The Cheshire

This place is weird, wacky, and a riot with the right people. The over-the-top tacky theme is fun to look at, and there's a scavenger hunt where you can win free food or drinks. Staff are so nice, and breakfast has decent variety, with hot food and fruit and a different menu each day. But it isn't very clean. There was inches of dust, and we had to keep the stained glass window open so we wouldn't feel sick. The tub was dirty too. Lighting is minimal, maybe to match the dim building, but it's hard to do makeup, and there aren't plugs, so the room isn't good for work. I'd seen photos of huge rooms with oversized tubs, but the regular rooms seem to have small bathrooms with a corner sink. I enjoyed it as a bucket list experience, but won't be back. I'm too bougie for this setup and need at least the cleanliness and convenience of a Homewood suites.

“It’s a Real Castle,” my daughter said as we came in. We only needed a room for the early morning hours before a doctor's appointment. The place may once have been smoky, but neither of us minded at all. The beds were amazing, and the room's exhaust fan made such good white noise that we couldn't hear anything outside it. I've found a new favorite for future trips to stl.

The beds were comfortable and the room was spacious. We enjoyed looking at the names of the different rooms, and the pub has a fun feel, though we didn't go in. We've eaten at Basso before and loved it. The Starbucks in the complex has a cozy vibe and a fireplace. The lobby was charming, still decorated for Christmas, and the staff were welcoming and courteous. But for the price, I left disappointed and probably wouldn't return. The whole property needs a major renovation, from peeling elevator wallpaper and crumbling picture frames to the bathroom vanity's metal kick plate repeatedly coming loose. The A.A. Milne history on our room wall and bookmark didn't justify boutique hotel rates. Breakfast was another letdown. I expected a traditional English breakfast, but there were some eggs in a chafing dish and one other hot item I can't recall because I didn't eat it. There were lots of baked goods, most looking sad and stale. The blueberry coffee cake was moist and delicious, but the cinnamon scone was so hard I couldn't cut it with my fork. I would have liked healthier choices like oatmeal, Greek or plain yogurt rather than only sugary options, granola, or a frittata. My daughter really wanted to stay here and barely had anything on her plate. She might have eaten eggs if salsa had been available. I had justified the cost expecting a big, wonderful breakfast, but it wasn't that. The limited-service hotel where we stayed in Joplin the night before had a more varied, substantial breakfast.

The decor is charming, the location is convenient, and the staff are wonderful. Despite the issues, we'd stay again. Our suite needed more attention from housekeeping than I'd expect at a four-star property. Dust had built up on the high surfaces and walls, and the HVAC vent had a thick coat of it. As someone who has worked in hospitality and housekeeping, with a spouse who specializes in historic building management, we notice cleanliness details during hotel stays. When we arrived, the bed had a sheet with obvious bleach splashes that had sat long enough for the affected spots to turn transparent. It wasn't technically a cleanliness problem, but it looked bad. The stay-over cleaning service replaced it the next day. I'm not sure what reservation system the property uses, but my request for foam pillows wasn't met at first; that was also fixed by the stay-over service.