Holiday Lights Draw Travelers to Kansas City's Country Club Plaza Hotels

KANSAS CITY, MO--(Marketwire - Nov 16, 2012) -  Kansas City officially kicks off its 2012 holiday season at the 83rd annual Plaza Lighting Ceremony on Thanksgiving night. With a flip of a switch, 280,000 multi-colored lights will illuminate the tiled rooftops and Moorish spires that define the city's famed Country Club Plaza skyline. Between Thanksgiving and January 15, 2013, Kansas City Plaza hotels prepare to welcome millions of shoppers and travelers who will visit the open air Spanish-style Plaza to experience upscale shopping, dining and entertainment -- and to be immersed in the joyful holiday spirit created by the festive lights.

The historic Raphael, noted for romantic getaways and destination-rich packages, makes the holiday scene even brighter with new holiday-themed Kansas City hotel deals and specials. Santa's Escape offers a spirit-lifting holiday shopping spree with great benefits. The package includes a night of restful pampering in a luxurious room with King size bed and fluffy pillows, Chaz house-baked cookies and ice-cold milk at bedtime, certificate for two cocktails in Chaz Lounge, a premier Kansas City plaza restaurant, and discount coupons to Plaza shops and complimentary valet parking (or self-parking on rooftop for the one driving reindeer and sleigh). Santa's Escape is from $249 and may be reserved online. In addition, a coupon offer for bedtime suite treat of house-baked cookies and milk is available to guests reserving a Plaza view suite during the Season of the Lights.

About The Raphael Hotel:

As one of the original Kansas City Boutique hotels, the Raphael was named to Travel+Leisure magazine's 2012 T+L500 World's Best Hotels. The nine-story, Italian Renaissance Revival structure is a member of National Trust Historic Hotels of America and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Raphael and its signature restaurant, Chaz on the Plaza, are 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 http://www.autograph-hotels.marriott.com/. The Raphael is Kansas City's top-ranked hotel by TripAdvisor reviewers and Chaz on the Plaza is ranked one of the city's top restaurants.