Hotel at a Glance: Hotel Lumière at The Arch

This newly renovated 4-star hotel puts guests in prime position steps away from the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis, which is packed with restaurants and shops. But you may not want to leave the hotel, since it boasts several dining options and one of the city’s best casinos, featuring more than 1,700 slot machines, 60 table games, and a dedicated poker room.

• Stay in luxury in one of the hotel’s newly refurbished suites, which have two flat-screen TVs and often showcase gorgeous views of the Mississippi, the city, or the Arch.
• Where to eat? The hotel offers a number of dining options, from bar classics at Ozzie’s Sports Bar and Grill to the upscale food stations at the The Kitchen Buffet and Bistro.
• Grab a drink at Cascade, which is serenaded by the sounds of a 4-story waterfall, or at the onsite daiquiri lounge, Wet Willie’s.
• Less than a mile from Busch Stadium, and just across the street from the Dome at America’s Center.
• Surf the web on the complimentary high-speed WiFi.
• Please note that the pool, hot tub, and fitness center are under construction.

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

The first thing you notice about the St. Louis 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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