The Hotel Phillips

Check out the room here! https://youtu.be/CbNKmAYSEEY

This just in…I found a Hilton Hotel I actually like!

If you didn’t know better, the Hotel Phillips in Kansas City is precisely the kind of boutique hotel I look to for a one-of-a-kind getaway.

The hospitality experience begins the moment you pull up to the hotel. Just outside the building, we were greeted by an amazing valet who, in spite of our arrival during their peak check-in hours, handled the traffic with the precision of a surgeon. No one waited inside their car for more than a few minutes. In spite of flying through vehicles as fast as they pulled up, the young man greeted us warmly, handed us a ticket, and informed us our car would be available should we need it again with an estimated ten minute’s notice.

Out of curiosity (and to compare it to other Get A Room destinations like the Hyatt Regency at the Arch, where parking is advertised as an amenity but doesn’t always deliver) I asked what the parking availability was like on weekends such as ours. Pleased to talk shop, if only for a moment, the valet replied that there were plenty of openings and that they are well organized to keep things moving. Nice.

The building itself is regal and swanky, not at all like your average franchise locations. Upon entering the expansive lobby, the architectural details, grand stair case and art deco design take you back to the Roaring Twenties. The hospitality staff are just as welcoming and professional as the ones working outside, and they truly seem to enjoy working there. I noticed a level of peaceful contentment among them that is completely absent at the St. Louis Union Station.

Pay attention, Union Station! You can do better by them!

Even the elevator, dining areas and common spaces carried this theme-making them an interesting option for special events and parties.  As with other logistics, care was taken to insure guests were well-spaced both for dining and overnight stays. There was a wedding party staying at the hotel during my stay and aside from brushing into them a couple times as we entered and exited, my companions and I barely noticed they were there.

The room itself was clean and well furnished with ample electrical plugs. The bathroom was clean and spacious enough to accommodate more than one person easily. The living area was different than I expected. The television was spaced well and on a stand which allowed it to be turned around for viewing from the bed (a really handy and space-saving feature more hotels should pick up) and there the ample glassware was clean and free of dust. But there was no mini-fridge, WTH?!

The shower was a bit touchy and tended to be on the scalding side of hot. So parents may want to be aware before letting little ones operate it unsupervised. I did notice the carpet was stained. But it appeared to be from regular use and nothing to suggest one should avoid bringing a blacklight into the room. 

Like other Hilton Curio’s, many of the room’s amenities were available for an extra charge-like the $3 bottles of water or the $40 bottle of hotel-branded locally distilled whiskey. I would really like to see Hilton find a different way to hawk their Rewards program than to charge such a ridiculous sum for a bottle of non-Fiji water-like maybe better discounts or less advertisements featuring Paris?

The in-house restaurant was also priced in accordance to Hilton brand and not necessarily with the quality of the meals, but there are plenty of better restaurants to enjoy within walking distance. And the speakeasy downstairs was a bit loud for my enjoyment, but it was very popular. The hotel’s website and literature prominently broadcast that reservations are preferred. But  given the number of visitors turned away during my time at the bar, they should just go ahead and say they are required as it filled up quickly. 

My takeaway: forget it’s a Hilton and enjoy the stay!

Do you have a hotel you would like me to review? Tell me about it @ toilandtroublemediagroup@gmail.com