Heard it finally opened yesterday, was wondering if anyone has been inside it yet? It looks really nice from the street (with the exception of the awning on 4th street).

anyone have renderings?

LATEST NEWS

St. Louis Business Journal - 1:50 PM CST Monday



<A HREF="http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... tml">Drury completes Hilton St. Louis Downtown</A>



Drury Development Corp. has opened the Hilton St. Louis Downtown hotel in the Merchant's Laclede building, Hilton said Monday. The hotel, at Fourth and Olive, has 195 guest rooms, covered parking, a full-service restaurant, fitness center and 5,000 square feet of meeting space.



<A HREF="http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... ily10.html">>>> read more</A>

Wow - talk about finnishing this FQAST -

This is what it looked like just a few weeks ago!

Should've been residential. It's only a matter of time when some of these things are going to close.

It's only a matter of time when some of these things are going to close.

Hey Arch;



I disagree. Downtown STL is very visitor oriented and truly the large tourist area of the city. USA Today had an article recently of top cities with high downtown hotel(s) occupancy rates... and surprisingly (with STL having SO SO many hotels downtown alone) the city was around (yearly average) 67 percent full (if I remember correctly) and one of the highest per room occupancy rates in the country.



I know Drury Hotels alone found downtown St. Louis among their highest occupancy rate areas in the country - hence 3 Drury Hotels downtown alone and now their new Hilton.



As for the new Renaissance Grand Convention Hotel - selling 1000+ rooms is a tricky situation and their location is all of ideal for convention bookings - more so that tourist bookings.



I think the new Hilton really compliments the area it is in - it is really a hotel row and perfect location for visitors/tourist alike.

I agree with ArchMadnees. The Merchants Laclede would have been much better suited for residential development rather than a moderate chain hotel. Look at those rounded corner units! What tourist hoosier from Springfield staying at the Hilton is going to really appreciate that building for what it is? That sounds elitist, I know, but I work in a swanky downtown hotel and can tell you that the downtown STL hotel market is waaaaaay oversaturated. The Renaissance Grand is struggling beyond belief. It sits at least half-empty throughout most of the year, and that is a fact. Downtown doesn't need more hotels. It needs more residents.



I'm so happy to see the Merchants Laclede fully utilized again, but it still falls short of its true potential IMO. That sucker should have been condos.

Stopped by today on my lunch hour, and I can say she's a classy b****. Very well done. They refurbished the bank vault in the lobby, and it is now a central component. One side is an office, and the other looks like it will be a (lilliputian) snack/convenience shop. Spiffy, nonetheless.



I agree, the canopy is tacky, but it's one of those things hotels in general do to announce themselves as such. Sheraton City Centre (I hate that SAHNtruh spelling, so effing unnecessary and pretentious) did the same thing.



Anyway, I agree that ideally residential/mixed would have been most appropriate, but a hotel is not a bad alternative, and obviously better than abandonment. With the Marquette opening, that great little block of Olive will be rather interesting with offices, residences, a hotel, and little shops/restaurants--a scrumptious little morsel of urban pie (that's pepperoni, not peach).

TWO POINTS:

1.) I couldn't agree more about that 1970's canopy on the front of the building. The same one is on the International Fur Building. What is up with Drury being eternally stuck in the 70s/80s? Obviously keeping costs low is always a goal, but surely they couldn't have picked something better. Overall the project looks incredible.

2.) Here's the deal on hotels in the city. When companies/ organizations look for cities for conventions, they analyze "how many two/ three/ and four star hotels there are within so many square miles. Hotels such as the Renaissance, Omni, Ritz, and Westin are happy about having the addition of the Four Seasons Hotel. The addition of the Four Seasons opens the door for many larger conventions that would previously have overlooked St. Louis.

^Point well taken, but you have to look at the facts-- St. Louis had more (and larger) conventions before the Renaissance Grand & Suites opened. Since then the city has had a very hard time attracting big conventions on a regular basis. A lot of that can be blamed on 9/11 and a general nationwide downturn in the convention business, but it should still not be ignored. The convention market in St. Louis (and many other cities, to be fair) is struggling. Even if it were booming, I think it is much wiser to shape our downtown's development on the people who live here and who want to live here rather than the prospect of attracting big conventions once in a while. If we make downtown a vibrant and living 24-hour neighborhood, the conventions and hotels and tourism will inevitably follow, not the other way around.



