KANSAS CITY, MO--(Marketwire - Jun 1, 2012) - The baseball world's attention will be on Kansas City July 6-10 as players and fans gather to celebrate America's pastime. The five-day celebration includes MLB All-Star FanFest daily and All-Star Sunday, featuring the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and the Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game. The celebration culminates as MLB's stars take the field July 10 at Kauffman Stadium for the 83rd Midsummer Classic. MLB FanFest and Kauffman Stadium are near The Raphael, a landmark Plaza property featuring a distinctive array of Kansas City hotel deals and specials.
When not engaged in baseball activities, fans will be immersed in the surprising beauty and the cultural richness of the city named by Frommer's a Top 10 Travel Destination for 2012 and by Travel+Leisure as the most Affordable Getaway in the U.S. Foodies will savor culinary side trips to legendary Kansas City barbecue joints, a diversity of ethnic restaurants and upscale, cutting-edge restaurants that inspired Saveur magazine to proclaim Kansas City to be America's next great culinary destination for 2012. Fans of music and art will discover an abundance of live jazz at venues throughout the city where the idiom grew up and continues to evolve, but they may be surprised at the diversity of performing and visual arts that are giving rise to Kansas City's emerging reputation as America's creative crossroads. Heritage travelers may engage in the Midwestern city's distinct history by visiting the city's expansive, one-of-a-kind national museums as well as fascinating regional and neighborhood attractions.
A beacon amongst Kansas City luxury hotels, the historic Raphael hotel will remain central to an authentic Kansas City travel experience long after the All-Star game spotlight fades. The hotel's signature restaurant and lounge, Chaz on the Plaza, is ranked by TripAdvisor as one of the city's best. Chaz features the regional cuisine of award-winning chef Charles d'Ablaing and a highly regarded wine list. Chaz Lounge is one of most vibrant music venues in Kansas City, showcasing a diverse variety of regional composers and performers Tuesday through Sunday evenings.
About The Raphael Hotel: The Raphael is a one-of-a-kind boutique hotel and a premier wedding venue in Kansas City that combines the charm and intimacy of a locally significant landmark with highly individualized service. It was named to Travel+Leisure magazine's 2012 T+L500 World's Best Hotels. The nine-story, Italian Renaissance Revival structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Raphael is affiliated as an iconic historic hotel with the Autograph Collection, a portfolio of independent hotels selected by Marriott International for their distinctiveness. More information is available at www.autographcollectionhotels.com.
