Hotels in St. Louis, MO

Best time to visit St. Louis

The best time to visit St. Louis is during the spring months of April – May when the city’s parks and gardens are filled with fresh blooms. The weather is pleasant and the average temperature ranges between 60 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit during this time. Summer months from June – August are the peak tourist season. Although average temperatures rise to over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, ardent baseball fans come in to cheer the St. Louis Cardinals at their home ground, the Busch Stadium. Hotel prices tend to be their highest during the game season, so remember to book your accommodation a few months in advance. From September – October, fall temperatures continue to drop progressively until they reach close to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the city’s social scene heats up due to a long line-up of festivals and events. Winters are long and cold, and average lows remain around 30 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll find attractive deals on room rates between November – March, except during Christmas, New Year’s and Mardi Gras weekends.

Getting around St. Louis

Getting around anywhere in St. Louis is fairly easy. There are several colorful “Attraction Corridors” signs located along major streets directing visitors to popular tourist sites. Metro transit operates an efficient transportation system, including MetroLink (light-rail) and MetroBus. Cash fare is $2.00 USD for buses and $2.50 USD for trains. A One-Day Adventure Pass for $7.50 USD allows unlimited rides on both buses and trains, in a 24-hour period. You can also use the Metro Downtown Trolley, colorful buses that run a circuit route along many of downtown’s popular attractions, restaurants, and hotels. To explore the massive Forest Park area, hop on to a Metro Forest Park Trolley. Tickets for trolleys are $2.00 USD for adults and $1.00 USD for children (ages 5-12) for unlimited use all day. Taxis are available in plenty and maintain stands at the convention center complex, the airport, and near major hotels throughout the city. If you drive your own vehicle, you’ll find no shortage of parking in downtown St. Louis. There are several multi-level garages and surface lots, as well as metered curbside parking spaces. If you are considering hiring a vehicle, check out great deals on car rentals with momondo.

Best places to stay in St. Louis

St. Louis is the birthplace of iced tea and ice-cream cones, with a rich blues music scene which has earned it the name, ‘Home of the Blues’. The vibrant city also boasts an eclectic food and drink scene and the popular Major League Baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals. The city of St. Louis is like an enormous, colorful quilt, made up of over 75 distinct neighborhoods. Here are some of the large neighborhoods that offer a wider choice of hotels.

Downtown St. Louis

An erstwhile garment and shoe manufacturing district, Downtown St. Louis has undergone myriad transformations in recent years, and is home to many of the popular attractions in the city. Along Washington Avenue, you’ll find several loft-style boutiques, galleries, restaurants and nightspots. Along the recently developed MX district, you have plenty of options for dining and entertainment. A 4-minute walk from the convention center, you have the Magnolia St. Louis, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel. It is set in a historic 1924-dated building with grand interiors, and elegantly furnished rooms and suites. Across the street from the Old Courthouse, stay in the Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis At The Arch. This stately hotel is housed in a period building and is just a block away from the Busch Stadium and Gateway Arch monument.

Forest Park

The 7th largest urban park in the U.S., the sprawling 1300-acre Forest Park offers several museums, the country’s largest outdoor theatre and a massive flower conservatory. Visitors, as well as locals, enjoy biking or walking along the park’s trails. The park also plays host to several local festivals and events from spring through summer. Adjacent to Forest Park, on Clayton Road, consider The Cheshire hotel, a traditional Old English-style luxury hotel, with spacious rooms and themed suites that celebrate classic British literature. Consider the simple, comfortable rooms at the Hampton Inn & Suites St. Louis At Forest Park hotel, located 3 blocks from the Saint Louis Zoo in Forest Park.

Central West End

Perched on the eastern edge of Forest Park, Central West End is a chic neighborhood with stately mansions on tree-lined streets. This area is full of charming sidewalk cafés, restaurants, galleries and antique shops. In the heart of Central West End, you have The Chase Park Plaza, a Royal Sonesta Hotel, set in a regal 1922-dated building. This upscale hotel features tastefully-appointed rooms, luxurious amenities, 4 on-site restaurants, and a lavish spa. For a mid-range budget option, try the Parkway Hotel offering contemporary rooms and excellent guest-services. It’s only a block away from Forest Park, amid the popular shopping and dining in this area.

