cmjaffe

we might try metro link and see if we can get a one day's rental for the next day to "putter" around.
Thanks

TerryK

I have the same question.

cmjaffe

Terry,
We just got back from our roadtrip. We had a 36hr stay in STL. Rental rates were really high and we had a very early flight out at 6AM. Since there were 4 of us (and a bit of luggage) I found a really reasonable car service (Chesterfield, I have info if you need it) who was waiting for us when we arrived and was cheaper than the rest (STL taxis are crazy -- charging an extra $1 per person).
Hyatt's a great choice for the area.

cmjaffe

Oh, we did take metro link once and found that if you didn't time it well it could take a long time to wait around. As for "safety" goes it all depends on your "comfort" level since some might consider certain parts "sketchy" yet if you're comfortable taking NYC subway you'd find it not that bad.

When we were there it was during the heatwave so I regret not getting a car for the day since it would have been nice to explore a bit of the neighborhoods.

kw335

The snow rate is back! $59/night. Use corp #35324. ^

AttorneyVin

I'm looking at going here for Memorial Day Wknd, as it's a nice 3-day wknd and I've never been to STL. Anyone have any recent experiences at this property that they could share?

danger

I was there for two nights (I think) at the end of November last year. If you don't get anyone with more recent experience, PM me.

chanp

Stayed there a few times last year. You can take the train from the airport and about a 5 min walk from the station. Arch across the street and lots of restaurants and bars in the area. The hotel itself has a few restaurants including a Ruths Chris steakhouse.

AttorneyVin

Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch

Dates of Stay: Saturday, 5/28/11 - Monday, 5/30/11 (Memorial Day 2011)
Total Nights: 2

In a nutshell, this is a truly beautiful Hyatt with stellar service and breathtaking views of the Gateway Arch -- if you are traveling to St. Louis, you absolutely MUST stay here!

Now, for my detailed review:

My wife and I wanted to go someplace different for Memorial Day, and as I had never been to St. Louis and had always wanted to see the Gateway Arch, it seemed like the perfect place to go! And, since the primary purpose of my trip was the Gateway Arch, the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch seemed like the perfect location to try -- and, we were definitely NOT disappointed!

First off, let me just say that although all of the rooms at this property are amazing -- my in-laws were in a standard room, and it was wonderful -- if you stay at this property, you absolutely must splurge a little bit and spring for what is known as the "Arch View Deluxe King." This is, for all intensive purposes, a Suite -- the only difference from what most would define as a Suite is that it is all one room, no separate parlor/bedroom. However, at 765 square feet, they are the same size as most other Suites at this property, and they offer truly breathtaking views that should NOT be missed! These rooms are situated on the corners of the property, and offer two almost full walls of giant windows that reveal the most iconic landmark in St. Louis, the Gateway Arch. If you take one look at the room photo for this room category, I can assure you, that photo is 100% accurate as to how amazing the room looks and as to how beautiful the view is! I know many people always complain that hotel web site photos do not show what a true room actually looks like, but this is most definitely not the case with this property -- all of the photos that I saw on this property's website in advance of booking were truly confirmed upon arrival. This is one AMAZING property!

As for the "Arch View Deluxe King" that we stayed in, it vastly exceeded my expectations. We were assigned Room 1297, at the extreme end of the hotel in a beautiful corner. Although some have complained in reviews about the distance these rooms are located from the elevators, I found that to not be an issue -- in fact, I found it to be a plus. Our room was totally quite at all hours -- we never noticed any noise from the hallway or surrounding rooms as some have discussed. The property is very strict on it's "Quiet Hours" -- as it should be -- and we had no issue with noise, despite there being multiple weddings each night we were there.

