Elms Resort Spa & Conference Center - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

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Elms Resort Spa & Conference Center - Excelsior Springs, Missouri A real touch of living history is at The Elms Hotel. It was a favorite haunt of the infamous Al Capone. Former president Harry Truman also enjoyed the Elms and its European-style spa. In fact, Truman was a guest at the hotel while waiting for the results of the election for President in 1948 when he won over Dewey.

The Elms Hotel is the third Elms Hotel, built in 1912. The Elms Hotel is illustrative of the Tudor revival style, as applied to a commercial building. The building has an irregular U-shaped plan, with a courtyard formed in the rear. The main facade faces north, and has two projecting end bays which enframe the center section. A two-story, semi-circle bay with flat roof projects from the center of the front facade. The west elevation contains another major entry. A porte cochere, formerly a drop off point for guests, is now enclosed. Immediately south of the porte cochere is the entry door, leading directly into the hotel lobby.

The Elms Hotel has been sold a number of times over the years, and at times has suffered through economic downturns. In the past, gambling became an attraction of the hotel, as it attracted a number of known "gangsters". Other important visitors included oil magnate Harry Sinclair, artist Thomas Hart Benton, and TV personality Dave Garroway. President Harry Truman spent the 1948 election night at the Elms. The Elms is a significant landmark in Excelsior Springs, and is currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Location: 401 Regent St. Excelsior Springs

Phone: 816-630-5500