Hotel Review: St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton
Union Station in St. Louis used to be one of the world's largest and busiest passenger rail terminals; more than 100,000 people would pass through on a normal day. The station operated from 1894 to 1978, and its architectural design was inspired by the walled city of Carcassone in southern France. Adjacent to the terminal, a hotel was used to serve travelers, businessmen, and railroad personnel. Now, Union Station houses St. Louis Aquarium, St. Louis Wheel, retail shops, restaurants, as well as the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. I had a chance to visit St. Louis, and I couldn’t pass on the stay at the Union Station Hotel due to its rich history and beautiful architecture.
St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton is located at 1820 Market St, St. Louis, MO 63103.
What Card(s) Should You Use to Book?
American Express Hilton Honors Aspire
The American Express Hilton Honors Aspire card is currently offering a signup bonus of 150,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $4,000 in 3 months. Be aware that since this is an American Express (AMEX) card, you’re only allowed to receive the signup bonus once per lifetime. With a valuation of 0.6 cents per point, the signup bonus is worth about $900. In addition, until 12/31/2021, cardmembers will get a monthly statement credit of $20 when they spend more than $20 at restaurants each month. The annual fee is $450, but cardmembers get a weekend night certificate (redeemable on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at non-premium hotels), $250 incidental credit towards your airline of choice, $250 Hilton resort credit at select Hilton resorts, and Hilton Diamond status, the highest in Hilton’s member ecosystem.
The American Express Hilton Honors Aspire card is one of my favorite credit cards for its benefits and perks. Photo by AMEX.
The Aspire earns 14X per dollar spent on Hilton hotels and resorts when booked directly through Hilton and 7X on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly with select companies, and U.S. restaurants. All other purchases will earn 3X per dollar spent. As a Hilton Honors Diamond member, you’ll get a 100% points bonus and 10 extra points per dollar spent at Hilton properties. Therefore, the Aspire earns a total of 24X per dollar spent on Hilton properties when booked directly with Hilton, yielding a grand return of 14.4%. With Hilton’s frequent points promotions, you can rake in a serious amount of Hilton Honors points in no time. Even if you don’t stay at Hilton properties too often, this card is definitely worth the annual fee due to its amazing perks and benefits, and I strongly believe it’s the best hotel credit card available on the market right now.
If you’d like to apply for the AMEX Hilton Honors Aspire card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!
American Express Hilton Honors Business
Alternatively, I could’ve used my American Express Hilton Honors Business card to book my stay. The AMEX Hilton Honors Business card is currently offering a signup bonus of 130,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $3,000 in 3 months, which is also worth about $780. Like other AMEX cards, the card is subject to the once-per-lifetime signup bonus rule. The annual fee is $95, and unlike the Aspire, it doesn’t come with airline or resort credits. However, it can be a great workhorse card as it offers generous everyday and business multipliers. It earns 12X Hilton Honors points per dollar spent on hotel and resort purchases booked directly with Hilton and 6X at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, U.S. wireless telephone services, U.S. purchases for shipping, and flights booked directly with airlines or with AMEX Travel. All other purchases earn 3X points per dollar spent. Because cardmembers receive automatic Honors Gold status, you’ll get an 80% points bonus and 8 extra points per dollar spent at Hilton properties. In addition, you’d receive 10 complimentary Priority Pass visits and have an opportunity to earn a free weekend night certificate after spending $15,000 in a calendar year. As a result, the Surpass earns a total of 20X per dollar spent on Hilton properties when booked directly with Hilton, yielding a return of 12%.
The American Express Hilton Honors Business card can cover a wide range of daily expenses and still comes with a great multiplier for Hilton stays. Photo by AMEX.
If you’d like to apply for the AMEX Hilton Honors Business card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!
Lobby & Check-In Review
The Union Station hotel is located in the western part of downtown St. Louis and is close to great dining options and local attractions such as the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium, and the City Museum. The hotel is about a 10-minute Uber ride from the above-mentioned attractions, and I enjoyed that the hotel was slightly tucked away from busy city streets.
The Union Station hotel resemble a small castle from outside.
