Courtyard by Marriott Kansas City Downtown/Convention Center

We relied on public transit throughout our first Kansas City visit, so I picked this hotel for its location near the RideKC Streetcar's Kauffman Center stop. The streetcar was convenient, felt safe, and was free. From Union Station, where we arrived from St. Louis with our luggage, it was an easy trip of two stops to just below the hotel. The walk uphill was short and manageable for my wife and me, both in our 60s. At check-in, a very pleasant Marriott employee learned it was our first visit and offered complimentary breakfast for all three days. That unexpected savings left us more to spend around the city. Breakfast had plenty of choices, healthy and carb-heavy, and the attendant kept the food and drinks stocked and the tables clean. Our queen room was roomy enough for the two of us, with a large bathroom, and on the fifth floor we didn't have street noise. At checkout, the manager was friendly and engaging, just like the employee who welcomed us. Those two interactions were a lovely way to bookend our first trip to Kansas City.

The room was nice, and the conference staff were really good, but the mobile key was unreliable. The parking situation felt misleading. I left my car in the garage until 3 pm because I was attending a conference at the hotel, then got a surprise parking notice. There was no sign saying parking was only valid through checkout. I had even asked the front desk whether staying later would be a problem, and they said it was fine. I wouldn't recommend it.

It's a nice place, with a good paid breakfast for a hotel, and the gym is very basic. Parking's in a public garage behind the building. You have to cross an alley to get in, which is a bit annoying.

The rooms are nice overall, and the downtown location is central. But on a warm weekend in KC, our room wouldn't go below 69-70 degrees. It seemed like the hotel was limiting the temperature to save money, something I've run into at other Marriott properties too. The mini fridge was another frustration: it only ran for two hours after you pressed a button inside, so it wasn't cold when we arrived and couldn't properly chill food or drinks left overnight. These little cost-cutting measures really hurt the stay. I'd avoid this hotel in the future, and I'll call ahead elsewhere to ask about this practice.