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Lenexa CVB reports hotel growth, warns of hotel-room shortfall around 2026 Top Gun tournament
Summary
The Lenexa Convention & Visitors Bureau told council members that hotels in the city posted higher occupancy in 2024 and that a key youth-sports tournament may need more room blocks during 2026 because of the World Cup calendar.
The Lenexa Convention & Visitors Bureau reported continued hotel and visitor growth in 2024 and warned the council that the city risks losing a major youth-sports tournament in 2026 if hotel room blocks are not secured.
A CVB representative told the City Council that Lenexa’s hotel portfolio — about 15 properties now and soon to be 17 — reported strong occupancy and revenue in late 2024. The report said the Radisson at 90th Street had a record year with about $1 million more in sales than in 2023, and that WoodSpring Suites saw occupancy in the mid- to high-80s over the previous six months, aided in part by Panasonic-related business. Hyatt Place averaged about 75% occupancy from July through December.
Why it matters: the CVB said Top Gun Sports, a regional youth baseball and softball tournament operator, needs roughly 2,200 rooms on its peak night. CVB staff reported they currently have just over 1,900 rooms committed and that some hotels are reluctant to block inventory because they anticipate higher World Cup rates. Top Gun staff told the CVB they may move the event out of Kansas if room needs are not met.
The CVB also covered marketing and partnership work: the Kansas City Destinations Alliance updated a digital passport with a KC Outdoors theme that includes Lenexa’s Rolling Magic Skatepark; Lenexa received a Kansas Tourism marketing grant for a Northeast Kansas mobile pass; Legler Museum and The Depot participated in a Sunflower Summer program; and the CVB supported a Kansas Day event at City Hall and is starting an oral-history project with the Lenexa Historical Society.
The CVB presenter said the 3-and-2 Baseball Club in Johnson County has tournament registrations for 2025 running about 100 teams ahead of last year, helped by new turf and amenities, and noted collaboration across CVBs along the I-435 corridor to attract regional youth-sports business.
Ending: the CVB asked the governing body to continue partnership with the CVB, the Lenexa Economic Development Council and the Chamber to retain and grow visitor-related business.
