Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / United States / Kansas City / The Raphael Hotel
The Raphael Hotel
Kansas City, Missouri, United States · Autograph Collection · Core Luxury
Alonzo Gentry's 1928 Italian Renaissance Revival Villa Serena Apartment still stands on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza, converted in 1975 into The Raphael, an early all-suite boutique hotel. Twin watchtowers, a red-tiled roof, and a mahogany-paneled lobby survived the 1977 Brush Creek flood. Out front, Bernhard Zuckermann's 1976 marble Boy with Thorn copies the Greco-Roman Spinario. The 126-room Autograph Collection hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 126 rooms
- Opened 1975
- Neighborhood: Country Club Plaza
- Rooms from 290 sq ft (27 m²)
- Architect: Alonzo Gentry
About The Raphael Hotel
- The McCanles Building Company spent $600,000 on Villa Serena in 1928; Bentley Legacy Holdings and Pendant Capital took ownership in May 2024.
- A modern American restaurant and bar still plays live music at night; complimentary valet parking comes with the stay.
- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is 0.9 miles across Country Club Plaza.
- Entry-level rooms start at 290 sq ft (27 m²).
History
The Raphael Hotel occupies an Italian Renaissance Revival building that has stood on the west side of Brush Creek at Kansas City's Country Club Plaza since 1928. Commissioned by the McCanles Building Company and designed by architect Alonzo Gentry to harmonize with the Plaza's Spanish and Mediterranean motifs, it opened in 1928 as the Villa Serena Apartment, a luxury apartment building that cost $600,000 to build.
In 1974 the J.C. Nichols Company purchased the Villa Serena to convert it into a hotel, and the property was reborn on September 8, 1975 as The Raphael, a pioneering boutique and all-suite hotel that preserved its mahogany-paneled lobby ceiling, ornate woodwork, and travertine marble floors, along with landmark features like its twin watchtowers and red-tiled roof. In 1977 a devastating 100-year flood on Brush Creek damaged the property, which closed for nearly a month for repairs. In 2005 Lighthouse Properties purchased The Raphael, completing a full renovation, securing its listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and affiliating it with Marriott's Autograph Collection. Bentley Legacy Holdings and Pendant Capital assumed ownership in May 2024.
The setting
0.9 miles from Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Restaurants and bars
- Chaz Restaurant & Lounge — Bar · Charles d'Ablaing
Experiences
- The Chaz Private Dining Experience — Chaz hosts brunches, receptions, intimate dinners and cocktail gatherings with customized menus and curated wine pairings; a semi-private room seats up to 26.
Amenities
- Fitness center
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Recommended (2026)
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