive crowds from large events to stay longer and spend more in the local economy.

Bluhawk is the perfect example. Aside from events occurring in the city center over the next few years, Bluhawk, a mixed-use development with next-generation retail, is working to bring its own crowds to the area. An estimated 3 million fans per year will travel to watch their teams battle it out at Bluhawk Sports Park. After a long night of playing and cheering, athletes and fans alike will need a place to stay. While accommodations are available at Bluhawk with the team-centric Holiday Inn Express + Suites, hotel expansion across the metro will aid in providing lodging for crowds visiting all areas of the city.

Hotels like the Holiday Inn Express + Suites at Bluhawk are designed specifically to accommodate the dynamic needs of businessmen, traveling sports teams and their fans. With features like an indoor swimming pool, 500 sq.ft. of meeting space with a whiteboard and video capabilities for pre- and post-game reviews, team laundry facilities and services and an upgraded patio and outdoor space, these hotels, in combination with immersive retail, and convention and arena centers will drive teams and leagues from across the country to the area.

Of course, with event and hotel development come the growing pains of solidifying a city balance between tourism and residential satisfaction. The city expects a growth of 25,000 residents and 7,000 homes over the next two years. Maintaining an area where residents can focus and thrive while tourists can relax will become the focal point of development Kansas City and its surrounding suburbs. One thing is undeniable; the influx of hotels, retail and development is a direct investment in Kansas City and creates unique opportunities for its residents moving forward.