As soon as you walk into the "Arch View Deluxe King" room, you will be awestruck by the views -- the corner of the room features extremely large windows offering two different views of the Gateway Arch ... try requesting high floors for even better views! But, the view aside, as soon as you enter, you are greeted by a truly wonderful and well appointed room. To your left is a quite sitting area with a small round table and two extremely comfortable chairs. Then, directly in front of you is a truly comfortable "Hyatt Grand Bed" -- one of the better that I have slept on, in fact. And, the bed has a very large plush headboard that makes sitting up in bed watching television or admiring the views most relaxing. Directly ahead of the bed is a fair size work desk, with a hub for wired internet access -- although WiFi is also available and seemed to be on a reliable network. The computer desk also has an extremely comfortable work chair, which I never wanted to get up after I had sat down in. Next to that is a large flat-screen television on a swivel mount so as to be viewable anywhere in the room, equipped with all of the local channels and a typical variety of cable television, including HBO. Then, farther into the room there is a large, plus and extremely comfortable L-shaped couch with a large soft footstool in front of it. This is the perfect area to sit, relax and enjoy the view! This L-shaped couch fits in the corner of the room, right in between the large and expansive windows, which truly allows one to enjoy the best view of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis! To the left of the couch, one finds a long skinny hallway into the bathroom and changing area. At the end of this hallway is a door which would presumably lead to another bedroom, allowing one to turn this Suite into a true two-bedroom Suite. At the end of the hallway before the door, one will find a standard sized closet, equipped with a laptop sized safe, iron and ironing board, and extra bedding for the couch. Just before that closet is a comfortable bench which can serve as a changing area. Immediately upon entering the hall, one finds the first of two sinks. This first sink is a perfect vanity area, separate from the main bathroom, so one is easily able to get ready for the day while another is in the shower or the toilet. The second sink is just inside the main bathroom area to the left. This is a standard Hyatt bathroom, with a large vanity area and sink, plus standard toilet and shower. The bathroom is equipped with the standard Hyatt Portico Bath Products of the "White Ginger" variety. All-in-all, a truly amazing Hyatt room, and I highly recommend spending the extra money for this category of a room.

However, should you decide not to spend the extra money on this type of room, the standard rooms are equally wonderful -- they just lack the true superb views that make the "Arch View Deluxe King" the best room at the property. My in-laws stayed in a standard "Double Guestroom" and I can assure you, it was a top-notch room. And, although they didn't have a full view of the Arch, they had a beautiful view of the Old Courthouse and the Park, as well as a small glimpse of the Arch. The room was equipped with all of the standard Hyatt amenities -- two "Grand Beds," a good work desk/chair, a large flat-screen television on a swivel mount so as to be viewable anywhere in the room, a normal sized Bathroom with the same Portico Bath Products, as well as a very large window sill that one can sit in and enjoy the view. A perfect room -- but again, for the best view in the city, splurge on that "Arch View Deluxe King" room.

And, not only are the rooms beautiful, the entire property is amazing! The service is truly top-notch!

Upon arrival, you will pull into the main entrance and immediately be greeted by very friendly valet staff. This hotel has a very wide variety of parking options, ranging from $36 to $20. Although this may seem like a lot to many, I do remind you that this is a property located in the downtown area of a major city, parking is at a premium -- as such, such rates are extremely reasonable. For $36, you get "VIP Front Door Valet" meaning you drop off your car at the front entrance, and it will be delivered to you at that entrance within 10 minutes of your call down; this option allows you call ahead service to make sure you care is ready when you are. For $30, you get a very similar option, "VIP Motor Lobby Valet" which is essentially the same, but your car will be brought to you in the P1 area of the attached parking garage, which is just one floor below the lobby and is easily accessible by stairs or elevator from the lobby. Next is the option which we chose, "Standard Valet" service at a cost of $26 per night. It is basically the same as the first two, except that you do not get call-ahead privileges -- you just take your ticket down to the motor lobby, provide your ticket and they will bring your car to you very quickly ... we had no issues with this service. It should also be noted that they have a very nice air conditioned (and heated, depending on the season) area for you to wait for your car. The final option, is "Hyatt Self Park" for $20 -- honestly, for the extra $6 and not having to deal with finding your own space in a typically tight city garage, I highly recommend the "Standard Valet" service. Finally, there is a second garage not immediately attached to the property which provides "Economy Parking" -- I would not recommend this option, as it's not as easily accessible, you cannot charge it to your room and you get no in-and-out privileges.

