The hotel was built in free-style Spanish architecture and contained 150 rooms with private and connecting baths (all rooms with outside exposure), a veranda with porch swings which later was converted to a lounge, ballroom, large dining room, cocktail lounge, and many other features. The milk, cream, butter, eggs, poultry, and vegetables and fruits in season were supplied by the Snapp Farm, one mile from the hotel. A coffee shop, called the "Ginger Snap", was patterned after a famous Spanish Inn in Mexico. The sun room had ping-pong tables and putting greens for year-round golf games.

The basement contained a spa with separate departments for men and women. It was managed by Max Meloy, a graduate of the Chicago School of Massage and Therapeutic Gymnastics. The bath department had the only "sun-ray" equipment in Excelsior Springs. The Snapp's Hotel Beauty Parlor also operated out of the first floor of the hotel.

The hotel later changed ownership several times, including a period when the local Elks club tried their hands at hotel management. It was known as the Oaks Hotel in the 1950's. In the spring of 1991, when the structure was vacant, the hotel, which featured "fireproof" steel and reinforced concrete construction, underwent severe interior damage due to a fire.

The building is listed on the Local Landmarks Register.