Hotel at a Glance: The Westin St. Louis

The “new” Busch Stadium—the third venue to go by that name—sits in the heart of St. Louis. The current incarnation has a distinct advantage over its predecessor: thanks to its open-air design, fans have a panoramic view of the downtown skyline and the Gateway Arch. The AAA Four Diamond Westin St. Louis is within walking distance of both the arch and the stadium, which you can tour year round.

• A room with a view: Stadium-view double-queen guest rooms overlook Busch Stadium.
• American cuisine is on the menu at Clark Street Grill, which is designed to look like a renovated warehouse. This Getaway includes daily breakfast for two or two appetizers and two house drinks.
• Mapped 3- and 5-mile running routes from the hotel let you see local scenery during your workout.
• Forget your workout gear?: You can borrow New Balance athletic shoes and apparel for a small fee.
• Book an in-room spa treatment and receive a spa basket with a healthy snack and a bottle of water, soothing music, and a variety of plant-based aromatherapy oils and room sprays.

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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