The Elms Hotel and Spa

The Elms Hotel and Spa is a historic resort hotel in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, approximately 30 miles northeast of Kansas City. Its identity is closely tied to the development of Excelsior Springs as a mineral-water health resort in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The property began in July 1888 with a 200-room hotel built to accommodate visitors seeking the therapeutic waters of the surrounding springs. A 75-room annex followed in 1889, but the original building was destroyed by fire in May 1898. A second hotel, larger and containing approximately 300 rooms, opened in July 1909. That structure also burned, in October 1910. The present hotel was then built from native stone and opened on September 7, 1912. Designed by Jackson & McIlvain, it combines Tudor Revival and Gothic Revival influences, including steeply pitched roofs, half-timbering, and substantial masonry detailing. The building remains the defining architectural landmark of the property and is a contributing resource in The Elms Historic District. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. During the 1920s and 1930s, The Elms benefited from the regional resort trade and its relative proximity to Kansas City. Historical accounts connect the hotel with the social and political world surrounding Kansas City political boss Tom Pendergast and with Prohibition-era activity. The property also attracted prominent visitors, including boxer Jack Dempsey and President Harry S. Truman. Truman stayed at the hotel on election night in 1948 and learned there the following morning that he had won the presidency. The hotel experienced several ownership and operating changes over the twentieth century. The Eppley Hotel Company acquired the property after a bankruptcy-related transaction in 1932. It later became part of a major transaction involving Sheraton Corporation in 1956 and operated for a period as the Sheraton-Elms Hotel. The hotel closed in 1971 and remained shuttered until a reopening in 1977 supported by local community investment efforts. In 1995, the City of Excelsior Springs acquired the property and helped organize a major restoration. A renovation costing approximately $16 million was completed in 1998. The hotel closed again in 2011 for a more extensive rehabilitation and reopened in 2012 during celebrations of the building's centennial. In April 2018, Horizon–Midway Group purchased the property, which was managed by Two Roads Hospitality under the Destination Hotels brand. Hyatt Hotels Corporation acquired Two Roads Hospitality later that year, bringing The Elms into the Destination by Hyatt portfolio. The property currently operates as a Destination by Hyatt hotel with approximately 153 guestrooms and suites, dining venues, meeting and event spaces, and a full-service spa. Its spa concept draws on the area's mineral-spring history while providing contemporary treatment rooms, a spa grotto, and wellness facilities. A multi-year renovation completed in 2022 updated guest rooms, spa facilities, and public areas while preserving significant historic features. The hotel serves leisure travelers, spa guests, wedding parties, conference groups, and regional visitors. Its location near the Hall of Waters, downtown Excelsior Springs, parks, and local wineries reinforces its role as both a lodging business and a focal point of the community's heritage-tourism economy.

The Elms Hotel and Spa developed alongside Excelsior Springs, Missouri, whose growth was driven by visitors attracted to local mineral springs. The first Elms Hotel opened in July 1888 as a 200-room resort. A 75-room annex was added the following year, but the original complex was destroyed by fire on May 9, 1898. A replacement hotel opened on July 31, 1909. With roughly 300 rooms, it was larger than the first building, but it too was destroyed by fire, on October 30, 1910. The current hotel was constructed after that loss and opened on September 7, 1912. Jackson & McIlvain designed the building in Tudor Revival and Gothic Revival styles, using native stone and characteristic early twentieth-century resort details. The structure's steep roofs, masonry ornament, and decorative half-timbering helped establish its architectural identity. It remains within The Elms Historic District and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 29, 1985. The resort's early commercial proposition was based on lodging, rest, and access to Excelsior Springs' mineral-water treatments. The town's waters were widely promoted for their supposed health benefits, although scientific assessments in the 1930s challenged many of the medical claims attached to mineral-water therapy. The association nevertheless remained central to local tourism, and The Elms continued to use the area's spa heritage as part of its identity. In the interwar period, the hotel served the regional leisure market and benefited from its connection to Kansas City. Accounts of the property associate it with Prohibition-era activity and figures linked to Tom Pendergast's Kansas City political organization. It also hosted public figures, among them heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey and Harry S. Truman. Truman spent election night at The Elms in 1948 and learned there the next morning that he had been elected president. The hotel's ownership changed repeatedly. The Eppley Hotel Company acquired it in 1932 following bankruptcy. In 1956, the property was included in a large transaction involving Sheraton Corporation and later operated as the Sheraton-Elms Hotel. It subsequently returned to its historic Elms name. The hotel closed in 1971, remaining out of operation for several years before reopening in 1977 after community investment efforts. A further preservation phase began when the City of Excelsior Springs acquired the hotel in 1995. A $16 million restoration was completed in 1998. The property closed again in 2011 for a comprehensive rehabilitation and reopened in 2012, coinciding with the centennial of the current building. In April 2018, Horizon–Midway Group became the owner, while Two Roads Hospitality managed the property under Destination Hotels. Hyatt's acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality later that year moved the hotel into the Destination by Hyatt system. The contemporary property has approximately 153 guestrooms and suites, dining operations, meeting facilities, and event spaces. Its spa includes treatment rooms, a grotto, and other wellness amenities that reinterpret the mineral-water tradition for modern travelers. A renovation completed in 2022 refreshed the accommodations, spa, and public areas without removing the principal historic features. Today, The Elms functions as a destination resort, wedding and conference venue, spa, and heritage attraction for Excelsior Springs and the wider Kansas City region.

• 2022

  Renovation completed

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  A multi-year renovation modernized guestrooms, spa facilities, and public spaces while preserving historic elements.

