Hearne: Not So Fast, Hyatt Regency’s Skies Restaurant May Not be Dead Yet

To borrow an expression, the Skies the limit…

Or is it? The Star‘s Joyce Smith reported recently that Skies – the Hyatt Regency Crown Center’s decades-old, revolving, rooftop restaurant – would close and be converted into a “Sheraton Preferred Guest” lounge after Sheraton takes over in December.

I visited the 20-plus year old restaurant Saturday to check it out one last time. I wasn’t alone. Reservations were tight and the best I could do was a 9 p.m. seating. The point being, if you want to dine in prime time, make your reservations early.

There was even an hour-plus wait to get into Skies scenic lounge – a cheaper thrill – although the hotel did allow small groups to ride the special elevator to the 42nd floor for a farewell look.

Skies last day is slated for November 30, the Peppercorn Duck Club’s on November 26.

However the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center’s new Web page indicates that Skies may live on.

"Work out in the fully-equipped fitness center, swim in the heated outdoor pool, and dine in style in the rotating rooftop restaurant…" Sheraton’s "overview" page reads.

Click on it’s "dining" button and you get a promotional pic of Skies, accompanied by the following description:

"On the rooftop, Skies rotates to provide a beautiful 360-degree view of the skyline to accompany a sumptuous dinner."

Doesn’t sound like a "preferred customer lounge" to me.

"I know nothing about Skies opening again," a Hyatt rep said.

"From what I’ve heard they’re going to make meeting rooms out of it," said a Sheraton Suites Country Club Plaza staffer. "And they’re going to stop it from rotating is what I’ve heard. So you’d better enjoy Skies before December 1st is what I’m thinking."

Not so fast…

If indeed Sheraton is planning on grounding Skies, why go out of the way to include such enticing descriptions on its brand new site? A site so new its local phone number is not yet in service.

Stay tuned…