by Brian Hall, chief marketing officer, Explore St. Louis
EAT
In the past few years, St. Louis has evolved into one of the country’s most exciting restaurant destinations. Food & Wine’s Best Chef Nick Bognar offers styles of mainland Southeast Asia at his restaurant indo. While James Beard Award nominee Michael and Tara Gallina’s Vicia celebrates vegetable-forward cuisine, those looking to try signature culinary staples should head to Sugarfire Smoke House, just steps from America’s Center, for the award-winning artisan St. Louis-style barbecue.
SLEEP
Located in the heart of St. Louis, less than five blocks from America’s Center, Hotel Saint Louis is the city’s first Marriott Autograph Collection. This 1893 historic landmark is one of only 30 Louis Sullivan designed buildings left in the world, the embodiment of the modern soul and spirit of the St Louis, with a unique sense of style and revitalized historic design. For those looking for sweeping views of the Gateway Arch and Mississippi River, Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis features 200 guest rooms, spa, golf, and the 2018 James Beard Award winning Chef Gerard Craft’s Cinder House.
PLAY
The big “must-see” is the Gateway Arch, whose renovated grounds were unveiled in 2018 after a five-year, $380-million project. An unmissable feature in downtown St. Louis, historic landmark St. Louis Union Station serves both as upscale hotel from Curio Collection by Hilton, and as entertainment complex, with the recently opened St. Louis Aquarium and the city’s first 200-foot-tall observation wheel, in addition to several other components. Not far from America’s Center, City Museum is an eclectic mixture of children’s playground, fun house, surrealistic pavilion and architectural marvel made out of unique, found objects.
This story originally appeared in the Mar./Apr. 2021 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 38. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_mar-apr_2021
