St. Louis

[KentuckyWildcat]

We are going to St. Louis in April for a long weekend. We are fairly familiar with St. Louis but we normally stay with family. We thought this time we might stay down around the stadium and arch. Neither of us have been down in that area since we were kids. Are there any good places to stay that are not a small fortune?

90% of the trip will be the zoo, family, and a doctors appointment, but we are hoping to spend some time walking around in that area.

[CitizenBBN]

Wish I could help. went to school in st. Louis, but never had need to stay downtown and even then it was a long time ago. Keep trying to get back for a visit, never seems to work out. Things have changed too much for my info to be of much use. not sure there was even a river there when I went to school. ;)

[CitizenBBN]

Oh, but I can tell you to NOT visit East St. Louis, no matter how appealing the strip club ads sound.

[Darrell KSR]

East St. Louis is a tourist trap. ;)

[CitizenBBN]

It's a trap of some kind for sure.

[KentuckyWildcat]

My cousin took us to East St. Louis when I was a kid. He was about 6'4" or taller, about 350, and a professional wrestler. I don't remember a lot about it, but I remember him getting out of the car and taking his baseball bat because he thought he may need it...

I'm not sure what he or my parents were thinking taking us there....

[Catonahottinroof]

The Downtown Embassy suites is about 12 blocks from the Busch Stadium and about 20 blocks from Scottrade Center if you like the St Louis Blues. Not exactly cost effective unless you have some Hilton points. Last year my wife and I stayed there with 20,000 points and $65 bucks. A cooked for you breakfast is included at that cost and parking will cost $24 for the day you stay there.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Thanks Cat! We love Embassy. It would probably be on the high end of price for us. Not so much on the price, just not sure how much time we will get to spend in that area vs staying with family for free. But I love their breakfast :)

[KentuckyWildcat]

Now it is the wife's family we would stay with. So the value to me and the value to her will be different :)

[Catonahottinroof]

Every now and then you can get a room at the Embassy downtown for $119. It's usually $159 and nearly always booked during nights when the Cardinals play in Busch. Another to consider is the Lumiere which can be had on special for $99 a night.

[suncat05]

Way back in the late 70's & early 80's my Dad was a cancer patient at Barnes Hospital on Kings Highway there in St. Louis. After his visits (both in-patient & out-patient) we would turn left onto Kings Highway and make our way over to "The Hill" (which I think back in the old days was also called "Dago Hill", or so I seem to remember having heard at the hospital somewhere). Should you get a chance to do so, I encourage you to. Lots of authentic Italian restaurants, deli's, and grocery stores that sell Italian groceries. I would love to go back and visit some day, but I find it harder and harder to even find the initiative to leave Florida, except to visit the Philippines, of course.
If Rosario's Grocery Store is still open, you will not be disappointed. I can vividly remember the smells of fresh olive oil and Italian cheeses in the air as I walked in the door. If that is a glimpse into heaven, that's where I want to be!
If the store is still open.

[dan_bgblue]

The butterfly house at the botanical gardens is worth seeing. I was there in December and stayed at the Drury Plaza Hotel. It is on 4th and Market. Parking is 16 per day, room including tax was 118.25. The hotel is nice, very secure, and within walking distance of the Arch and the Stadium. They offer hors d'oeuvres and a free drink to guests nightly in the bar area. Hope they have the MLK bridge work done before you go, as getting into and out of downtown is a cluster otherwise.

[Darrell KSR]

The butterfly house at the botanical gardens is worth seeing. I was there in December and stayed at the Drury Plaza Hotel. It is on 4th and Market. Parking is 16 per day, room including tax was 118.25. The hotel is nice, very secure, and within walking distance of the Arch and the Stadium. They offer hors d'oeuvres and a free drink to guests nightly in the bar area. Hope they have the MLK bridge work done before you go, as getting into and out of downtown is a cluster otherwise.
Drury is my favorite underrated hotel. Comfortable, reasonable, and has those extra goodies.

[dan_bgblue]

One other thought about things to do. If you have younger children, look into the City Museum. My grandkids had an absolute ball there 3 years ago.

[Catonahottinroof]

Thy City Museum is awesome. Especially on the roof :)

[CitizenBBN]

If you're looking for places to go, please run down to Ted Drewe's, the one off Jamieson, have a hard pack custard for me, or a mix in with Oreo. Then get on here and rub it in, I can at least live vicariously.

If you get up to The Hill let me know, know a few places there, I agree w suncat it's a cool place. Also go to Llywelyn's Pub, the original in the Central West end before they opened all the new places, have something with the rarebit sauce. When I went there it was a hole in the wall with about 8 tables.

Also, go to U City (University City), call me and I'll give you directions to the apartments where I stayed my first year at school. if they're still there do the world a favor and burn them down. :)

[KentuckyWildcat]

Based on vacancy we might not be staying downtown LOL Checked a few places the other day and the best room I have found was $550 per night, ouch. Going to check a few more tonight. But we might end up staying closer to her family. We mostly want to get the little one in a pool some, downtown was just something we have been wanting to do sometime but it might have to wait this trip.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Probably decide tonight, if the wife agrees. We might stay here
http://www.stlouisunionstation.com/

[CitizenBBN]

I like Union Station. Never actually stayed in the rooms but hung out there some. Touristy stuff of course but it was still fun.

You sure you don't want to stay up in U City where I lived? Would be less expensive and the odds of you getting shot are definitely not overly high. :)

[KentuckyWildcat]

I'll pass on U City lol

I've looked everywhere. I know what I'd pick but still waiting on someone.....

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