The Fontaine is a relaxed boutique hotel on the quiet south side of the Country Club Plaza, and guests love it: 9.0 out of 10 from more than a thousand reviews, with staff service singled out. It has 132 individually furnished rooms at 901 West 48th Place. The seasonal outdoor pool has cabanas and umbrellas, and the poolside bar, terrace, garden and firepit make the grounds feel like a small resort. Nine Zero One is the on-site restaurant, there is a coffee shop, and free in-room Wi-Fi is fast. A free shuttle runs to the shopping center, and the Fountain of Neptune is an 11-minute walk. The Nelson-Atkins and Kemper museums are each about three minutes by car, and Jack Stack Barbecue is an 11-minute walk. It suits couples and travellers who want a calmer, leafy base, with more of a hotel-resort feel than the downtown towers.
Location and getting around
The hotel is at 901 West 48th Place. The Fountain of Neptune is about 0.6 miles away on foot, the Plaza streetcar stop about 14 minutes, and Jack Stack Barbecue and The Cheesecake Factory 11 to 12 minutes. The Nelson-Atkins and Kemper museums are around a three-minute drive, 1.1 miles, and the Kansas City Art Institute and UMKC about a mile on foot. Union Station is about 16 minutes by car, and the airport about 35 minutes.
Rooms and facilities
Rooms have rainfall showers, 55-inch TVs, bathrobes and air conditioning, and the pool is open from 10 am to 10 pm in season. There is a gym, an electric-car charging station, and a full breakfast for a surcharge. Self-parking costs about 30 dollars a day and valet around 40 dollars. Pets are welcome for a fee per stay, and service animals are exempt.
Who it suits
Couples, small groups and visitors who want to walk to dinner and shop on the Plaza. Good to know: some guests describe the dining as limited and note worn areas, so treat it as a characterful stay rather than a flawless one. Book early for summer pool weekends and the November and December holiday lights.
For a relaxed trip, spend a morning at the pool in season, walk to the Plaza for lunch, then use the free shuttle if you are carrying shopping bags. In winter the hotel works well as a quiet retreat after the holiday lights. Because the property is south of the main shopping streets, plan rideshares for downtown and Union Station, and consider a rental car only if you will also visit the zoo or other outlying sights.
Why stay here
- ✓Seasonal outdoor pool with cabanas
- ✓Poolside bar
- ✓Nine Zero One restaurant
- ✓Coffee shop
- ✓Firepit and garden terrace
- ✓Free shopping center shuttle
- ✓Fitness center
- ✓Free high-speed Wi-Fi
Good questions
Where is The Fontaine?+
It is at 901 West 48th Place, south of the Country Club Plaza. The Nelson-Atkins and Kemper museums are about a three-minute drive away.
Does The Fontaine have a pool?+
Yes, there is a seasonal outdoor pool with cabanas and umbrellas, a poolside bar, a terrace and a firepit.
Is there a shuttle to the Plaza?+
Yes, the hotel offers a free shuttle to the shopping center, and the Fountain of Neptune is about an 11-minute walk.
