Smiling faces dressed in Hawaiian shirts, floral dresses and colorful leis packed the Margaritaville Hotel lobby in western Wyandotte County under a giant, navy blue flip flop - margaritas in hand.

The resort is now open for visitors seeking a tropical Midwestern getaway.

Margaritaville executives, location staff, elected officials, developers and other guests gathered on Tuesday in the resort's new Kansas City, Kansas location near the Kansas Speedway. The hotel's opening ceremony included speeches, a ribbon cutting and a toast with goblets of margaritas so large that some Margaritaville team members required two hands to hold.

The island-style resort features indoor and outdoor pools, an obstacle course, a fitness center and an entertainment center. Visitors can enjoy poolside drinks and post-swim eats with a restaurant, bars and a grab-and-go market.

The poolside patio is seen at Margaritaville on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Kansas City, Kansas.

Guests can book from the selection of 228 guest rooms through Margaritaville's website. Prices start at $247 for weekdays and $400 a night for weekends throughout the summer. For context, rooms at Hotel Kansas City and the Loews Kansas City Hotel downtown go for around $260 a night for weekends this summer.

A lounging area in the lobby of Margaritaville Hotel is seen on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Kansas City, Kansas.

The blue and white walls of Margaritaville also offer over 14,000 square feet of space for events like weddings and meetings.

A chandelier featuring upside-down margarita glasses hangs at the south entrance of Margaritaville on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Kansas City, Kansas.

Mark Moberly, a partner at Sunflower Development Group, one of Margaritaville's developers, spoke throughout the ceremony, thanking those involved with the sea-inspired hotel's creation.

Moberly said he hopes people see Margaritaville is "as much a state of mind as it is geography."

A two-bedroom suite is seen at Margaritaville Hotel on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Kansas City, Kansas.

"When Jimmy Buffett's song ‘Margaritaville' came out in 1977, its message was clear: Find paradise and relax," Moberly said. "It's this notion that propelled Jimmy … to turn Margaritaville into a hospitality powerhouse centered on the laid-back lifestyle."

As Margaritaville Holdings' CEO, John Cohlan helped develop Margaritaville into "the business of making fun," which is what his friend Buffett was all about, Cohlan said.

Tamera Baldanza-Dekker, chief marketing officer of Margaritaville Hotel, toasts with a margarita goblet during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Margaritaville Hotel on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Kansas City, Kansas.

Margaritaville sits on the grounds of the former Schlitterbahn Waterpark, which closed after a 10-year-old died in a water slide accident. Speakers acknowledged that a new development was needed to bring fun to an area devastated by tragedy and held a moment of silence.

Cohlan said team members are excited to contribute to economic development, and KCK Mayor Tyrone Garner is sure Wyandotte County will benefit from Margaritaville.

"This is that seed that's going to add more to the opportunities for continued growth," Garner told The Star.

Kansas City, Kansas, mayor Tyrone Garner attends the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Margaritaville on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Kansas City, Kansas.

Margaritaville will employ around 200 people, according to general manager Zac Alft. He added that the hotel will bring tourists to KCK.

"There's going to be a lot of people coming to Kansas City, maybe for the first time, who are discovering how amazing our city is," Alft told The Star.

Locals will also be able to enjoy the resort with up to 15% discounts for Kansas and Missouri residents with a valid driver's license and day passes to the pools, which cost $60 for adults and $20 for kids ages 4-12. Pool passes and cabana rentals can be purchased in person and will soon be available online as well.

The bathroom of a two-bedroom suite at Margaritaville Hotel is seen on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Kansas City, Kansas.

Adriana Davalos, a popular Kansas City lifestyle influencer, said her followers are eager to see and experience Margaritaville.

"I really can't believe that they can transport us to a tropical paradise in just a hotel," Davalos told The Star.

While Davalos and event speakers joked about a tropical resort among the fields of Kansas, all were confident that Margaritaville will deliver much needed joy. Cohlan agreed, pointing to the massive flip flop.

"While this may not be a ruby slipper, this is really what you wear when you're in paradise," Cohlan said.