I arrived at a hotel with my rental and dropped it off for valet service. As I stepped into the hotel, I was immediately greeted by the historic beauty of the hotel. The elegant archways and decor reminded me of my stay at the Candler Hotel in Atlanta.
The Whispering Arch is open to the public, so even though you are not staying at the Union Station hotel, you can check it out.
The arch above the entrance is called the Whispering Arch. Two people can stand facing the wall at the ends of the arch and whisper into the arch, and the voice will clearly resonate even though the two are almost 40 feet away from each other.
The Whispering Arch actually works!
Immediately below the arch, there was a beautiful stained glass art.
The stained glass art by the Whispering Arch was delicate and gorgeous.
The lobby, also known as The Grand Hall lounge, was absolutely massive and also served as a bar at night.
The bar quickly filled empty seats at night, but the drinks were unimpressive.
I visited the bar during my stay and had two of their specialty cocktails. Unfortunately, they were mediocre at best.
The drinks were not special, and I am glad I used my free drink vouchers.
The lobby seemed especially empty since the hotel removed seats for social distancing. Regardless of the safety measures, there were plenty of available seats.
Even with social distancing there were many seating options available for hotel guests.
Another highlight of the lobby is that hotel guests and the public can experience a stunning 3D light show daily from 5 PM to 10 PM. I was truly impressed when I saw a few shows while I sipped a drink from the bar later that night. Each show was different; Some were music-heavy, showcasing songs by the Beatles and Queen, and some highlighted the history of the hotel and St. Louis. Here is a small glimpse of one of the shows:
The 65-foot-tall, arched ceiling certainly made the shows more impressive and grander. Since the 3D light show is open to the public, I highly recommend anyone visiting St. Louis check it out.
After you pass the double arch, you will see the check-in desk.
The check-in area was located to the right of the lobby. Following Hilton’s CleanStay program, the area was well equipped with hand sanitizers and plexiglasses to minimize the spread of Coronavirus among guests.
The wall art behind the check-in desk is a reminder that the hotel used to be a railroad terminal.
Thanks to my Hilton Honors Diamond status, I was promptly upgraded to the Deluxe Junior Suite upon checking in. The receptionist kindly explained that they are serving breakfast (complimentary for Gold and Diamond Hilton Honors members) and offered two drink vouchers, redeemable at the hotel bar.
I loved the vintage, train station themed drink vouchers and the check-in pamphlet.
My newly upgraded room was on the third floor, which is actually on the same floor as the check-in desk and the lobby. Because the hotel is a historic building, the layout was highly confusing, and after walking for about six minutes, I finally arrived at my room.
Bedroom Review
Immediately to the entrance's right was a small coffee area with railroad-themed artwork.
The railroad theme continues even in hotel rooms.
Going further into the room, an outdated living room greeted me with dim lights.
A separate living space is great, but it was uninviting and gloomy.
The living room had a built-in TV and higher than regular side tables. The TV remote was in a single-use plastic bag, next to a few hand sanitizing wipes.
It’s good that Hilton is providing sanitizing wipes, but single-use plastic bags are very wasteful.
The overall mood of the living room was dreary, and I mainly used it to stow my luggage and belongings. Continuing to the bedroom, a large window by the bed let in a generous amount of sunlight. My king-sized bed was on the softer side but comfortable nevertheless.
The bed was comfortable, and I liked how much sunlight was coming through the window.
Two complimentary bottled water were on one of the nightstands, and each nightstand was equipped with USB ports and electrical outlets. Next to the bed, there were a tiny accent chair and a table. The accent table was much higher than the chair, making it awkward and useless.
Though the thought of putting the accent furniture was nice, the furniture combination was impractical.
Directly across from the bed were a work desk and another TV, along with more railroad artwork.
The work chair was ok, and the TV seemed a bit smaller for the room.
Next to the TV, there was a basic K-cup machine for my morning caffeine fix.
I prefer a Nespresso machine, but a standard Keurig machine was satisfactory.
In general, the room lacked the “suite” experience I originally anticipated. Most of the furniture was outdated and roughened with age, and the overall atmosphere was dreary. After making myself a cup of coffee, I headed to the bathroom to see if it was any different.
Bathroom Review
The bathroom was just a few steps from the hotel room entrance door. The bathtub-style shower featured a normal showerhead, and while the bathroom was generally clean, it was also outmoded.
