Hotel at a Glance: The Chase Park Plaza Hotel

“The Chase is the place.” That was this hotel’s motto when it was a center of St. Louis’s high society. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Bob Hope all performed at the Chase Club, a lounge on the property that’s since been converted into a first-run movie theater. The art-deco building still has the feel of a luxurious hotel from the big-band era; the interior features marble hallways and crystal chandeliers. The location is above average, too: it’s close to downtown and Washington University.

• Catch a flick: The hotel’s five-screen movie theater is considered one of the best in St. Louis.
• Eat in: There are numerous dining options onsite. Try a seasoned steak in the Tenderloin Room, then visit Chaser’s Lounge for live piano music and cocktails.
• Club floor perks: Guests staying in suites on the club floor get a complimentary continental breakfast daily and hors d’oeuvres each evening.
• Shopping and dining within walking distance: Upscale boutiques and restaurants fill the affluent Central West End neighborhood, which has many buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Must-see nearby: Right near the hotel is Forest Park, one of the largest public parks in the U.S. Site of the 1904 World’s Fair, It contains the famed Saint Louis Zoo and the Saint Louis Art Museum.
• Tee off: Contact the concierge about arranging a round of golf at the Courses at Forest Park.

St. Louis, Missouri: Urban Park Space and Brewery Tours in the Gateway City

The first thing you notice about the Gateway Arch is its height: at 630 feet, it’s the tallest manmade monument in the United States, and it dwarfs the other buildings of the St. Louis skyline. Less obvious is the fact that the Arch is exactly as tall as it is wide, stretching out along the banks of the Mississippi River. You can take a ride to the summit for a bird’s-eye view of the city’s skyline and riverboats riding the Mississippi. Make sure you get to the Arch before 10 a.m.; after that, the lines start to get long, and tickets sometimes sell out in the afternoon.

Forest Park’s more than 1,200 acres of green space are also worth a visit. Contained in this space is the Saint Louis Zoo, which corrals hundreds of species in several different habitats; it’s frequently cited as one of the best zoos in the country, and entrance is free. At high noon, sunbeams create a natural light show on the geometric façade of the Jewel Box, a 1936 art-deco greenhouse in the southeast quadrant of the park. To the north, there’s the Boathouse, where you can rent a pedal-powered boat to explore Post-Dispatch Lake.

Though it was originally a hub for railroads and the fur trade, St. Louis eventually became known for being the headquarters of brewing giant Anheuser-Busch, which began producing there in 1852. On a tour through the red-brick brewery, you can sample beers and visit the stables where the company keeps its iconic clydesdale horses.

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