The historic President Hotel which stood vacant in downtown Kansas City for about 25 years, reopened today after a $45 million renovation as the Hilton President Kansas City.

The hotel, originally built in 1926, has been restored to its original luster and infused with the technology, services and amenities required to meet the needs of the modern traveler.

The Hilton President Kansas City is owned by President Hotel TC, LC, managed by Presidian Management and operated under a franchise license agreement with Hilton Inns, Inc., a franchising subsidiary of Beverly Hills-based Hilton Hotels Corporation.

Located one block from the Kansas City Convention Center, the Hilton President Kansas City is adjacent to the city's new Power & Light District downtown entertainment district and the new Sprint Center arena, both scheduled for completion in 2007. This hotel has long served as a landmark in downtown Kansas City, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

While the original hotel had 453 rooms, the renovated hotel features 213 spacious new guest rooms and suites with all the modern amenities. All guestrooms will feature wired and wireless high speed Internet access, large work desk with two line phones and remote printing resources. Guests will enjoy a restful night's sleep with the new Hilton Serenity Bed, which features the Serta Suite Dreams(R) mattress and box springs, Pacific Coast(R) down duvet, Super Topper mattress pads, and high-quality linens and pillows.

All rooms also have the Hilton Serenity Bath Collection, featuring the Crabtree & Evelyn line of La Source(R) bath amenities, and the easy-to-set Hilton Family alarm clock with MP3 player connectivity.The restored public areas, including the lobby, Congress Ballroom, Walnut Room and the Drum Room, maintain their original look and feel. The Drum Room, which opened in 1941 and played host to such famous entertainers as Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller and the Marx Brothers, will reopen as a destination restaurant and lounge with live performances. Other dining and entertainment areas include the full-service Walnut Dining Room and the Mezzanine Lounge.

The hotel also offers 12,000 total square feet of internet-enabled meeting space, including six meeting rooms, a boardroom and the 1,950-square-foot Aztec ballroom. The 5,000-square-foot Congress Ballroom is located on the 12th floor with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. A 24-hour self-service business center, Hilton Eat Right menu options and state-of-the-art fitness center round out the hotel's offerings.

"As we continue to reignite the Hilton brand with improvements to services, amenities and facilities, we are proud to bring this restored Kansas City treasure into the fold," said Jeff Diskin, senior vice president, Hilton Brand Management. "With downtown Kansas City poised to become a major destination for entertainment, shopping and business, the timing could not be better."Travelers staying at this hotel have the opportunity to participate in the Hilton HHonors(R) guest reward program, allowing guests to earn both hotel points and airline miles for the same stay at nearly 2,700 hotels worldwide.