Drury Inn & Suites Kansas City Independence

Rooms and decor

Picture a hotel where you pull up to the lobby, walk in, and the first thing that hits you is warm popcorn and free hot drinks set out for the taking — that's the opening impression at Drury Inn & Suites Kansas City Independence, an American chain that doesn't play the luxury game and plays the easy-comfort-and-value game instead. The rooms run warm and simple, clean to look at, built for real use rather than slick design. There are standard rooms and roomier suites with a built-in microwave and fridge, which suit families or groups who want to heat up food or keep cold drinks on hand. The beds are soft, and several reviews agree the rooms are quiet and easy to sleep in even right by the highway, because the building blocks sound better than you'd expect. Anyone who's stayed at another Drury will feel at home immediately — the chain is consistent. Not flashy, but never a letdown.

Food and amenities

The heart of why Drury wins travelers over is how loaded the freebies are. Start with the free hot breakfast every morning, which isn't just bread and cereal like a typical budget hotel but scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, hot fresh-made waffles, fruit and drinks. Plenty of reviews call it far more generous than the room price suggests. Then comes the evening highlight that's the chain's real signature — the 5:30 Kickback, a light dinner spread at half-past five with rotating food and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, all free. Many guests say it fills them up enough that they barely need to find dinner on their own, which saves a lot, especially with a group. Beyond the food there's an indoor and an outdoor pool so kids can swim in any season, summer or winter, plus a fitness room, free parking and free Wi-Fi throughout. Together it's a package with barely any hidden costs — you pay for the room once and get the food, the parking and the pool all in one place. That's the main reason the review scores here run as high as they do.

Location and getting there

This Drury sits in the Independence area on the east side of Kansas City, near Blue Springs. The location's strength is that it's right at an I-70 exit, which makes driving anywhere on the highway easy. For sports fans in town for a game, it's a sweet spot, because you can run I-70 to Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Kauffman Stadium, the baseball park right next to it in the same complex, in about 10-13 minutes. You can drive out for an evening game and be back in bed at the hotel easily, without paying premium rates for somewhere near the stadium. The area around here also has malls, chain restaurants and convenience stores you can reach easily by car, and if you want to see downtown Kansas City or Country Club Plaza, those are a short drive too. Bottom line: if your trip is a self-drive, a game, or a stopover on a longer route, a highway-side location like this delivers on convenience.

Things to know before booking

To help you decide, straight up: the first thing to know is that you need a car here, because the Independence area is a highway-side zone built for drivers and you basically can't walk out to a restaurant or sight on your own. If you haven't rented a car or driven in yourself, this location may not be convenient. Second, this is a standard American chain hotel, with rooms and decor focused on being clean and functional rather than luxurious or one-of-a-kind in design — anyone expecting a boutique feel or pretty views should adjust, because the selling point is value and freebies, not grandeur. Last is booking: on big game days at Arrowhead or during high season, rooms fill fast and prices climb with demand, so if you know your plans, book well ahead for a better rate and to avoid missing out. And on big game days, allow 20-25 minutes for the drive in, because I-70 starts to clog near the complex.

Our take

After reading through a lot of real reviews, Drury Inn & Suites Kansas City Independence proudly sells "value plus loaded freebies plus an easy drive to the stadiums." If the trip in your head is driving in for a game at Arrowhead or Kauffman and you want somewhere clean, comfortable and inexpensive with a free hot breakfast followed by a filling 5:30 Kickback in the evening, plus pools the kids can use in any season, this is about as good a value as it gets — especially for families and groups of friends. But if you're after a luxury hotel, sharp design, or a central spot you can explore on foot without a car, the highway-side location and chain style here may not be your answer. Overall we give it 9.0/10, best for families and sports fans driving in themselves who put value and easy comfort first.