Magnolia Hotel St. Louis, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

The rooms were nice and the front desk staff pleasant, but the valet was miserable to deal with both during and after my stay. Since valet is the only parking offered at Magnolia, at more than $57 a night after taxes and fees, I can't recommend this hotel in St. Louis. On the first night, the valet entered my rental car in the app with the wrong color, white instead of dark grey, and listed a 13-day stay costing $750 instead of six days at $346. The next day, I requested the car through the Metropolis app and got a text saying it was being retrieved. Fifteen minutes later I went to the lobby, where my keys were still at the stand and nobody had fetched the car. I waited 25 minutes in total. That evening I left the keys with the valet, then noticed before bed that the car hadn't been checked in on the app. I went downstairs because I wouldn't be able to request it the next morning. The valet said someone else must have parked it without using the app. A couple of days later, I requested the car at 0653 and got a ready text at 0719. Downstairs, the stand was empty and the car was outside the front door. I waited 10-15 minutes for another Metropolis employee to arrive. She didn't know where the keys were, checked the key box, and tried unsuccessfully to call the valet and manager. After 37 minutes in the lobby, which made me late for work, the keys turned up at the front desk. After checking out and flying home, I saw in the Metropolis app, which also manages my home airport garage, that another person's vehicle had been added to my account under my phone number, with Magnolia valet charges accruing since the night before. The valet had linked that vehicle to my account and payment methods. I called the hotel, which passed a message to the valet manager, but I no longer trusted the valet staff and reported fraud through Metropolis to have the charges removed. I'm a frequent business traveler with Marriott Titanium and Hilton Diamond status, and I stay with many brands and service levels around the country. I don't complain often, but the valet's incompetence, and Magnolia's decision to use them, made this review necessary. I can accept some inconvenience, but not spending $350 for six days of valet parking and then losing another two to three hours waiting for my car and sorting out fraudulent charges. Don't stay here if you have a vehicle.

The location puts you right in the heart of St. Louis, with a great base for exploring on foot. Everyone on staff was friendly and helpful, and the homemade milk and cookies in the evening were a sweet touch. Our room was roomy, and the bed was comfortable. The heat struggled the first night of our winter stay, though it worked better the second. That's the only thing I'd change. I'd definitely recommend it if you're visiting St. Louis.

Being a block from the Convention Center was handy for my meetings, and the staff were nice enough. The hotel has potential, but this was a frustrating stay, and next time I'm in St. Louis for meetings I'll choose somewhere else. The front desk had a note saying the AC was broken and the thermostat had been turned off so my room wouldn't get too warm. But when I got to the room, the heat was on and set to 74. Night one was miserable. A review from three weeks earlier said the AC had been broken then too, so I don't know how hard they were working on it. The TV was pixelated and the audio garbled for nights one through three. On night four, it thought it was Monday morning instead of Tuesday night and wouldn't work at all. For a while it even displayed another guest's room number and information, though nothing useful or interesting beyond a name and a room three floors up. I went to call the front desk for help and found there was no phone in the room. I checked the walls, desk, dresser, closet, and bathroom. I gave up and went to bed, just wanting the next day to come so I could leave.

It's a very dog-friendly hotel, and the rooms are clean and nice, though a little shabby and not newly remodeled. The valet is a separate company and the service was poor. After unloading, I'd self-park at the Marriott next door. It's cheaper and seems more secure, since the valet left my car on the street overnight with the keys in it and the doors unlocked.