Grand Center Arts District

The hub for everything artsy, the Grand Center Arts District is home to world-class performers and aspiring artists honing their craft. The streets are lined with eclectic venues that offer a wide range of theater, music, art, and cuisines. You’ll find everything from Broadway-style shows to experimental theater, street art to contemporary art galleries, jazz to classical music, and sushi to soul food in this area. Check out the warmly decorated, arts-themed rooms in Hotel Ignacio, a vibrant boutique-style hotel in the heart of the Grand Center Arts District.

Cheap hotels in St. Louis

St. Louis has several hotels that offer attractive room rates all year round. Just 5-minutes from Downtown St. Louis, you have the Home2Suites by Hilton St. Louis / Forest Park, an all-suite hotel with spacious rooms and charming décor. Consider the simple, comfortable rooms in the St. Louis City Center Hotel, set in an Art-Deco building in the heart of downtown. Less than a mile from the Gateway Arch, enjoy the refined European-style rooms at the 1913-dated The Hotel Majestic St. Louis. You may also like the modest rooms and suites at the Hotel Avyan near the historic Lafayette Square. Closer to Forest Park, consider the Holiday Inn Express St. Louis Central West End hotel.

With close to 80 distinct neighborhoods, the vibrant city of St. Louis has so much to offer that a single trip may not be enough to experience it all. The city has plenty of appeal for beer lovers, foodies, sports enthusiasts and music aficionados. It also has a rich cache of historic sites, galleries, museums and parks. Here are a few suggestions on what to see and do in St. Louis.

• You can spend an entire day in the 1,300-acre Forest Park to enjoy a wide range of attractions. Go walking or biking on the trails, go boating in the waterways, or play a ball game on one of the vast green expanses in the park. Meet armadillos, sloths, swans, penguins, turtles, gators, tarantulas, and several other interesting creatures at The Saint Louis Zoo. Get a glimpse into Missouri’s past through interactive exhibits at the Missouri History Museum. Admire a large collection of Oceanic art, pre-Columbian art, ancient Chinese bronzes and late 19th-century European and American art at the Saint Louis Art Museum.
• Ride atop the 630-foot-tall stainless-steel Gateway Arch and enjoy incredible aerial views of the Mississippi River and the city of St. Louis.
• If you are traveling with kids, visit the City Museum, housed in a 600,000 square-foot complex. The museum offers an interesting mix of children’s playground, funhouse, and quirky pavilions, all made out of unique, found objects.
• Let kids explore limestone caves, enjoy the slides, climb tree houses, and ride in a steamboat at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
• Enjoy concerts, animal shows and petting zoos at the 300-acre Grant’s Farm, just 12 miles outside of St. Louis.
• Take the Anheuser-Busch brewery tour to sample the ubiquitous Budweiser, learn about its signature 7-Step Brewing Process, and take pictures with the famous, feather-footed Clydesdale horses.
• Admire the world’s largest collection of mosaic art at the breathtaking Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.
• Catch a live game of the St. Louis Cardinals, a Major League Baseball team, at their home ground, the Busch Stadium.
• Visit world-class exhibitions that explore the connection of chess to art, culture, and history at The World Chess Hall of Fame museum.
• Enjoy a wide array of live musical performances and Broadway-style shows at the 11,000-seater Saint Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, commonly known as The Muny.
• Head to The Loop. This is a 6-block district of restaurants, boutiques, bars, galleries, and open-air cafes that attracts the young folks. Enjoy live music at the pop-culture themed diner Blueberry Hill. Shop for second-hand clothing, books, musical instruments, and unique artifacts at the boutiques in this area.
• Stroll along the 6 blocks of Cherokee Antique Row that feature a host of antique stores, collectibles and specialty shops, art galleries, restaurants and cafés.
• Admire the “painted ladies,” a set of stately Victorian homes that surround the beautiful Lafayette Park in Lafayette Square. Enjoy the several fine dining restaurants in this area.
• Head to South Grand for a leisurely stroll in Tower Grove Park. This elegant 19th-century Victorian park features whimsical pavilions, statuary, fountains and mock classical “ruins.” Explore a wide range of ethnic cuisine at the restaurants in this area.
• Walk down the historic streets of the vibrant Soulard neighborhood and enjoy the live music clubs and unique restaurants housed in red brick townhomes in this area.