In 1967, Miller Nichols, the president of J. C. Nichols Company, Inc., purchased 6.5 acres of land in the southwest corner of Ward Parkway and Wornall Road in the historic Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. What once was the site of 13 duplex dwellings and two single-family houses soon became the vision of a 400-room hotel and a set of luxury apartment buildings.Nichols' vision was to build a contemporary luxury hotel in the Plaza area that would provide warm and personal service to transient guests, residents in the area and business groups, as well as improve the image of Kansas City in the eyes of tourists and conventioneers. On February 1, 1969, that vision became a reality and construction began on the hotel.In keeping with the Spanish theme of the Country Club Plaza, Nichols hired Kansas City architects Kivett & Myers to design The Fairmont Kansas City at the Plaza. Contemporary Spanish architecture is reflected throughout the hotel, from the custom-designed furnishings to the guest rooms and refinished Hispanic artifacts throughout the hotel.On May 1, 1972, The Fairmont Kansas City at the Plaza opened its doors to the public. During the next 18 years, the hotel catered to the needs of such famous celebrities as Michael Jackson, Shelley Long, The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top and Steve Guttenberg.Today, The Fairmont Kansas City at the Plaza still stands by its original decree: "To earn the loyalty of our guests by exceeding their expectations and providing warm and personal service in distinctive surroundings."