Home2 Suites in Crossroads Expects to be Home by Christmas

By Kevin Collison

The new Home2 Suites by Hilton opening soon at 20th and Main in the Crossroads takes its ‘home’ description seriously.

Rooms come with a kitchen many downtown apartment residents would envy including a full-size refrigerator, dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave and tableware.

And for the more ambitious guest, you can check out a tabletop induction burner for some serious cooking.

“It’s considered a mid-tier extended stay,” said Chris Rorrer, bench manager for True North Hotel Group, the manager of the 114-room Home2 Suites. “We’re trying to capture a large audience of guests, either business or leisure.”

The $16 million project was developed by Main Lodging Partners, comprised of Sunflower Development Group and True North Hotel. It occupies what had been a vacant lot and a closed ramp off Main Street.

Rooms feature large, well-equipped kitchens.

Two of the upper floor rooms have balconies overlooking the surrounding Crossroads Arts District and all have extra soundproofing to buffer the noise of the adjoining streetcar.

Dan Gudenkauf, True North general manager, believes the new hotel will thrive because of its location in the Crossroads and noted it’s already has booked plenty of rooms, is sold-out for New Year’s Eve and has multiple wedding parties lined up.

Home2 Suites is opening at a time when several other downtown hotels are in the works or have recently opened.

The Hotel Indigo at 11th and Baltimore is scheduled to open this week, and four other hotels are being built in the Crossroads including another Hotel Indigo, the Aparium Hotel, Hampton Inn and of course, the new Loews convention hotel.

“I think the convention hotel will help us,” Rorrer said. “It will bring big conferences in.”

While the guests at Home2 Suites will have all the gear they need for cooking, amenities include a complimentary breakfast. There’s also a swimming pool and fitness room off the second floor lobby. Parking is on the ground floor beneath the building.

The hotel also emphasizes recycling. The room kitchens use china and silverware instead of paper and plastic, and recycling bins are plentiful. The Home2 is expected to employ 25- to 30 people.

This will be the seventh hotel managed by Overland Park-based True North in the Kansas City metropolitan area. An eighth also is underway in Leavenworth.

One-bedroom rooms have an apartment feel.

The lobby is located on the second floor, the ground level beneath building is for parking.

Amenities include a small pool off the lobby.