Is KC’S Old Skies Revolving Restaurant Making A Comeback?
Back in the day, Skies, the revolving restaurant perched on top of the Hyatt-Regency Kansas City, was one of THE places to eat and get a great bird's eye view of Kansas City. Sadly, when Starwood took over the hotel and rebranded it as the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center in 2011 they closed the rooftop restaurant. After two successful years as a pop-up holiday bar, could Skies be making a comeback?
My interest was piqued when I saw that Skies' Facebook page had been updated with a new image at the top of the page. Then about a week ago Skies wrote this on their Facebook page, "Discover the unique charm of Skies, minus the winter decor, in our special off-season event. This exclusive, complimentary experience is something all levels of Bonvoy Members will be interested in!"
I was tempted to write something about Skies' comeback but decided to wait and see how things developed.
My first thought was, oh it's just a ploy to get people to join Sheraton Kansas City's loyalty program, Marriot Bonvoy. Did I join? Sure, why not? I've thought for the past two years if I ever managed to score that elusive ticket to Skies I'd want to make it a night and just stay at the hotel. Two, I am heading to Chicago this summer and while I haven't figured out where I'm staying, it certainly won't hurt anything to be in the program.
Earlier this afternoon they revealed the latest. Skies is hosting a 90-minute reception with small plates, appetizers, and two drink tickets for 16 winners and 16 winners' guests on Thursday, May 2, 2024.
I'm not a huge fan of all the hoops you have to go through to qualify to be one of the 16 winners. It should be as simple as being a Marriot Bonvoy member and signing up to win. But no, you need to like and share Skies' Facebook and Instagram pages, comment on the post, and be a Marriot Bonvoy member. So there is a little heavy lifting involved. You kind of really got to want it.
All of this, though, does leave questions unanswered. Is Skies making a comeback? Will there ever be a time when you can pop in with your significant other and enjoy a cocktail looking out over Kansas City without having to win something?
I called the Sheraton Kansas City and asked that question. The gist I got from the hotel operator was that Skies is mostly used for meetings and receptions and that there were no plans right now to open it up as a bar or lounge you could pop into for a nightcap or a cocktail. However, I did get the impression that there could be another season for the pop-up bar around the holidays and the occasional contest like the hotel is running right now.
I want to think all of this is a preamble to something bigger for Skies. Making it a place we can all experience, and getting as many people to like and share the Skies page on Facebook and Instagram is some part of laying the groundwork for a big announcement.
However, that might all be pie in the sky. It might just be one more incentive to get people to sign up for their loyalty program and another way to continue building the mystique of the old restaurant space.
If you'll excuse me, I've got to go like, comment, share and do everything I need to enter the contest. I probably won't win, but it'll be fun talking to my girlfriend about how fun it'll be if we're one of the winners.
