Stepping inside Hotel Saint Louis at 705 Olive St. downtown feels like stepping back in time. It’s as if you’re hearing the faint strains of “Rhapsody in Blue” (or is it “Stardust”?) playing in your ear as the golden lobby and its exquisite marble floor embrace you in welcome.
Built in the late 1800s, the former Union Trust building was designed by world-renowned architect Louis Sullivan. In 2015, the building was purchased for $3.3 million by Restoration St. Louis’ Amrit and Amy Gill—only the second owners in its history—who invested an additional $64.7 million in renovations and in preserving some of Sullivan’s initial design. Save for some alterations in the 1920s, the building’s façade is in its original form, including the distinctive upper-floor columns topped with terra cotta lion heads, trim and cornice, as well as a multi-story mural of ancient Greek architecture along the exterior back wall. Inside, more meticulous restoration and renovation craftsmanship abound, from the 16-story wrought-iron staircase to the arched windows. The atrium above the lobby was remade, the stained-glass ceiling was re-imagined after construction crews unearthed pieces of decorative glass during renovation, and the period elevators still have their original floor tiles.
“There are only 30 Louis Sullivan buildings left in the world…and that this property was in disrepair was really such a shame, considering it’s a nationally significant historic building that is incredibly beautiful,” Amy Gill told Gazelle. “We had wanted to do something for St. Louis for a long time, and we tried to think of St. Louis in every aspect of the building—from custom-made wallpaper that looks like the outside terra cotta on the building to having arches on the headboards. We are even promoting St. Louis City drinking water. With everything in this building, we tried to think of how the City of St. Louis—historically and culturally—would intersect with all of the design.”
The building may be more than 125 years old, but as the newest property in the Autograph Collection Hotels by Marriott—the first in St. Louis—you can imagine all features and amenities have been enhanced for New World enjoyment: There are 140 guest rooms (including 52 suites), a spa, and rooftop pool and bar.
And if you’re a stranger to St. Louis, the guest rooms will make sure you don’t stay a stranger for too long. Each room comes equipped with a vintage record player and a handful of vinyl albums curated by Vintage Vinyl’s Tom “Papa” Ray that run the gamut from Diana Ross to Culture Club, as well as in-room snacks and beverages that are locally sourced. You’ll even get a complimentary metal water bottle with the St. Louis Water Department’s logo on it upon check-in and be encouraged to fill it at water stations located throughout the hotel—all part of the Gills’ plan to “save the universe.”
UNION 30
The moniker for Hotel Saint Louis’ street-level restaurant is a reference to the building’s original name and its order of listing as a city landmark. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, its menu offerings are a celebration of St. Louis flavors and “Southern Midwest comfort food” specialties, according to executive chef Matt “Birk” Birkenmeier.
Just like the wonderful, little touches of creativity and whimsy in the lobby and throughout all the public spaces, as well as in the guest rooms, you’ll notice remarkable details in the restaurant, including one-of-a-kind silverware, and cloth and lace napkins purchased over time at area estate sales by Amy Gill herself.
Don’t be surprised if those vintage table settings get you in the mood for some St. Louis flavors of yore. Lucky for you, Chef Birk has reinvented a few classics such as the Famous Barr French Onion soup (with his added twist of smoked prime rib), Al Baker’s Chop Salad, The Mayfair Grilled Caesar and Busch’s Grove Cottage Fries, to name a few.
But the chef is also blazing his own trail, so to speak, with daily “Hot from the Smoker” dinner specials like dry-rubbed St. Louis Duroc baby back ribs and pork steaks, cold-smoked BBQ-rubbed prime rib and more. Other menu standouts include Ahi Tuna Nachos, Hotel Saint Louis Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger, and the Blackened Catfish with Crawfish Étouffée. There are also a number of gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options like the to-die-for Grilled Cheese and The Vegan Cristo sandwiches, as well as the Missouri Foraged Mushroom Ravioli and Vegan Roasted Spaghetti Squash n’Shrooms.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a St. Louis lovefest without locally sourced ingredients, and Chef Birk uses them when he can, maintaining a list of about 70 area vendors, suppliers and farms.
FORM SKYBAR
Here, housed in a former conservatory, you’ll find steel, I-beam tables and marble flooring, just some of the design homages to Louis Sullivan, whose famous motto, “Form follows function,” inspired the rooftop bar’s name. But the visual pièce de résistance is the south-facing wall with massive rectangular windows that open to reveal a panoramic view of the city’s skyline.
As for the food and drink options, Chef Birk and his team—which includes “chef de partie” Josh Schindler and food and beverage manager Barry Strange, among others—created fun, shareable plates like Twice Baked Potato Croquette, Country Fried Steak Sliders, Mississippi Crawfish Nachos in a Can and The Famous Barr John White Burger with rarebit sauce.
Don’t forget to grab a drink as you sidle up to the onyx bar, where you’ll find an impressive selection of prohibition-era cocktails, as well as Rooftop Signatures such as the Missouri Mule and Gravois Gin Martini.
