Chase Park Plaza Hotel
St. Louis
What service can you provide to groups that they normally might not receive?
We can provide the knowledge of our city, the contacts to receive the finest service in any establishment they wish, and the best vendors in the area. Our network of people and places within our city is available to all guests.
What are your group restaurant recommendations?
Of course, my first choice is Eau Bistro, and not just because it is located within our hotel, but because we have an outstanding culinary team and provide first-class service. Outside of the hotel and just within walking distance are approximately 40 restaurants. Some favorites for groups are Bar Italia, Liluma, WildFlower, and Balaban’s. We have incredible four-star Italian restaurants that have great areas for group dinners: Tony’s (downtown), Dominic’s and Giovanni’s, located on “The Hill,” the Italian section of town. In good weather dining poolside at our hotel is unbeatable.
What are your bar or nightclub recommendations?
We have the “hottest” bar in town—Cafe Eau, with great live music on Fridays and Saturdays and always the place to “be seen”; the dance floor is always packed. For a more quiet evening, my favorite is Chasers Lounge in the hotel, with great jazz on Fridays and Saturdays. The Central West End, where we are located, has many clubs and bars; Mandarin Lounge is located a half-block away and is a trendy, beautiful place. For great St. Louis blues we send our guests downtown to BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups, Broadway Oyster Bar and Beale on Broadway near the St. Louis Arch. Jazz at the Bistro is a wonderful place to hear top-notch jazz stars.
Can you recommend a good place to take a stroll?
We are located very close to Forest Park, the site of the 1904 World’s Fair; at 1,371 acres it is one of the largest urban parks in the country. The world-renowned St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, and Science Center are all located there, not to mention beautiful trees, walking trails, golf, and tennis. For a quick stroll around the neighborhood, the Central West End area offers many galleries and boutiques for great window shopping. If you just want to stroll along Lindell, the street that runs along the hotel, you will find “Millionaire’s Row”; blocks of beautiful mansions, most built around the turn of the 20th century.
Are there any quirky places we should check out?
The City Museum is located about four miles away and is the quirkiest place I know—there is a large yellow school bus mounted on the roof that looks like it is about to drive off of the top. There are also planes mounted on iron railings outside of the building, enchanted caves, an aquarium, a live circus, water pit, etc. It is great for children, but there is a bar that stays open until 1 a.m. on weekends for the kid in all of us. The University City Loop Area contains St. Louis’ “Walk of Fame,” honoring St. Louisans past and present who have gone on to fame. You will also find Blueberry Hill, with a huge collection of old lunchboxes. There’s also a monthly appearance by Chuck Berry.
What is an unusual request from a group?
We had a group that had a team-building exercise in which each team were given their parts to play and had to have their costumes and props to get their point across in just a few hours. Within a two-hour time frame we were able to provide for them a chef’s hat and jacket, a bellman’s uniform, a police whistle, some Hawaiian leis, a grass skirt, Mardi Gras beads, a trumpet, a baby bottle, and many other things too numerous to mention. We also craned a boat in.
What’s a unique event that has taken place at your property?
We had a group that requested the presence of one of the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale horses to greet them in the lobby. This magnificent animal was posted right near the concierge desk and each guest had their picture taken with it. You can imagine the look of the guests who were not with the group.