Postcards from Jiles • The Four Seasons • St. Louis
20-23 January 2022 (Thursday – Sunday)
Bonjour Luxury Lovers!
Our second stop on the Route 66 cross country road trip — The Four Seasons in St. Louis.
We originally picked The Four Seasons as a luxurious New Years Eve stop. Ya know, to ring in the new year with a bit of pampering. I hadn’t had a proper spa day since pre-pandemic.
Well, our holiday plans got derailed. So it was another Christmas in Washington. And our NYE was fine food at our favorite French spot up the street, Le Refuge. Followed by the midnight fireworks down the street, along the waterfront.
But I digress. Back to the Four Seasons St. Louis . . .
It was freezing when we arrived. Just 7 degrees! Unpacking the car was a bit of a nightmare. So. So. Cold. Definitely need to learn to pack better next time we snowbird! The bellmen did the heavy lifting but we had to direct it all in the cold. Plus I’m (Jennifer) the only one that knows how to connect and disconnect the bassinet/carseat/bed for our little princess. lol
We have a beautiful room overlooking the world famous Gateway Arch — a monument to America’s westward expansion and the tallest manmade monument in the Western Hemisphere. Our bath is dreamy but not at all surprising given we’re at a Four Seasons. And our bed is the bed from which we will judge all other beds on our road trip! It’s a perfect 10! ✩
Here’s a peek at some more deets of our stay . . .
Our Check Set . . .
Room Inventory →
✘ Dressing Table • Nope. But the bathroom is so pretty I didn’t mind standing to get ready.
✓ Bath • Absolutely dreamy soaking tub and spa shower. Plus a private commode which is always nice.
✓ Desk & Table • Yes! Desk table combo thing. Good space to work or have a bit of room service. I actually could have done hair and makeup here with the iPad on a tripod.
✓ Chaise / Couch / Chair • Yes! Glorious oversized chaise. With a great C-Table next to it! Miles read the paper on it. And Choube and I meditated there! Would also be great to sit and write on my Mac or curl up with a great book.
✓ Coffee • Lovely Nespresso set-up. Miles was pleased! And one of the bellmen got a few extra pods for us straight away so Miles was set for morning! Sometimes I really miss coffee! I can’t drink it like I used too. My nervous system just can’t handle it anymore. And, unfortunately, a lot of decaffeinated coffee is really bad. But I’ll say the Nespresso decaf was really tasty! And what a view to look at while sipping my mug.
Property Inventory →
✓ Spa • Yes! Usual stuff applies. Book early to get what you want. Miles had to get a mani to get spa access. And trust me, the way my husband loves clippers and clipping his own nails this would not have been the preferred treatment. (Full spa post coming soon!)
✓ Restaurant • Yep! Cinder House. It’s got great decor! And it’s chef driven by James Beard Award-Winning Chef Gerard Craft. It focus on marring wood-fired meat, fish, and veggies with bold global flavors. With an additional nod to South American cuisine. We really enjoyed the brunch food. No shade on the other meals but my palate mostly aligned to the brunch menu versus their other offerings.
✓ Bar • Yep! It’s part of Cinder House. With a beautiful view of the Arch. If the weather was nice it would have been lovely to have drinks outside.
✓ Gambling • Technically no. But yes. It’s attached just out the front door. Also note, smoking is allowed in the casino. Miles played a little black jack and was able to win back the money we tipped the bellmen. lol.
✓ Steakhouse • Again. Technically no. But yes. There’s a Morton’s down the hall from the Casino. We ate there when we arrived on Thursday. It was later. And they were very welcoming. But you still feel weird being there so close to closing. Like: Gosh, are we the ones keeping our waiter here? I consider St Louis to be a major city. So I’m not sure if its a pandemic thing with the earlier closing? Or the midwestern cities culture? We split some food to get out of there more quickly. It was plenty. And it’s Morton’s. Food was great. Service was great.
The Chou Chou’s Chronicle 🐾 →
A sweet little bed and welcome basket was waiting for our little Chou Chou when we arrived. Doggie bowls. Treats. And a Four Seasons bandanna! The bed was sooo sweet and cozy for her by the window overlooking the Arch! Even though it’s just a day bed for the princess. She sleeps with us in the big bed!
Unfortunately, we had a small uncomfortable moment at the restaurant about the Chou Chou. Saturday night was very busy in the restaurant, lots of eating, mingling, and people dressed for the occasion of being at The Four Seasons on a Saturday night. Fun to watch. Anyhow we had dinner at the bar which has a straight on lovely view of the arch. Of course the furry princess was with. It was no big deal. All people said was: awww.
But today’s brunch hostess was on a mission not to let us in. The rude, inconsiderate, and distasteful attitude of the hostess was not something you expect on a luxury stay. I was surprised to say the least. Ultimately, it escalated to the manager who gladly and kindly gave us a very nice table.
Miss Mia is a service dog, and we always have her in a bassinet, or stroller at restaurants. We also tend to stay at “dog friendly” places even though she is allowed everywhere — I prefer to not be around the energy of a place where well behaved doggies are unwelcome.
Now that said, the Four Seasons is dog friendly. Remember her little welcome basket! But if your little chien is not a service dog I’m not sure how the restaurant would work. Inside at least. Outside looks awesome if it wasn’t absolutely freezing. There are however, tables just outside of the restaurant in a lobby-ish area with a nice view of the Gateway Arch. We sat there for drinks and an appetizer at one point as we were researching our next stops on the road trip. Their charred onion dip and house-made chips was really good!
Departing thoughts . . .
We didn’t leave the hotel! Driving off I’m realizing we didn’t explore St. Louis at all. lol. Oops.
It was our first time in a luxury hotel since pre-Rona so we were pleased to just hang out. We were gonna go to the Arch, which we could see from our room. But it was cold. And once it clicked that they probably weren’t open to go up top, or they’d have heavy restrictions because of the Rona, Miles lost his desire to experience it. And, I was fine with that. Did I mention how cold it was?!!
One last thing I thought was neat! We were having Christmas drinks at the Four Seasons in Georgetown a few weeks ago. Anyhow, the concierge checked on something for us knowing that we were heading to their St. Louis property soon. He came back with a fab fact! The St. Louis Four Seasons will put a real Christmas tree into your room for only $100-ish USD. I actually feel like expenses of the luxury experiences in St. Louis were less then we’re used to paying. I’m not sure if it was a midwest versus DC cost of living thing, maybe a pandemic thing, or what?
Well. In truth, it wasn’t a pre-pandemic stay. Gotta wear masks here, but not there on the property. You know the drill. But it was still a pretty darn good time! And it sure was nice to experience a luxury stay again! My make-believe home spa resort is fun. But nothing tops the real deal.
À bientôt lightworkers! Next stop: The Blue Whale! 🐳 Pip. Pip.
😘 Jennifer, Miles & Miss Mia
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