Popular KC pop-up, once a sky-high rotating restaurant, is not coming back this year
Fans lamented the loss of Skies — Kansas City’s iconic rotating restaurant — when it closed 13 years ago.
So when the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel in Crown Center announced in 2022 that it would reopen the space on the 42nd floor as a Christmas pop-up called Winter Skies, the excitement was palpable.
Tickets sold out in seconds, two years in a row.
Unfortunately for those who weren’t able to snag a spot, Winter Skies isn’t coming back for the 2024 holiday season.
A manager with the hotel confirmed Thursday afternoon that the pop-up wasn’t taking place but would not comment publicly on why.
Winter Skies posted an announcement on its Instagram page on Thursday evening.
“Winter Skies will be taking a break this season, but we’re thrilled to be part of the Hallmark Christmas Experience here at Crown Center and our hotels!” the post reads in part.
The last two years, the space has been bedecked with wreaths and twinkling Christmas lights. Ticket holders enjoyed dinner and drinks, taking in the disc-shaped space’s panoramic views of the city. When the pop-up launched, the Sheraton said it would no longer rotate.
Skies was last open for a book signing event in September.
At one time, the restaurant was open consistently year-round at the hotel, which was originally called the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
The history of Skies
Built in 1980, the Hyatt opened Skies at the beginning of 1981. At the time, it captivated customers.
“Even the sky wasn’t the limit to the hoopla that surrounded the January opening of Skies,” Star editor Nancy Ball wrote a few months into the restaurant’s life.
But she noted that the rotation could be a little jerky — even nausea-inducing at times — and the food wasn’t worth its lofty cost (a $15 entree was considerably pricey for 1981).
Regardless, Skies continued to be a popular spot for diners until Starwood Hotels & Resorts took over the Hyatt and the Westin Crown Center. Skies closed in 2011, and the hotel became the Sheraton Crown Center on Jan. 1, 2012.
Rick Brown, a spokesperson for the Crown Center told The Star at the time that Starwood had been analyzing the performance of Skies and other restaurants in the two hotels.
“We’re very sad to see them close. They have been good for Kansas City for a lot of years,” Brown said. “But the dining demands have certainly changed over what they were even 10 years ago. Fine dining in hotels is really something on a rapid decline. Guests want to get away from the hotel to get a feel for the local restaurants.”
Starwood was acquired by Marriott Bonvoy in 2016.
Crown Center Christmas celebration
The Hallmark Christmas Experience, however, will run every weekend in the Crown Center Square, Nov. 29 through Dec. 23. It will feature a Christmas market, festive food hall, Christmas light walk and more free activities.
Ticketed events will feature appearances from more than 35 Hallmark movie actors. There, the stars will discuss projects and mingle with fans.
Tickets and information about the Christmas experience can be found at experiencehallmarkchristmas.com.