Elms Hotel (Excelsior Springs, Missouri)

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The Elms Hotel and Spa
The Elms Hotel 2018, Excelsior Springs, MO.jpg
The Elms Hotel and Spa
Elms Hotel (Excelsior Springs, Missouri)
General information
Location Excelsior Springs, Missouri
AddressRegent and Elms Boulevard
Website
http://www.elmshotelandspa.com
Elms Hotel
USA Missouri location map.svg
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Coordinates 39°20′14″N94°13′32″W / 39.33722°N 94.22556°W / 39.33722; -94.22556
Built1912
ArchitectJackson & McIlvain
Architectural styleTudor Revival, Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No. 85000648 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 29, 1985

The Elms Hotel and Spa is a historic resort hotel at Regent and Elms Boulevard in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located in The Elms Historic District.

Contents

History

The first Elms Hotel on the site was a 200-room resort opened in July 1888. An annex with 75 additional rooms was added a year later, in 1889. It was destroyed by fire after less than ten years in operation, on May 9, 1898. [2]

First Elms Hotel, 1890s 1890s.FirstElmsHotel.jpg
First Elms Hotel, 1890s

The second Elms Hotel was a 300-room hotel that opened on July 31, 1909. It was also destroyed by fire, just over a year later, on October 30, 1910. [3]

The current Elms Hotel was built of native stone by the Elms Realty Company and opened on September 7, 1912. [3] During the 1920s and 30s the region around Kansas City, Missouri was a "wide open town" under crime boss "Big City" Tom Pendergast. The Elms prospered as a speakeasy, and Al Capone was a frequent visitor. In 1922 the original owner, the Elms Realty Company, sold the hotel to Dr. A. S. McCleary, operator of a Kansas City sanitarium. McCleary sold the hotel in 1925 to the Roberts Hotel Company of Chicago.

In 1932 the American Medical Association released research studies which stated that there was no scientific evidence supporting the claimed health benefits of mineral water, and that same year the hotel was declared bankrupt and was purchased by the Eppley Hotel Company chain. [2]

In 1948, Harry S. Truman spent election night at the hotel. After Truman predicted victory to his staffers at his headquarters at the Muehlebach Hotel in Kansas City, he then went to the Elms, avoiding the attention drawn to his home in Independence. In the morning he was awakened with the news he had won the election. [4] [5] [6]

Elms Hotel at night (2011). The Elms Resort at night.JPG
Elms Hotel at night (2011).

Throughout its history, the hotel has been the site of other notable activities, including serving as a training camp for boxer Jack Dempsey, and as the summer camp for the 1948 New York Giants football team.

The hotel's sale in 1956 from the Eppley chain to the Sheraton Corporation was part of the second largest hotel sale in United States history. [7] Sheraton quickly sold the hotel again, only to rebuy it in 1960 when it went bankrupt, renaming it the Sheraton-Elms Hotel. Sheraton sold the Elms, along with seventeen other aging properties, to Gotham Hotels in 1968 and it regained its original name. It remained open until 1971. After a number years of closure, it was bought by local citizens and reopened in 1977. [2]

In 1991 the hotel again went bankrupt, but continued to operate. The city of Excelsior Springs bought the hotel in 1995 and transitioned it to new owners, who renovated the hotel in 1998 at a cost of $16 million. The hotel closed in 2011 for another renovation, costing $20 million. It reopened in 2012, celebrating its centennial. In April 2018, the hotel was purchased by Horizon–Midway Group, with management by Two Roads Hospitality under the Destination Hotels brand. In November 2018, Hyatt Hotels Corporation acquired Two Roads Hospitality. A renovation that began in 2018 was completed in 2022. [8] [9] [10]

During the early and mid‑20th century the Elms hosted prominent guests and events associated with the region’s spa culture. Notable visitors included Harry S. Truman; the hotel has also been linked in contemporary accounts to Prohibition‑era activity in Excelsior Springs. [11] Ownership changed several times across the Eppley and Sheraton chains and later private operators. The City of Excelsior Springs acquired the property in 1995 and led a major restoration that reopened the hotel in 1998; a subsequent rehabilitation preceded its 2012 centennial reopening. [12]

Renovation and current operations

The hotel operates as The Elms Hotel and Spa, a Destination by Hyatt, offering 153 guestrooms including suites, an indoor lap pool, spa grotto, and multiple dining venues. [13] Recent upgrades have retained historic finishes while modernizing mechanical systems, guest accommodations, and spa facilities in keeping with the property's wellness focus. [14] The hotel offers facilities for weddings and events. [15] [16]

Location and context

The hotel is located within walking distance of the Hall of Waters and downtown Excelsior Springs. The community's development as a health resort centered on mineral springs made it a regional destination in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [17]

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 Ellen J. Uguccioni and Sherry Piland (November 1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Elms Hotel" (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  3. 1 2 The Elms Hotel and Spa History
  4. "The Elms Hotel", Elms Boulevard Neighborhood Association. Retrieved 6/19/08.
  5. "Elms Hotel" Archived 2008-07-24 at the Wayback Machine , Excelsior Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 6/19/08.
  6. "Eugene C. Eppley", Nebraskana. Retrieved 6/19/08.
  7. "Closing the gap," Time magazine June 4, 1956. Retrieved 6/15/08.
  8. "Two Roads Hospitality Assumes Management of The Elms Hotel & Spa in Excelsior Springs, Missouri as Part of Destination Hotels Brand". Hotel-Online. April 30, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  9. "Hyatt Completes Acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality". Hyatt Newsroom (Press release). November 30, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  10. Fox, Jena Tesse (October 6, 2022). "Missouri hotel unveils top to bottom renovation project". Hotel Management. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  11. "Excelsior Springs Museum & Archives – The Elms". Excelsior Springs Museum & Archives. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  12. Hendricks, Kevin (June 2012). "Elms Hotel reopens after extensive renovation". The Kansas City Star.
  13. "The Elms Hotel & Spa – Destination by Hyatt". Hyatt. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  14. "The Elms Hotel & Spa – History and Restoration". Elms Hotel & Spa. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  15. "Meetings & Events at The Elms". Elms Hotel & Spa. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  16. "Meetings & Weddings". Hyatt. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  17. "Hall of Waters Historic Site". City of Excelsior Springs / Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved August 12, 2025.