Check-in was as quick and efficient as the initial parking experience. Upon check-in, I was immediately greeting by name and thanked for being a valued Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond Level Guest. The front desk agent gave me all of the information on the property, and quickly gave me my Diamond Amenity selection card. When I noticed that a Merlot was not as option, she very quickly informed me that she would gladly make a change and send up a bottle of the Canvas Merlot as opposed to the Cabernet and Chardonnay that we listed. All-in-all, check-in took mere minutes and we were on our way to the beautiful "Arch View Deluxe King Room" on the 12th floor.

Also, I notice that there have been a lot of reviews that comment on the elevators at this property. I can assure everyone that there is no issue with the elevators -- they are very quick, efficient and extremely well marker. As with most tall city Hyatt properties, certain elevator banks only travel to certain floors to maximize efficiency and minimize wait time. This is clearly marked over each of the two elevator banks and should not cause any confusion.

As for the food, the food at this Hyatt is truly top-notch! You have three separate restaurants to select from, of which we had the opportunity to sample two. First, there is the "Brewhouse Historical Sports Bar." As its name implies, it is a sports bar of the highest quality. There is ample seating, a wonderful full bar with numerous local beers on tap with great views of multiple flat screen HD-televisions. My main reason for eating there was the huge selection of fun brews, but the food was also excellent. We ate there for lunch and I would highly recommend the "Fish and Chips" with a Schlafly Beer! Next, you will find "RED Kitchen." This offers amazing meals at all times of the day. We had breakfast both mornings at RED, which offers a truly AMAZING breakfast buffet -- the buffet included all of the standard breakfast fare, as well as a made-to-order omelet station and a made-to-order waffle station with ample topping options. At $15.95 including juices and coffee, this is a wonderful way to have breakfast each morning! We did not have a chance to try lunch there, but the menu looked fantastic! As for dinner at RED, it was exquisite! There were several different options, and I highly recommend the Filet. Service was amazing, and the food was perfectly cooked. RED also offers a wonderful bar with great "5 for $5" happy hour opportunities, to include $5 wells/wines along with various appetizers for a mere $5. I would highly recommend this location for a relaxing Happy Hour drink and snack! Finally, this property also has a "Ruth's Chris Steakhouse." This appears to be a standard Ruth's Chris that you can find in most cities; we did not have a chance to dine here, but the atmosphere looked AMAZING! Oh, and there is also a Starbucks in the main lobby for one to achieve their daily coffee fix!

As for the location of this property, you truly cannot beat it! It literally is just across the street from the Gateway Arch and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park, so one can easily get to the Arch at all hours of the day. Also, one can partake in a truly relaxing and romantic carriage ride through the streets of St. Louis, as the carriages pick-up just outside the Main Lobby. Additionally, this property is a very quick and easy 15-20 minute drive (without traffic) on I-70 from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, so it's very easy to get to after a long flight. Other local attractions include the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour; a mere 2-miles or a $10 cab ride from the property ... I highly recommend the latter due to the free samplings offered there. It truly is a wonderful free tour, and for a nominal fee of $10, one is able to attend "Beer School" which is a lot of fun! Oh, and the property is in walking distance of the baseball stadium if you want to take in a Cardinals game. All-in-all, this property is centrally located to a number of fun attractions in the St. Louis area!

That pretty much sums up all details of this truly amazing property. If you are going to St. Louis, you should not miss the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch, as it is the best place to stay and offers some of the best views in the city!

muscarlive

Thanks for the great review we will be at this property over the Fourth of July holiday using a Diamond suite upgrade to a Junior Suite so we are looking forward to that

stevekoe

I wish I could echo the glowing report from this hotel. Maybe if I had gotten the same room, I could!

They couldn't honor my guaranteed room at check-in, which really bugged me. I was told that the reason that they couldn't was because I booked (relatively) late (two days prior, I think). I hate that excuse. If you don't have a king to sell, don't offer me one. What really bugged me was that when I checked in, there was no mention that I was not being placed into a king room. They just handed me the key and off I went. When I got to the room, I called down to the front desk in the hope that they just accidentally gave me the wrong room. I was told that was the room that "they" blocked me into. "They" is another word that I hate when dealing with hotels. "They," in this case (and in most cases), was the hotel. I don't care who at the hotel - but, it was someone from the hotel. So, in the case of the front desk clerk, whom I identify as the face of the hotel, she was "they." (them?)

