Boutique Design - April 2015 - 94

4 The presence of load-bearing walls
impacted the placement of all
public-space destinations within
the AC Hotel Kansas City Westport,
including the AC Library shown here.
An open-glass corner makes this
work space visible, but also serves
as a buffer from nearby activity in the
lobby and lounge.

idea was nixed by the local fire department, which worried it might
cause confusion in case of an emergency.
That minor setback notwithstanding, the building's press-related
theme helped earn it a place in Marriott International's Autograph
Collection. "The Autograph Collection is known for delivering extraordinary hotel experiences that we describe as, 'Exactly like nothing else,'
and we believe that The Press Hotel will deliver on that promise," says
Julius Robinson, vice president of the 79-member collection.
AC HOTEL KANSAS CITY WESTPORT

boutiquedesign.com april 2015

staci patton

ken martin

C O U R T E S Y O F D L R G R O U P ( PAT T O N , M A R T I N ) ;
T I F FA N Y T H O M P S O N ( AC H O T E L K A N S A S C I T Y W E S T P O R T )

Housed in a four-story brick building, this 123-key locale in a historic
Kansas City neighborhood is the second representative of Marriott
Intl.'s European-born AC Hotels in the U.S. (The first opened late last
year in New Orleans.) Hired to convert the Westport District property-which most recently operated as the Q Hotel + Spa-into an
AC locale was DLR Group, an integrated design firm with 19 offices
across the U.S. and one in Shanghai.
DLR Group principal Ken Martin says his firm's involvement with
the AC project stems from renovation work it did in 2013 on Noble
Investment Group's Hyatt Midtown Atlanta hotel. "After we wrapped
up that project, the Q Hotel was listed for sale," Martin recalls. "Noble
principal Ben Brunt, the firm's executive vice president of acquisitions and development, called me to discuss that property, and I
shared with him what was happening in Westport. That area
continues to add new businesses and is developing into a more
urban, hip location. Ben suggested Westport would be a good location for the AC lifestyle brand, which targets millennials and other
travelers who are searching for a new way of experiencing the city."
Noble subsequently bought the hotel in late 2013, and closed it in
the middle of last year for renovations. DLR Group undertook a
major overhaul outside and in before the hotel reopened under the
AC flag in March.
The exterior was a traditional red brick, with bright green metal
roofing and a chimney on its front. "We immediately recognized the
façade needed updating to introduce the clean lines associated with
the AC brand," Martin explains. "We elected to paint the existing
brick in a mixture of gray tones, demolish a portion of the chimney,
and completely change the building's look by adding a louvered
element to hide its sloped roof. Our design also extended the porte
cochere to give prominent display to the AC sign."
Inside, the biggest challenge designers faced was in the public
areas, where they needed to come up with creative ways of incorporating AC's open-space ethos (and its signature AC Lounge/AC
Library/AC Kitchen venues) into a cramped environment. "The AC
prototype and brand standards place the AC Library in close proximity to the reception desk as part of an open concept that flows

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