21C Museum Hotel St Louis

The valet setup was our one real frustration. Cars were kept in an uncovered lot across the street, and getting ours back often took a while. We understood staffing can be difficult, though, and gave them some leeway. My fiance and I came for a birthday weekend and ended up loving the place. The decor and colors were right up my alley, the room was clean and pretty, and everyone on staff was friendly. We also had a great time at the downstairs spa, especially the pool, hot tub, steam room, and sauna, and liked grabbing a drink at Idol Wolf before wandering through the upstairs museum. On checkout morning, the coffee shop couldn't take food orders because of technical problems, but they kindly gave us our coffees for free. We'd happily come back.

We found street parking on Locust Street with the City of St. Louis parking app, which saved us from the hotel's only on-site option, valet at about $50 overnight. The room itself was roomy, clean, and comfortable, with a great bed. A few of the decorative pillows could use attention. We spent two nights here over the holidays. The property is lovely and well kept, and the staff made us feel welcome. After a long drive, the pool and hot tub were just what we needed, and the second-floor exhibit was powerful and worth a look. We'd stay again.

I love this hotel and its purpose. The pool and workout area are great, the place is beautiful, and the staff are helpful and friendly. The disappointing part came after checkout. I realized I'd left my swimsuits and my daughter's in a drawer in our suite, called the same day, and asked to pick them up. After a brief hold, I was told no swimsuits had been found. I know we'd left about five each there, so that was a letdown.

The restaurant was the best part of this visit. The food was good and the service was great, though I can't remember our lovely waitress's name. Even there, I noticed stains on the booth pillows. At the desk I explained the other problems, and they offered either a room upgrade or a food and beverage discount. We'd already had dinner and might not stay through breakfast, and with my dog and our things unpacked, moving rooms didn't feel practical, so I declined. Getting the car at checkout was another hassle. The overnight attendant struggled to retrieve our keys from the valet cart. She tried, and I don't blame her, but she seemed unprepared and possibly hadn't been trained for that situation. We had requested the car in the required app, but apparently nobody received it. The pleasant valet attendants were one of the better parts of the stay. The $50 valet charge still seemed far too high for an uncovered lot across the street. Check-in was mostly fine, though the attendant wasn't especially friendly. The room looked all right at first, but I found crumbs in a chair, brown liquid splashes on the bathroom wall, several hairs on the shower wall, and a big yellow mark on the bedding. The elevator looked dirty and uncared for, and the walls on our floor and near the room were badly scuffed and chipped. This was a one-night visit for a concert, and a big disappointment, especially since I was the first person to review the hotel on Yelp two years ago. I hope management works out how to get the hotel back on track. The whole experience left me disappointed.