Where are the Motels? (Kansas City, Independence: for sale, hotels, neighborhood)

[cindycat]

Last spring we drove to Kansas City to see the National WWI Museum. We didn't make a motel reservation because it was a weekday and we didn't think we'd have trouble finding a room Well, we did have trouble, but not because they were crowded...we just had trouble finding a motel at all. In most cities there will be "motel rows" on the interstates but we didn't find such a thing there. We drove in to town on northbound I-35. We wound up staying at casino hotel, had a good night and loved the museum.

We want to bring some friends up to the museum before long and we'd like to have a real plan this time. I've looked at TripAdvisor, so I'll probably use that to find the right place. My question still stands, though...is there a "motel row" in the Kansas City area? Thanks.

[Okey Dokie]

Coming from OKC, the first ones you'll come to are in the vicinity of I-35 and 119th/Strang Line Road in Olathe. There are some at I-35 and 95th, but those are mostly older/renovated. There's a few at I-435 and Roe in Overland Park. Out in Kansas City, KS at I-435 and State Avenue and Parallel, there are a bunch of newer ones near Kansas Speedway and Hollywood Casino. North of the River, plenty south of the airport on I-29, and in the Liberty area near I-35 and MO Hwy 152. In Independence I-70 at Hwy 291 and Little Blue Parkway. Good luck!

[rwiksell]

Originally Posted by cindycat

Last spring we drove to Kansas City to see the National WWI Museum. We didn't make a motel reservation because it was a weekday and we didn't think we'd have trouble finding a room Well, we did have trouble, but not because they were crowded...we just had trouble finding a motel at all. In most cities there will be "motel rows" on the interstates but we didn't find such a thing there. We drove in to town on northbound I-35. We wound up staying at casino hotel, had a good night and loved the museum.

We want to bring some friends up to the museum before long and we'd like to have a real plan this time. I've looked at TripAdvisor, so I'll probably use that to find the right place. My question still stands, though...is there a "motel row" in the Kansas City area? Thanks.

Looks like this question has already been answered, so I'll raise another wrinkle just for fun.

You call them "motels" but when I think of motels I mostly think of sprawling 1-story (or possibly 2-story) operations where every room has an exterior door, which you can drive up to. Obviously these still exist, and there are definitely some in the KC metro, although I don't know (or care) where they are.

If this is the kind of accommodations you're seeking, then someone new will have to chime in. However, you shouldn't have any trouble finding clusters of "hotels", of all price ranges, at various busy freeway interchanges (as listed by the previous commenter).

Glad you're enjoying KC!

[Okey Dokie]

Originally Posted by rwiksell

Looks like this question has already been answered, so I'll raise another wrinkle just for fun.

You call them "motels" but when I think of motels I mostly think of sprawling 1-story (or possibly 2-story) operations where every room has an exterior door, which you can drive up to. Obviously these still exist, and there are definitely some in the KC metro, although I don't know (or care) where they are.

If this is the kind of accommodations you're seeking, then someone new will have to chime in. However, you shouldn't have any trouble finding clusters of "hotels", of all price ranges, at various busy freeway interchanges (as listed by the previous commenter).

Glad you're enjoying KC!

This is just me, but when I think of hotels I'm thinking of something along the lines of Crown Center, Marriott downtown or something akin to that. Probably where you have to pay to park. Hampton Inns, fairfield Inns, Super 8s, Holiday Inn Express, etc., are what I consider motels these days.

I would stay in a motel with a direct exterior door to the room only if nothing else were available and if I was absolutely sure of the neighborhood. In fact, I'd probably drive another hour to avoid such a place. But that's just me.

If you want to see a true "motel strip" as rwiksell describes, take a Google street view tour of Tucumcari, NM on Tucumcari Blvd (Route 66). In Kansas City, I think the closest you might come is I-70 and Noland Road.

[RadioSilence]

I can think of several motels along I-35 from Shawnee Mission Parkway to 87th St. (Kansas side). But these really aren't for vacations, more for sales trips and people staying at Shawnee Mission Medical Center.

[rwiksell]

Originally Posted by Okey Dokie

This is just me, but when I think of hotels I'm thinking of something along the lines of Crown Center, Marriott downtown or something akin to that. Probably where you have to pay to park. Hampton Inns, fairfield Inns, Super 8s, Holiday Inn Express, etc., are what I consider motels these days.

I would stay in a motel with a direct exterior door to the room only if nothing else were available and if I was absolutely sure of the neighborhood. In fact, I'd probably drive another hour to avoid such a place. But that's just me.

If you want to see a true "motel strip" as rwiksell describes, take a Google street view tour of Tucumcari, NM on Tucumcari Blvd (Route 66). In Kansas City, I think the closest you might come is I-70 and Noland Road.

That's interesting. I even think of a Super 8 as a "hotel", so long as rooms are accessed from the interior.

Speaking of Tucumcari, it's a funny place because no one has ever heard of it, and yet it's one of the only viable places to stop for the night when traveling between the Southwest and the I-40/44 corridor.

[cindycat]

Thank you for all the good answers. As for the "motel" thing...hey, I'm an old broad. I still say "taped" sometimes when talking about something I recorded on our cable DVR. Of course we stay in the multi-story hotels these days...we'll blame it on my old fingers that typed "m" instead of "h".

So you get my old lady story for the day. It was in the very early '50s. I was five or six. We were going to California to visit cousins. The first day we drove Route 66 from Miami to Clinton, OK - half a day's drive now but a very long trip back then. We stayed in our very first motel in Clinton. Wow!!

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by cindycat

Thank you for all the good answers. As for the "motel" thing...hey, I'm an old broad. I still say "taped" sometimes when talking about something I recorded on our cable DVR. Of course we stay in the multi-story hotels these days...we'll blame it on my old fingers that typed "m" instead of "h".

So you get my old lady story for the day. It was in the very early '50s. I was five or six. We were going to California to visit cousins. The first day we drove Route 66 from Miami to Clinton, OK - half a day's drive now but a very long trip back then. We stayed in our very first motel in Clinton. Wow!!

There are hotels near downtown KC that aren't that far from the WWI museum. The Westin Crown Center and Sheraton (Crown Center) are closest.

[Okey Dokie]

Originally Posted by cindycat

So you get my old lady story for the day. It was in the very early '50s. I was five or six. We were going to California to visit cousins. The first day we drove Route 66 from Miami to Clinton, OK - half a day's drive now but a very long trip back then. We stayed in our very first motel in Clinton. Wow!!

If you drove about the same distance the second day, you probably stayed in one of the aforementioned motels on Route 66 in Tucumcari!!