Bottom line-- downtown St. Louis has enough hotels.



btw, I was a market research analyst for the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission for two years.

Look at those rounded corner units!

They are beautiful!

What tourist hoosier from Springfield staying at the Hilton is going to really appreciate that building for what it is?

They will probably be at the Hampton or Econo Lodge - not this Hilton.





I for one like this row of hotels along the Gateway Arch area.

Just me.







List of Downtown Hotels...



Sheraton City Centre Hotel

Hyatt Regency Union Station

Drury Inn & Suites Union Station

Drury Inn & Suites Convention Center

Drury Plaza Hotel

Marriott Pavilion Hotel

Courtyard by Marriott

Hampton Inn at the Arch

Hampton Inn at Union Station

Hilton Downtown

Radission at the Arch

Holiday Inn Select Convention Plaza

Renaissance Grand Hotel

Renaissance St. Louis Suites

WS Hotel on Washington

Econo Lodge Laclede's Landing

Embassy Suites Laclede's Landing

Westin Hotel Downtown

Omni Majestic Hotel

Wyndam Mayfair Suites Hotel

Adam's Mark Hotel

Millineum Hotel St. Louis

Le Meridian (proposed)

Four Seasons Pinnacle Hotel (approved)

Residence Inn by Marriott (under construction)

^Don't forget my favorite-- the Mark Twain!

I could give 2 shits about conventions. Convention centers are the biggest waste of money. No matter how many hotels or how much convention space there is, the damn thing will still lose money. Build some residential. People who live there pay taxes year round and they provide life to a community. Hotels were the rage 5 years ago and now its residential. I think the condo phase is better in the long run then hotels and conventions.

We can look at this in a positive light. I'm sure hotels aren't all that hard to convert to apartments.

I like this idea. Its a beautiful building and as long as its not vacant I'm happy.

Hilton St. Louis Downtown Opens in Merchants Laclede Building

ST. LOUIS, MO (SLFP.com), March 27, 2005 - The Hilton St. Louis Downtown has taken up residence in the historic Merchants Laclede building at 4th and Olive Street.



Completed in 1888, the eight-story building is one of oldest examples of St. Louis' tall fireproof office buildings of the period and is known for its intricate stonework. The building has been home to many firms and corporations before it was renovated and transformed into a Hilton.



The new 195-room Hilton opened, March 21, less than two weeks before the Final Four in St. Louis. A limited number of guest rooms have been sold out months in advance.



"The new Hilton St. Louis Downtown offers the charm and ambience of the historic Merchants Laclede building, while giving guests the abundant amenities and excellent service expected from a Hilton," said Jeff Diskin, senior vice president, brand management, Hilton Hotels Corporation. "We expect that the hotel will become the location of choice for meetings and social functions, and for visitors looking to get a taste of the culture and heritage of downtown St. Louis."



The Hilton St. Louis Downtown's guest rooms are uniquely integrated into the historic architecture, offering today's comforts in a beautifully renovated boutique-style luxury hotel.



All 195 rooms have complimentary high speed Internet access, The Bed by Hilton, an in-room refrigerator, 27" television, two telephones with voicemail and data port, coffeemaker with complimentary coffee and tea, large work desk with desk-level outlets and ergonomic chairs, and iron/ironing board.



The hotel also offers covered parking, a state-of-the-art business center, full-service restaurant, in-room dining, invigorating fitness center with circuit training strength machines and cardiovascular equipment, relaxing whirlpool tub, and same-day valet dry cleaning. The hotel features 5,000 square feet of meeting space, which is perfect for meetings and social functions.



The hotel is owned and managed by Drury Development Corporation and operated under a franchise license agreement with Hilton Inns, Inc., a franchising subsidiary of Beverly Hills-based Hilton Hotels Corporation.