St. Louis is a spread-out city, so where you stay shapes your trip more than in many places. The main sights fall into three clusters: the riverfront and downtown, with the Gateway Arch, the Old Courthouse and Busch Stadium; Downtown West, with City Museum and Union Station; and the Central West End beside Forest Park, home to the free zoo and art museum. The Missouri Botanical Garden and the old south-side neighborhoods are a short drive from any of them. Here are the areas that work best, and the hotel we would choose in each.
Downtown and the riverfront: for first-timers
Staying downtown puts the Arch, the Old Courthouse and the ballpark within a short walk, which is ideal for an early tram time. For the best value, the Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis at the Arch sits about one block from the Arch grounds, with 351 rooms, a free hot breakfast, the free 5:30 Kickback with hot food and drinks every evening and an indoor pool, so a family can save real money on a short trip. For a splurge, the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis on North 2nd Street has 200 rooms and suites looking over the Mississippi and the Arch, an eighth-floor pool terrace, a spa and Ramsay’s Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay, and the trolley tour leaves from right outside. Downtown streets are quieter in the evening away from game days, and parking is charged at most hotels.
Downtown West: for families and City Museum
The western side of downtown is closest to City Museum and to Union Station, the restored 1894 railway terminal. The St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, has 567 rooms in and around the station, a Grand Hall with a 3D light show, about ten bars and restaurants, and the St. Louis Aquarium and the St. Louis Wheel on site, with City Museum a few blocks away. It is the easiest family base in the city. A few blocks east on Locust Street, the 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis fills a former YMCA with contemporary art, has 173 design-led rooms including bunk rooms and lofts, the Idol Wolf tapas restaurant and an indoor pool, and is about a five-minute walk from City Museum. It suits couples and art lovers, and the indoor pool is a bonus in winter.
The Central West End: for couples, foodies and Forest Park
The Central West End is the most charming neighborhood to stay in, with sidewalk cafes, bars, boutiques and grand private streets. The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza is its landmark, a 1922 hotel joined to a 1929 Art Deco tower, with a five-screen cinema, three restaurants and a lounge, a large fitness center and a seasonal pool. Forest Park, with the free Saint Louis Zoo and Saint Louis Art Museum, is about a mile away, the food and history tour starts nearby, and MetroLink runs to downtown and the airport.
Matching base to trip
For a short first visit on a budget, choose the Drury Plaza at the Arch. For a special occasion with river views, the Four Seasons. For a family weekend built around City Museum and the aquarium, the Union Station Hotel. For art, design and an indoor pool, the 21c. For museums, food and a classic historic hotel, the Chase Park Plaza.
Practical tips
Parking is charged at all five of these hotels, often by the night, so factor it in or use MetroLink from the airport. Outdoor pools at the Four Seasons, Union Station and the Chase Park Plaza are seasonal or weather dependent, while the Drury and the 21c have indoor pools. Hotel prices rise on Cardinals home game weekends and during big conventions, and around Thanksgiving remember that the Arch is closed on the holiday itself.
