Hilton President

Where • 1329 Baltimore, Kansas City

More info • 1-816-221-9490 or hilton.com

For the grand opening of the Kauffman Center, we stayed at the Hilton President in the nearby Power and Light Entertainment District. It's the closest hotel to the center, and there are plenty of restaurants — from the consistently excellent Bristol Seafood Grill to LatteLand, where you can get a good cup of coffee and pastry.

The President first opened in 1926 and has been rehabbed. Our room was clean, comfortable and quiet, and the free Wi-Fi was a plus, but the promise of complete restoration to "the grand era of service and attention to detail" was not borne out in our experience.

You can't get a pair of shoes shined (although the chap at the front desk told me there was a shoe repair place down the street that could do it "if you hurry and get there before they close"), a call to request the hotel's complimentary van service was never returned (we finally took a cab), I was charged for newspapers I'd canceled, and I couldn't get a detailed copy of my receipt. Breakfast in the Walnut Room was pricey and undistinguished.

How much • The basic rack rate is $159 to $209, plus taxes, depending on how busy they are. "If there's something special going on, like a concert, it's more," said David at the front desk, "and there are a lot of those now."

Q Hotel + Spa

Where • 560 Westport Road, Kansas City

More info • 1-800-942-4233 or theqhotel.com

An alternative, although farther from the Crossroads district, is the Q Hotel + Spa, where we stayed on an earlier trip this year. Located a little north of the Country Club Plaza in the historic Westport district, it's a good alternative if you want to be near the Plaza but don't care to pay Plaza prices — and its free shuttle service will get you to the Kauffman.

Q is a "green" hotel, with eco-friendly products and policies. Parking is free — a big plus — as are Wi-Fi, breakfast and an evening wine reception. The breakfast room has something of a student hostel feel to it, and you will wait a long time for your custom-made omelet, but the place is a good value. The spa is one of the least glamorous you will ever encounter, but the masseurs were superb.

How much • Rooms start at $109 plus tax, booked seven days in advance, or $139 if you wait until the last minute. Various discounts are available, including AAA and military, and there's a nice deal for repeat guests: $99 per night.