As someone sick of going through Atlanta to go anywhere, when it came time to book a trip to New York, I decided to try something different. Rather than flying from my home airport of Springfield, I drove up to Kansas City in order to catch a direct flight from MCI (yes, that’s the airport code — not KCI) to LGA. But, since my flight was leaving at 6 a.m., I thought it would be smart to drive up the night before and spend the night near the airport. In looking at available options, I ultimately landed on Atwell Suites.
So what was it about this property that made me choose it — and did it live up to my expectations? Let’s take a look at what Atwell Suites Kansas City Airport offers and my particular stay.
Atwell Suites Kansas City Airport: About the Hotel and My Stay
How I Booked
Atwell Suites is an IHG brand. And since I have an IHG co-branded credit card, I have a few of their points to my name. I elected to use some of those for my stay, spending 23,000 of them on my single night.
Of course, in addition to booking direct on IHG’s site, this property can be found on plenty of third-party sites and portals.
Location
Atwell Suites is located among several other hotels near the Kansas City International Airport (which itself is north of the city). From the property, it’s less than 10 minutes to the airport, including the parking garage. It was basically a straight shot too, making it quite convenient.
Checking In
I arrived at the hotel around 10 p.m. and was happy to find that there was plenty of parking to go around. After taking a spot on the side of the building, I headed through the main entrance. Upon entering, I spotted the front desk — although it was in an unexpected location. Rather than having a large, dedicated space, it was almost attached to the bar behind it. This wasn’t a problem, but it was interesting how little real estate was utilized for this purpose.
When I stepped up to check in, the process went quite quickly. Since I have IHG Platinum status (thanks to my IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card), I was able to choose a snack and drink item from the grab & go section. Even though it was getting late, I actually hadn’t had a chance to eat dinner when I checked in, so I was quite thankful for this.
The Room
Off the bat, if I were to be asked to compare Atwell Suites to another brand under a different hotel group, I’d say something like Tru by Hilton. That’s to say it’s economical while also being playful and modern (and clean). A great example of this playfulness is the do-not-disturb sign, which is fashioned like sticky notes but is actually a magnet. Cute!
According to the Atwell Suites site, the two Queen bed room I was in measured in at 400 square feet — which makes sense because it definitely felt big (and felt a whole lot bigger in retrospect, following my stay in New York). But, unlike some rooms with a lot of empty, dead space, the room featured some useful furniture and features. First, beside the front door was a counter with a sink. Below that was a mini-fridge and microwave. There was also a small bench next to that, which I elected to use as my luggage space.
Across from that were two other seating options. In one corner was a full-sized couch and ottoman. In front of that was a fairly high table/desk and chair. FYI, this proved to be the perfect place to sit and eat my complimentary charcuterie pack (AKA “adult Lunchable”) from the market area.
The other side of the room was about what you’d expect, with my queen beds and the door to the bathroom. Starting with the beds, I was happy to find power outlets on the bed frame as they came in handy. I’ll also give a shoutout to the art above the beds — and the black and white display at the front of the room, come to think of it.
As for the bathroom, it was pretty nice. Although, compared to the rest of the room, it didn’t seem as large. Then again, it didn’t feel particularly small either, so I had no issues.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of the room was what I’ll call a pass-through closet. From the main part of the room, there’s a door to a closet. Then, in the bathroom, there’s another door leading to the same closet. I’m guessing that the idea here is that you could hang your clothes and then access them after showing? I’d honestly never seen anything like this in a hotel room before, but it’s not a bad idea.
I should also note that Atwell Suites puts an emphasis on being green. This is evident in the requirement to have a key (or, if we’re being honest, any card) in the slot by the front door in order to keep the electricity on. I’ve seen this type of thing in both Asian and European hotels, but I can’t say I’ve come across it often stateside. The front desk agent did prepare me for it though, explaining why she was printing me two keys when I clearly was just one person.
Finally, despite being near an airport, I didn’t hear much outside noise. Granted, I’m not sure how many flights are arriving/departing between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., but still.
Amenities
Given my short stay, I didn’t get a chance to check out all that Atwell Suites offered — which is actually kind of a shame. For one, as I mentioned, there’s a bar in the lobby, which is also where you can get your complimentary breakfast in the morning as well as (paid) small bites later in the day.
But there are other food and beverage options as well. In addition to the 24-hour market that I mentioned, there’s a beverage station where you can make fresh brewed coffee or grab either still or sparkling water.
Being so close to the airport, you can bet that they also offer an airport shuttle. In fact, this runs 24 hours a day!
Looking on their site, they also offer Park, Stay, and Go packages, allowing you to keep your car on property for as many as eight days (depending on which package you purchase). Outside of these packages, the site says you can book extended stay parking for $10 a day. This could add up to significant savings versus parking at the airport itself, so this could be a useful option.
Final Thoughts on Atwell Suites Kansas City Airport
As my pre-airport departure hotel, Atwell Suites Kansas City Airport proved to be a perfect pick. But, honestly, this was a property I’d have liked to spend more time at (or at least would feel comfortable having a longer stay at). Between the in-room amenities, complimentary beverage situation, and overall vibe, it seemed like a great place to hang out for a while. Although that sentiment may be better applied to the brand and not this particular location, as you’d probably want to stay closer to the heart of the city if you were coming to explore KC.
Perhaps in the future, if I plan to fly out of MCI, I’ll make a point to drive up early and get to spend at least a little longer enjoying the amenities of Atwell Suites before flying out. And, if you too are looking for a hotel near said airport, I think this is a great option (and you could seriously save a ton by parking here and riding in on the shuttle). With that, not only do I intend on returning to this Atwell Suites property, but I’ll also now be on the lookout for other locations in the brand’s portfolio as we travel.