Hotel at a Glance: The Chase Park Plaza Hotel

During its rich history, “The Chase is the place” was the motto here—indeed, the hotel was a center for 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; its interiors are lined with marble hallways and crystal chandeliers. Perhaps best of all, it’s a short distance from some of downtown St. Louis’s top attractions, as well as Washington University.

• Catch a flick onsite: The five-screen Chase Park Plaza cinema—built from the vestiges of the old nightclub—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, or visit Chaser's Lounge, which has live piano music on some nights.
• Shopping and dining a short walk away: Upscale boutiques and fine dining 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, which was designed for the 1904 World’s Fair and remains one of the largest public parks in the U.S. It contains the famed Saint Louis Zoo and the Saint Louis Art Museum.
• Tee off: The concierge can set you up with a round of golf at the nearby Courses at Forest Park.

Highlights of St. Louis

• The Gateway Arch At 630 feet, it's the U.S.'s tallest manmade monument, 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.
• When to see the Arch: If you're heading to the top of the Arch, make sure you get there before 10 a.m.; after that, the lines start to get long, and tickets sometimes sell out in the afternoon.
• Family friendly attraction: The Saint Louis Zoo, which corrals hundreds of species in several different habitats; it's frequently cited as one of the country's best zoos, and entrance is free.
• What to see in Forest Park: At high noon, sunbeams create a natural light show on the Jewel Box, a 1936 art-deco greenhouse in the park's southeast quadrant. To the north, there's the Boathouse, where you can rent a pedal-powered boat to explore Post-Dispatch Lake.
• See the clydesdales: Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch began producing here 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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