A boutique hotel is finally headed to Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas, with a groundbreaking ceremony set for 10 a.m. Friday that will bring developers and government officials together near Kansas Speedway. The project comes with a twist: two outlets disagree on exactly how many rooms it will have.
A Long-Delayed Promise Takes Shape
Kansas Entertainment LLC has announced that the planned hotel will connect to the west entrance of Hollywood Casino through a climate-controlled walkway, according to the Kansas City Star. The hotel is planned for 777 Hollywood Casino Blvd. and will carry the Tribute Portfolio flag, part of Marriott Bonvoy, per the same report. Prime Group US and Shaner Hotels are set to finance, develop and operate the property, though food and beverage offerings, meeting spaces and other guest amenities have yet to be announced.
The room count itself is a point of disagreement between the two outlets covering the story. The Star's reporting puts the hotel at about 140 rooms, while fox4kc.com reports the newly proposed hotel will have just 125 rooms. Either way, it's a far cry from what was originally on the table: Fox 4 notes that Hollywood Casino promised a 250-room hotel within two years of opening in Kansas City more than a decade ago, and that hotel never got built.
Commissioners Sign Off, Charities Get a Bump
Wyandotte County commissioners approved the hotel proposal by an 8-2 vote at a Thursday night meeting, according to Fox 4's report. In exchange for building the smaller hotel instead of the originally promised 250-room version, Hollywood Casino is offering to give an additional $350,000 a year to local charities, the station reports. The casino had originally received STAR bonds back in 2014, per the same account.
Hollywood Casino sits in the Village West area near Kansas Speedway, a stretch of Kansas City, Kansas that has been steadily filling in with new attractions. The casino itself is approaching its 15th anniversary early next year, and includes more than 9,500 square feet of gaming space, over 1,500 slot machines, numerous game tables, a sportsbook and four dining venues.
Village West Keeps Growing
The hotel announcement lands amid a wave of development in the surrounding district. Margaritaville Resort opened in Village West in 2025, and Tanger took over the Legends shopping mall the same year. A Buc-ee's travel center is expected to open in Village West next year, and the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to open a new domed stadium in the area in 2031.
Kansas Entertainment LLC, the joint venture between NASCAR and Penn Entertainment, has framed the hotel as part of that broader momentum. Penn Entertainment CEO and President Jay Snowden said the hotel is an exciting new addition to the company's Kansas City operations. Lydia Garvey, general manager and vice president of Hollywood Casino, said it is an exciting time to be in Village West and western Wyandotte County. Kansas Speedway President Pat Warren said the hotel will add to the Village West entertainment district and support economic development in Wyandotte County.
