A Nelle Partner: No Vacancy + a Playlist
Words by: Maggie Laubscher | Music by: Abby Yemm
Studio Three, photo courtesy of @impressivespaces
The latest Nelle partner is also a neighbor of ours. Meet No Vacancy, a stunning, eclectic eight-room hotel a few blocks from us in the Crossroads. Rentable by room or as a whole, the space combines the privacy of a well-curated loft with the comfort of a hotel. At just less than 4,000 square feet, the hotel includes the eight guest rooms, plus a lounge and second floor courtyard. We are proud to partner with the boutique hotel for reciprocal events and promotions in our future.
To celebrate, we spoke with No Vacancy founder Spencer Sight about the hotel journey, his creative drive, and the distinctiveness of the space. Born and raised in Kansas City, Spencer has restored residential properties and rented his own home on Airbnb before creating No Vacancy from scratch.
‘I always find joy in discovering new places and new accommodation.’ And now he is giving that joy to others with No Vacancy. Learn more about No Vacancy and Spencer below...
No Vacancy founder Spencer Sight
Photo credit: @k_reckd, via @wayofspencer
Courtyard mural: @firstaidkitsch
Can you tell us a bit about your origin story, before No Vacancy?
I went to school in Boulder, Colorado and then came back to Kansas City after graduating. I spent a year and a half or so just passing the time, trying to figure out what I wanted to do next.
Ultimately, I knew I wanted to travel internationally. I connected with a travel partner, someone who also wanted to explore. We got rid of all of our possessions and went to Southeast Asia without much of a plan. We just kind of lived that vagabond life.
After about two years of being on the move, I wanted to be involved in something a bit bigger, with deeper roots. I found my way back to the midwest and recalibrated. It was a totally new chapter for me.
I ended up buying a house and restoring it. Once I finished that one, I found another one down the street. Five houses later, I had really developed a passion for the design and development aspect of things. I got really inspired by the process of renovating and breathing new life into an old house. It was just one at a time. I didn’t necessarily have an end goal.
So from there, where did No Vacancy come in?
Rewind 4-5 years -- my dad got a call on a property in the Crossroads for an appraisal. I was about to leave for Southeast Asia, but I remember telling him it was a stellar property. Over the next 4-5 years, we kept in touch with the owner.
Eventually, she was ready to sell. It was after I had finished my fifth house renovation and my dad had shifted gears professionally. It seemed like the perfect time for us to work on a project together. He’s not part of No Vacancy, but we restored the building together.
At that point, did you know the building project would lead to No Vacancy?
No. We bought the building, started to demo, and really didn’t have a master plan for it. People kept asking and there was a lot of questioning because it’s a beloved building for Kansas City.
The building is 19,000 square feet. It was hugely daunting. I just knew the building needed a lot of work, so that was the first thing that needed to happen: restore it and keep it from falling into disrepair. After that, we brought in some architects and started to reconceptualize it. Haren Companies did the construction and they did a really good job.
I think about a year in, I had the weird idea to do a boutique hotel in part of it. I reached out to a number of small hotel chains, but it was just too small for them. So I thought maybe I should do it if no one else is.
I put my personal house on Airbnb, just to test the waters. After about 30 guests and nine months later, I could picture scaling it up and doing something risky and exciting.
Studio Three, photo courtesy of @impressivespaces
How did you think of the name No Vacancy?
I hired this guy Frank Norton for branding. At our first meeting, I was presenting a mood board of the aesthetic I was going for. One of the photos had a picture of a neon No Vacancy sign. I said, ‘I don’t know what it’s going to be called. It could even just be called No Vacancy.’ And that’s how it came to be.
What obstacles did you encounter early on, and how did you overcome them?
I think the biggest obstacle was really the pushback from the city culture. When we bought it, a couple local businesses left. It put us in a negative light even though we were trying to do something positive for the city. There was a lot of negative talk around us gentrifying the neighborhood.
I had to really sit with that and ask, ‘Okay, what am I going to do?’ I knew deep down that I was trying to do a positive thing, so I focused on following that truth and not being bogged down by the perception of others.
Ultimately, all that criticism was fuel. I transformed it into passion. I wanted to show I’m not trying to take away any culture. This is just the next wave of culture. And now, there’s so much positive feedback, it’s completely contrary to how it started.
What drives you creatively with No Vacancy?
I really feel like hospitality is an extension of design. Ultimately, the feeling of hosting and creating an experience drives my passion for designing spaces for people to enjoy. Creating a backdrop for life’s most meaningful moments.
The lounge, photo courtesy of @impressivespaces
Do you have a favorite part of the hotel?
The lounge. I’m really proud of it. It was a bunch of happy accidents that came together. You can feel the energy in it. It’s a beautiful space in the nighttime, welcoming and comfortable. And in the daytime, there are skylights and it’s really bright and inspiring.
The design of the hotel seems like a really significant part of the process and feel.
Yeah. You could come here five different times and see something new every time. There are details tucked in every nook and cranny. I’m constantly rearranging, bringing in new furniture, refining it. It’s a constant work-in-progress. That’s what keeps it interesting and fresh for me.
Lounge booth, photo courtesy of @impressivespaces
What’s one design piece that astounds you?
There’s two. There’s a booth that I brought back from a casino that was going out of business in northeast Missouri. It was such a journey. I got the biggest U-Haul I could find and it barely fit, it’s 17 feet long. I stored it for a while and then finally, move-in day came. I brought it to the building and it didn’t fit up the stairs. So it had to be cut into three different pieces. In the end, it made it up, it got repaired and reupholstered. It fits the lounge space so well. And it’s never going anywhere.
The other piece is this super wild sculptural bed frame in Studio Four. It’s just the right mix of goth and kinky and maximalism. It’s unlike any bed frame I’ve ever seen. It’s a shared experience each time anyone sees it.
Studio Four bed frame, photo courtesy of @impressivespaces
What literary figure embodies No Vacancy?
I would say Jack Keroac.
What makes KC home?
Family. Familiarity and family.
Who is a woman who inspires you?
My mom has been in small business for close to 20 years. She’s the most motivated and dedicated individual I’ve ever met, just such a positive influence in my life. She’s still at it and she’s still a huge sounding board in my creative process. She was here throughout the design process. She and my dad spent their anniversary here in November.
What elements of The Nelle are you most excited about?
The community aspect. I think it will really be a hub for creative intellectuals and entrepreneurs.
If you could be in any hotel, in any city, where would you go right now?
Maison de la Luz in New Orleans.