• 2018

  Horizon–Midway Group purchase and Hyatt portfolio transition

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  Horizon–Midway Group purchased the property, and Hyatt's acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality later brought it into Destination by Hyatt.

• 2012

  Centennial reopening

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel reopened during its centennial year after a rehabilitation reported at approximately $20 million.

• 2011

  Comprehensive rehabilitation began

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel closed for a broad rehabilitation of the historic property.

• 1998

  Major restoration completed

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  A major restoration program costing approximately $16 million was completed.

• 1995

  City acquisition

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  The City of Excelsior Springs acquired the property and facilitated restoration.

• 1985

  National Register listing

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 29.

• 1977

  Hotel reopened

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  The Elms reopened after community investment efforts.

• 1971

  Hotel closed

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  The property ceased operations and remained closed for several years.

• 1956

  Sheraton transaction

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  The property became part of a large transaction involving Sheraton Corporation and later operated as the Sheraton-Elms Hotel.

• 1948

  Harry S. Truman stayed during election night

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  Truman spent election night at the hotel and learned of his presidential victory there the next morning.

• 1932

  Eppley Hotel Company acquisition

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  The Eppley Hotel Company acquired the property following bankruptcy.

• 1912

  Current hotel opened

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  The present native-stone building opened on September 7 after being designed by Jackson & McIlvain.

• 1910

  Second hotel destroyed by fire

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  The 1909 building was destroyed by fire on October 30.

• 1909

  Second Elms Hotel opened

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  A replacement hotel of approximately 300 rooms opened on July 31.

• 1898

  First hotel destroyed by fire

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  The original Elms structure burned on May 9.

• 1889

  Annex added

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  A 75-room annex expanded the first hotel's capacity.

• 1888

  First Elms Hotel opened

  [1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  A 200-room resort opened in July to serve visitors drawn to Excelsior Springs' mineral springs.

A historically rooted Missouri resort hotel that combines heritage architecture, mineral-spring-inspired wellness, contemporary accommodations, and event facilities under the Destination by Hyatt flag.

• Hotel accommodation

  Guestrooms and suites

  The Elms provides approximately 153 guestrooms and suites within a restored historic resort setting. The accommodation offer combines updated interiors and contemporary guest amenities with the architectural character of the 1912 building. Rooms support leisure stays, spa visits, weddings, conferences, and regional tourism.

• Spa and wellness

  The Elms Spa

  The full-service spa adapts Excelsior Springs' mineral-water heritage to modern wellness travel. Its facilities include treatment rooms, a spa grotto, and related wellness amenities. The spa is a central part of the property's contemporary positioning and distinguishes the hotel from a conventional historic lodging operation.

• Food and beverage

  Dining venues

  The property operates dining and beverage venues for overnight guests, local visitors, and private functions. Specific venue names and menus are not established in the supplied reference material.

• Hospitality events

  Meetings, weddings, and events

  Meeting rooms, event areas, and the historic setting support weddings, conferences, celebrations, and regional gatherings. The events business extends the hotel's role beyond leisure accommodation and connects it with the civic and tourism economy of Excelsior Springs.

• 2022

  Completion of a multi-year property renovationGeneration change

  Background

  The hotel needed contemporary guest, spa, and public-space facilities while retaining the character of its historic building.

  Action taken

  A multi-year renovation updated guestrooms, spa facilities, and public areas and preserved significant architectural elements.

  Aftermath

  The renovated property continued to combine historic-resort positioning with modern accommodation and wellness services.

  Source

• 2018

  Transition into the Destination by Hyatt portfolioM&A

  Background

  Horizon–Midway Group purchased the property while Two Roads Hospitality managed it under Destination Hotels.

  Action taken

  Following Hyatt's acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality, The Elms became part of the Destination by Hyatt portfolio.

  Aftermath

  The property continued operating as an independent historic resort while gaining association with Hyatt's destination-hotel platform.

  Source

• 2011

  Comprehensive rehabilitation and centennial renewalStrategy

  Background

  The historic property required another major upgrade nearly a century after the current building opened.

  Action taken

  The hotel closed in 2011 for a comprehensive rehabilitation and reopened in 2012 during its centennial celebrations.

  Aftermath

  The project restored and modernized the property for continued resort, spa, event, and conference use.

  Rehabilitation cost. $20 million (Reopened 2012)

  Source

• 1995

  Public-led preservation and restorationStrategy

  Background

  The historic hotel required renewed investment after decades of ownership changes and a prior period of closure.

  Action taken

  The City of Excelsior Springs acquired the property and facilitated a restoration program completed in 1998.

  Aftermath

  The restoration helped return the landmark to active hospitality use and supported its continued role in local heritage tourism.

  Restoration cost. $16 million (Completed 1998)

  Source

• 2022

  Multi-year renovation of The Elms was completed[1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A broad rehabilitation updated guestrooms, spa facilities, and public areas while retaining historic architectural elements.

• 2018

  Horizon–Midway Group purchased The Elms[1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Horizon–Midway Group acquired the hotel in April 2018, when it was managed by Two Roads Hospitality under the Destination Hotels brand.

• 2018

  The Elms entered the Destination by Hyatt portfolio[1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Hyatt Hotels Corporation acquired Two Roads Hospitality later in 2018, incorporating The Elms into the Destination by Hyatt portfolio.

• 1995

  City of Excelsior Springs acquired The Elms and supported restoration[1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The city acquired the property and helped facilitate a major restoration program that was completed in 1998.

• 1985

  The Elms Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places[1]The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The 1912 hotel building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as part of the historic character of Excelsior Springs.

1. 1The Elms Hotel and Spaen.wikipedia.org