FEATURED Saint Louis hotels

St Louis hosts an enigmatic and mesmerizing character, constantly welcoming new souls to its rich environs. There is so much to see and do in St Louis, Missouri, that guests end up staying longer than planned, or come back again and again.

The city is proud of its long and varied history, dating back to 1764 when the colonial French traders Pierre Laclede and Rene Auguste Chouteau first discovered it. They named it after their king, King Louis IX of France. Situated just below the confluence of the Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers, it provided the perfect location for traders and the beginnings of a leading national powerhouse as it supplied the goods necessary for the early pioneers opening up the West. It became the gateway to the West, as it was here that wagons, blankets, guns, and saddles were manufactured. The "Gateway Arch" stands in Saint Louis signifying this part of the city's history.

It was once the 4th largest city in the US due to the fact that during the 19th century a vast influx of immigrants arrived from Italy, Bohemia, Germany and Ireland. This multicultural community brought with it its own culinary delights, specific forms of architecture, art, song, and dance.

The city is well known for its contributions to the musical styles of ragtime, jazz and blues. Today it celebrates its love of sports and is home to the St Louis Cardinals, one of the most successful Major League Baseball teams, the Rams football team, and the Blues Hockey team. The city is also home to Washington University and St Louis University, recognized for their international prowess in scientific and social research. A hotel in St Louis will put its guests in close proximity to all of the major features and attractions of the city.

Culture has always played a big part in the city's make up, and has been a means of the various cultures being understood and appreciated. The city has two main claims to fame, being home to the largest open air theater named Forest Park's Muny Opera and the Art Museum that holds international acclaim.

Naturally, a city of this size and importance offers visitors top attractions and a vibrant central city location, home to an assortment of luxury shopping malls, designer goods stores, boutiques and specialist stores. The well designed city offers plenty of antique shops, book stores, modern and classical art galleries, craft shops, celebrated restaurants, pavement cafes and bistros, bars, wine bars and night clubs, theaters, concert halls, and intimate venues for poetry readings and jazz musicians.

The city's most remarkable landmark is the Gateway Arch, constructed to celebrate the American citizens that ventured beyond the banks of the Mississippi to claim the lands to the west, creating an even greater area for the US. It is amongst this city of firsts, a city that is brave, that provided the tools and the means to create an even stronger nation, that acted as a frontier town offering comfort and warmth a place of repair and recuperation before proceeding again it is here that the hotels here provide comfort and style.

The city boasts a fabulous selection of hotels, including extravagant five star resorts and multi storied high rise buildings, grand historic monuments claim ownership of divine boutique hotels, while easily recognized national chain hotels are found near the airport and business centers offering convenience and simplicity for business guests and commuters.

Many visitors choose to spend extended periods of time here, as they may be involved in long term research projects, extensive business contracts or simply on a relocation program. These guests are afforded fabulous accommodations through the apartment hotels that provide deluxe apartment styled living, with luxurious soft furnishings and well designed furniture and comprehensive kitchen units.

Alternately, guests may choose from en suite rooms and fabulous two roomed suites. These may be suitable to families and executive guests who seek to impress clients and colleagues through in room dining and entertaining. The rooms are fitted with the latest high tech facilities including voice mail, internet access, dual line phones and fabulous entertainment systems provided through flat screen TV's, DVD players, cable connections and I Pod docking stations.

When looking for a good restaurant you do not need to go far from the hotel St Louis has numerous restaurants to choose from. Hotel bars and lounges host evening drinks and late night snacks sometimes accompanied by the haunting sounds of blues music.

Weddings and celebrity celebrations are provided with large ballrooms and reception areas dressed in dripping chandeliers and swathes of rich drapes. Conference centers and boardrooms are efficiently designed and host the latest communication and presentation systems. Relaxation is found outdoors around pools, or in quiet garden oases, heath spas offer therapeutic treatments and gymnasiums promise a full work; the most prestigious hotels host their own cinemas and challenging golf courses.

Guests choosing a central hotel St Louis offers its visitors will find delightful guestrooms in a strategic location having doorstep access to the wonderful theater that makes this city.