There wasn't anything special about the bathroom.
The toiletries were by Gilchrist & Soames, a Guild+Pepper collection. The warm oak scent was pleasant and masculine, and though I don’t have a picture of it, the toiletries included an exfoliating pepper bath bar, which was phenomenal.
The toilet was in its own water closet, which I always prefer over the open layout. The railroad theme continued in the bathroom, giving it more character.
I enjoyed retro, railroad themed artwork everywhere in the room, and bathroom was no exception.
Gym Review
Because the hotel is massive, the gym took a good five-minute walk from my hotel room. On the way to the gym, a pathetic-looking business center was located in the middle of the hallway.
The “business center” was not on par with the hotel’s grand atmosphere.
Right by the gym, there was a picture of the hallway before the hotel’s renovation, a cool reminder of how the property developed over time.
Is it me or do you like the old version of the hallway better?
The gym greeted me with huge neon signs, an energetic interpretation of a railway station, and quite an old-looking cabinet space where towels were stored.
Flashy neon signs did not align with the outdated built in cabinets.
The gym featured various modern equipment including two Pelotons, TRX bands, and a rowing machine.
Peloton bikes have become an essential amenity for upper scale hotels.
The Vintage-inspired artwork made the gym more interesting and perfectly matched the equipment.
Aside from modern workout tools, all other gym instruments felt outdated. The equipment was not physically worn, but I think the hotel was going for a vintage appearance, primarily inspired by the rich history of the hotel. Though the attempt was worthwhile, I personally think the hotel should’ve gone for a modern, energetic atmosphere.
The vintage look of the gym made me feel like I was working out at old YMCA.
However, when the vintage-inspired atmosphere was executed well, I appreciated the added elegance to the gym.
The oversized, vintage mirrors work well with modern rowing equipment in this setting.
The most disappointing factor was that the gym was not COVID-friendly. Compared to my recent stay at Halls Art Hotel in Dallas, the gym lacked any COVID-related precautionary measures. I wish the gym were stocked with hand sanitizers and COVID safety signs, reminding us that hotel guests need to clean every surface they touch. Luckily, many gym equipment were far apart, so the hotel didn’t necessarily have to block some of them.
Breakfast Review
As a Diamond Hilton Honors member, I got complimentary breakfast from Station Grille, the hotel’s restaurant serving traditional American dishes.
The restaurant has classic and upscale American restaurant atmosphere.
When I got seated, the waitress informed me that I could choose up to two entrees and two beverages, which felt very generous. I chose orange juice and Starbucks coffee as my beverages and Continental and All American Breakfast as my entrees.
All breakfast items were quite affordable, and you will soon see why.
About 15 minutes later, my food came, and I was frankly shocked. The only “made-from-scratch” food on my plate was scrambled eggs. All the pastries were pre-packaged, store-bought muffins and danishes. Then, I quickly realized why the breakfast items on the menu were so cheap, and at the same time, I felt somewhat cheated. The waitress did not disclose that everything on the menu was either pre-packaged or frozen previously, and the quality of food I was served was comparable to the breakfast at either Hampton Inn or Garden Inn. I am not bashing Hampton Inn or Garden Inn properties, as I often stay at budget hotels for work. Still, the fact that the Union Station Hotel was charging people for the food that you would practically get free from budget hotels was troublesome. I really think the restaurant needs to step up the game and make restaurant-quality breakfast dishes. If the quality was not to change, the hotel should make breakfast free for all guests.
The breakfast was a huge letdown, and it should be free for all guests.
Summary
St. Louis is home to the Arch, Nelly, gooey butter cakes, the Cardinals, and the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. It is full of cultural attractions, and if you were to spend a night or two in Mound City, I recommend the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton. It was a beautiful historic building from the late 1800s, perfect for any history or locomotive nerds. However, I do not recommend paying for the in-house breakfast at Station Grille unless you have Hilton Gold or Diamond status for a complimentary breakfast. Although the hotel’s layout was confusing and my upgraded junior suite was underwhelming due to outdated furniture and gloomy interior, the historic and architectural charm of the hotel and amazing 3D light shows at night earned my recommendation.
