Kansas City MO peas, hotel help

We usually stay at the Sheraton (used to have the rotating restaurant) when we stay on the plaza. The top is still open but I think you have to pay to go up if I remember right.

This is the Sheraton Crown Center - both it and the Westin across the street are very nice.  I haven't been up recently, but I believe I heard that the top level is now the lounge, so if you have access to that (through room or loyalty level) you can go in.  But, I think that you'd still be able to get a pretty good view just going to the top level and looking out the windows in the elevator lobby area. 

Crown Center is nearish the Plaza, but you'll still have to drive to get there (and really most of the hotels right at the Plaza are quite a walk from the actual shopping areas as well).  If I was picking a place to stay, though, I'd pick one of the Crown Center hotels, because the Crown Center plaza area (not "The Plaza" - just the outside part of CC) is really beautiful this time of year, especially at night.  There's outside ice skating there, too, if you're interested in that.  Both hotels are connected by enclosed pedestrian walkways to Union Station, which is also lovely & decorated.  At Union Station, you could catch the (free) streetcar through downtown all the way to City Market (fun shopping & great restaurants Saturday/Sunday), or stop and wander along the way.  If you do happen to go to City Market, I highly recommend Beignet for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  The Steamboat Arabia Museum is in the City Market complex and is very interesting.

If you want BBQ and prefer to minimize driving, you can take the pedestrian Link from the CC hotels to Union Station, then there's a bridge across the railyard part that will take you over by Jack Stack BBQ.  A lot of the restaurants at the Plaza are chains, but one good local one is O'Dowd's.  Across the street from US and up the hill is Liberty Memorial and the WWI museum.  I haven't been to the museum, but everyone who has recommends it highly.  It'd be a bit of a hike up the hill, but you could likely find Bird or Lime scooters in the CC area to make it a bit easier if you want.

If you happen to go to the Power and Light district, County Line (sister to our famous Joe's BBQ & the only place you can get it on Sunday) is good BBQ, and Dubliner good Irish/American food.