Seattle-based Dawson Design Associates has been commissioned to provide the design for the Hotel Sorella Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. Set to open this fall, the space is expected to exude the luxury and romance of a Mediterranean villa.
Hotel Sorella will mark the second of Valencia Group’s Hotel Sorella brand. Currently serving as a mixed-use collection of retail, restaurants, residences, and offices, the space-which was originally developed in 1922 and inspired by the architecture of Seville, Spain-is considered to be the country’s first automobile-oriented shopping center. Property highlights will include a 1,800-square-foot pool terrace, 5,700 square feet of flexible meeting and pre-function space plus 4,000 square feet of restaurant and bar offerings.
DDA and their artistic studio are creating a narrative for Sorella told through a space that is timeless, seductive, but rich with history. The design goal is to visually engage every guest and create an intimate experience and interaction with the hotel.

”As a collaborative design team, we strive to push beyond the ordinary to reach the extraordinary,” says Andrea Sheehan, principal and art director of DDA. “Our vision is to create an experience that provokes strong emotions and lasting memories. Our goal is to open people’s eyes and minds to discovering the surprise and delight of a unique hotel experience. Our interiors are our canvas. The guests, our audience.”
A dramatic lobby welcomes guests with blown Venetian glass chandeliers, intricate custom marble tile mosaics inset into white marble floors, hand carved wood paneling, and Renaissance inspired paintings. Siena, Italy’s bi-annual Running of the Horses is also portrayed with a 100-foot long mural.
Swathed in blue, white, and charcoal, the guestrooms center around a headboard tapestry complemented by hardwood floors. White bathrooms of Carrera marble are accented by mirrored stainless steel accents.


“We are hoteliers, but we are also story tellers,” says Doyle Graham Jr., president of Valencia Group. “Valencia Group builds hotels rich with character and design. Hotel Sorella Country Club Plaza will tell its story through the Mediterranean inspired art that will adorn this hotel. We look forward to our guests experiencing all that that Dawson Design Associates is delivering for our newest property.”