Of course they didn't have any other kings - and she even said that she had just given away the last king. Apparently, when I checked in, there was a king available, but it was given away in between the time I checked in and the time I called down stairs - which couldn't have been five minutes. "They" had to give it to the guy standing behind me at check-in.

I was promised point compensation, which never posted correctly. That necessitated a call to the Hyatt Consumer Affairs to track down.

All "they" had to do was tell me when I checked in that there were no king rooms available and offer me the room with the double and everything would have been fine. "They" sent me on my way as though I wouldn't notice that I didn't get my reserved and confirmed room type. Poor way of handling the situation.

As for the parking, on weekends, there is a garage about a block away that charges $3/night. When I parked, I took a staircase that left me standing next to the Hyatt - wasn't even a two-minute walk. I suppose that during the week, one must pay the onerous parking charges from the hotel, but on the weekends, there is a much cheaper, easy option nearby.

That said, next time I am in STL, I'll probably just stick to the Ren.

peteropny

Make sure you get the bed-type guarantee compensation - 5000 points.

stevekoe

I thought that the bed type guarantee was only 2,500 points. When I called, they said that they would post 3,000 points "for my trouble." I'm going to be a little ticked if they short changed - after I called to complain about getting short changed.

ETA: Just looked at the Hyatt GP T&C's. I should really read those BEFORE calling to complain. I guess I'm just not good at calling to complain. It's just easier to leave and take your business elsewhere.

Somtinfishy1

Fantastic Hyatt, in my top two and would recommend or stay again in a heart beat. New to F-talk and late to this conversation. Not only did they take care of my Diamond status but I was there with a date, told the young lady at the desk I wanted to impress, and she set me up big time!! Used my free upgrade and "happened" to have a room during the Cardinals Winter Warm-up. If I could load a pic, I'd show the view from the room. Love this site and I have only been on it 10 minutes!

oc2005

I'm writing this post using the free wifi from a junior suite at the Hyatt St Louis about halfway through a week long stay.

The room is very nice other than the lack of view/windows. You walk in the room and on your left is a bar area with a counter, mini fridge, and bar stools, then there is a nice sitting area with desk, a bathroom with two sinks, and the bedroom. there is no door between the sitting area and bedroom and the only windows are in the bedroom with absolutely no view (other than being able to see into the Regency Club!)

Service has been a bit hit and miss. Everyone has been extremely nice but we had a fairly major problem. When we returned to our room for the day, our door was propped open by the security chain! Housekeeping had left the door ajar after their cleaning visit! Fortunately nothing appears to be stolen but still not a good feeling. I tried calling for a manager to complain but only the front desk was available and they said the would pass on the complaint to the housekeeping manager.

A second much more minor complaint was for the welcome amenity. We selected the cheese plate for immediate delivery but then got a call an hour later saying they were out. We said fine, and they said we could get it later on the next day or two since we are staying for a week. The next night we arrived back at our room very late and found they had delivered the cheese plate at some point much earlier in the day without telling us. While it was great they made the attempt to deliver it and have it waiting for us, they should have made sure we were there since the soft goat cheese had turned rather crusty!

The Regency Club room and service has been very nice and friendly wth a great view of the Arch, but the breakfast was a bit disappointing with the fruit and milk not being restocked and with bottled oj rather than fresh like most clubs usually have. There is a St Louis Bread (aka Panera) two blocks away for a cheap, better alternative.

My final complaint is the internet service. It bugs me when they have a two tier system where free Diamond wifi is super slow and you have to pay extra for the full wifi. I'm getting about 200kbps with my "lite" free access which is ok for checking email, but is significantly slower than my 3g on my cell phone so makes the Diamond perk pretty useless.

In general, this hotel has a lot of potential so with some minor service improvements, this could be a very solid Hyatt.