Aladdin History

There is something magical about restoring a historic hotel and breathing new life into a place long forgotten. The original Aladdin Hotel was completed in 1925 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Imagine all the people who stayed with this grand dame and what would be said if the walls could talk.

With 16 stories in 1926 the Aladdin was the tallest building in Downtown Kansas City for a while. The original building was modeled in the Italian Romanesque style with a blue terra cotta pyramidal roof. A series of brick pilasters were carried up ten floors of the facade and crowned by life-size female figures made of terra cotta. The standard price for a room when the hotel opened was between $2.00 and $3.50.

Through the years the hotel has played host to several well known figures of the past including Mickey Mantle, Greta Garbo and several supposed mobsters during the 1920's and 1930's. The original Zebra Room once had a door that led from the alley beside the hotel into it and KC bigwigs were known to occasionally use that entrance to sneak their mistresses into the hotel. The hotel went through several different incarnations through the years until it closed in 2004.

In Spring 2007 the hotel re-opened following an extensive restoration that brought back the original art deco ambiance. The color palette was redone in the true art deco style of contrasts: a whimsy of chartreuse, crimson lipstick red, rich eggplant purple, black and grey. Much of the original historic fabric of the building was used in the restoration including the original marble floor in the lobby and the palladium windows in restaurant. The high ceilings and natural light were also restored.

So, come back to the Aladdin Hotel! You'll feel the magic in the air! Here history with a twist and hospitality with a flair are combined to provide a sense of place, a magical setting for your next stay in Downtown Kansas City.