Aladdin--boutique hotel by Holiday Inn

[KansasCityCraka]

really like that sign!

[Midtownkid]

A mi, si...Tambien

[FangKC]

I'm glad that it's being called The Aladdin Hotel again. It's so much better than Citi-Centre Hotel.

[KCPowercat]

I completely approve of the new sign.  It doesn't appear to be neon though. It's glass/plastic panels that are backlit, but in the shape of an old fashioned type of sign. It's modern but historically appropriate for the style of building.  There also appears to be roof brackets installed that are placed on the top of the building for another sign. 

Those roof brackets were for the old Holiday Inn sign...not that they won't reuse them.

That sign is sharp...really stands off well against the brick.

[staubio]

Set to open May 4 per the Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/s ... from_rss=1

[Slappy the Wang]

Am I the only one who thinks the interior (especially the rooms) looks like any other POS Howard Johnson MOTEL or SUPER 8 in Hayes, Kansas?  Nice exterior, great perceived mystique, but it's a bottom feeder.

[tat2kc]

Actually, I thought they looked pretty nice. Its a holiday Inn, not an Omni.

[Midtownkid]

yo tambien

[KansasCityCraka]

yo tambien

How do I turn the spanish filter off of this kid? 

[KCKev]

How do I turn the spanish filter off of this kid? 

Try a couple of Paso's.

[KansasCityCraka]

Try a couple of Paso's.

I had something racist to say but I figured I would refrain from doing so. 

[moderne]

The terra cotta on the facade looks absolutely gleaming now that it has been cleaned.

[cityscape]

Am I the only one who thinks the interior (especially the rooms) looks like any other POS Howard Johnson MOTEL or SUPER 8 in Hayes, Kansas?  Nice exterior, great perceived mystique, but it's a bottom feeder.

Yes you are.  I've never been to a Super 8 with dual shower heads, flat screen tv, and granite counter tops in the bathroom.  I'm not saying the Aladdin is going to be anything like a W hotel, but it is certainly better than it was before and looks nicer than a typical Holiday Inn.

[FangKC]

The terra cotta on the Aladdin, President Hotel, Waltower Building (NE corner at 9th and Walnut) and the Professional Building all look so good now that they have been cleaned.  Sometimes just cleaning the facade can do wonders.

Keep in mind that two of the buildings I mentioned above were at one time identified by City leaders as blighted and targeted for demolition.  This is like tearing down a house because it just needs to be painted. We see now what sprucing up can do.

One can only imagine how much better the Bryant Building would look if the facade were cleaned.

This just goes to show that City leaders (elected and prominent businessmen) need to be challenged when they propose tearing down an older building just because it's been neglected and is empty. They are unique and filled with character and detail. Facades of this type are never going to be duplicated, so when they are lost, they are gone forever. Thus the need to preserve as many as possible.  Residents and visitors need these buildings as a reminder of how old this city is, and that it's filled with a illustrious and interesting history.

Even smaller, older commercial buildings that don't seem significant can contribute greatly to the urban landscape.  Many of the smaller buildings in the North Loop appeared expendible at the time, but had they remained the character of the City would have been vastly different.  Take a walk along W. 9th Street between Main and Wyandotte; Baltimore from W. 13th to W. 9th; down Broadway from 11th to 6th streets; 8th Street between Washington and Central, Central between W. 12th and 9th; Walnut from Missouri to E. 5th Street; Delaware from Missouri to W. 2nd Street; Westport Road from Main to Pennsylvania; or Pennsylvania between Westport Road and 43rd; and see how individual buildings with interesting facades contribute to the overall streetscapes. It's the grouping of smaller, individual buildings that create a pleasing mass along the street.

I think Troost from E. 31st Street to Linwood could be just as pleasing if the entire block were refurbished and  the area cleaned up.

[PumpkinStalker]

I couldn't agree with Fang more.  I'd quote it, but it seems silly to copy what he said in it's entirety, so see above.

[Midtownkid]

Try a couple of Paso's.

We use Euros here in Spain...

[KCMax]

Aladdin Hotel comeback set

Interior decor ranges from retro and art deco to ultra-modern. Vivid colors compete for visual attention with the historic lobby’s polished marble pillars, checkerboard marble floor and brass railing that lines a second-floor mezzanine, which now houses a fitness center and the Martini Loft lounge.

A bit smallish by today’s standards, guest rooms displayed Thursday were finished in decidedly 21st-century fashion. Rooms offer modern mahogany desks and bureaus, stainless steel fixtures and picture frames, 32-inch HD flat-screen televisions, DVD players and complimentary hard-line and wireless Internet access throughout the hotel.

The hotel’s historic Zebra Room will be open seven days a week. Depending on day, demand and applicable discounts, rooms can be had for $89 a night, up to $199 for one of two suites. The rack rate is $149.

[PumpkinStalker]

Wandered inside.  (I'm really good at just wandering in places if anyone hasn't noticed)  There were a few construction guys walking around but they didn't seem to be bothered by my presence.

Here's what it looks like.  Very cool, I think.





This picture is the restaurant in the back, behind the lobby.  Multi-level with about 4 steps difference.

[PumpkinStalker]

I really hate to nit pick an otherwise beautiful project, but if I were in charge of signing, I would have done it differently.

First, I noticed that W-A-Y up on the south side is the Hotel Aladdin signage.  I would have made this the primary front sign or eliminated it altogether.  Either way, I think the big honking Holiday Inn sign - although it was in about the same place in the hotel's previous life - should be on the side as secondary.  Eh, just my opinion.  You can't even hardly see the Hotel Aladdin on the side!

[KCPowercat]

yeah when I saw they put the Holiday Inn sign back up, I was a little disappointed...oh well...still glad to have it back.

So there is a bar on the top levels?