The Elms Hotel & Spa, a Destination by Hyatt Hotel

The spa and pools were the best part for me, peaceful and relaxing, and the property has a quiet feel that made it easy to unwind. The rooms were clean and comfortable, with historic charm alongside modern comforts. From the moment I arrived, The Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs felt warm, historic, and well cared for. The staff were friendly and helpful, and made me feel welcome. The service and amenities exceeded what I expected. I’ll definitely come back for another relaxing getaway.

The tavern was only open on Friday and Saturday nights, and there weren’t any hours posted. I was also surprised by how much spa prices had gone up since the Hyatt acquisition, so I skipped the spa. It was a relaxing anniversary getaway, though. The room was nice and had a quaint feel, and the staff were courteous and friendly. The hotel did feel understaffed: room service was an hour late the first time, and wasn’t available when we called another time.

I had a lovely second visit to the spa. The massage tables had a wonderful upgrade, and the grotto was relaxing. Three owls restaurant was great, too. I had the salmon, one of the best I’ve had, and our server was friendly. The hotel rooms need major updates, though. The elevators weren’t clean and were a bit loud. After I complained that my room hadn’t been cleaned, they only made the bed and brought fresh towels. They didn’t take out the trash or wipe the sink. For what I paid, I expected nicer rooms.

We stayed from January 9 to 11. The room was dusty and not especially clean, and there was no caffeinated coffee in the rooms. At dinner, they seated us at the bar instead of in the dining area, saying the floor was too busy, though it didn’t look busy to us. We felt they were stereotyping us based on how we were dressed, even though we looked nice. Everything was highly overpriced, and dinner wasn’t very good. The steaks were tough and flavorless.