SCOPE OF WORK: National Register Nomination; Federal & Missouri Historic Tax Credit Applications
CLIENT: Lighthouse Properties II, LLC
INVESTMENT: $15,700,000
COMPLETED: 2010
The Villa Serena Apartments (Raphael Hotel) stands tall at the corner of Ward Parkway and Wornall Road, overlooking Brush Creek and the Coutry Club Plaza. The nine-story tapestry brick building with terra cotta trim was constructed as the Villa Serena Apartment Hotel in 1928. Noted local developer, the McCanles Building Company, hired Kansas City architect Alonzo H. Gentry to design the luxury apartment hotel. The Italian Renaissance Revival style was specifically chosen to harmonize with the Spanish and Mediterranean motifs on the Country Club Plaza. The Villa Serena offered the wealthy patrons of the high-end shopping center a convenient and appropriate choice of accommodations.
The elegant apartment building was converted to a commercial hotel in the mid-1970s. This renovation retained much of the historic lobby as well as the historic configuration of the corridors on each floor. However, the rooms were reconfigured to remove the original kitchenettes and the finishes were completely replaced. The finishes were updated again circa late-1980s. Lighthouse Properties II, LLC purchased the building in 2005 with plans to update the hotel while respecting the historic features and character of the building. The lobby and corridors were refreshed but their configurations were not altered. Work included stabilization measures such as replacing the old roof, and code compliance, such as reconfiguring several guest rooms to be ADA-compliant. The few areas of exterior masonry in need of repair were addressed. The majority of work involved updating and refreshing the finishes in the lobby and guestrooms. Several guestrooms were reconfigured as a fitness center and meeting facility. The overall effect allows the Raphael Hotel (former Villa Serena) to shine as a boutique hotel.
Rosin Preservation collaborated with architect and owner to ensure that all work respected the building’s historic character. Rosin Preservation also prepared the National Register nomination and the federal and state historic tax credit applications.
Raphael exterior after restoration
Raphael Hotel lobby after restoration
Raphael Hotel guest room after restoration