We had lunch at the Coronado Hotel on Lindell which was designed by Preston J. Bradshaw who also designed the Chase Park Plaza and the Mayfair Hotel which we also visited.
The company of St. Mark friends made lunch even more special.
Although it is no longer a hotel but apartments for students at St. Louis University (studio starts at $999 a month), the ballroom is used for weddings and other functions.
This fireplace had been in a wall which probably preserved it during the time the hotel was abandoned and used by the homeless. Brides often have their photos taken by this fireplace where some of their grandparents had their bridal photos also made.
The Ballroom is magnificent with its lights in the original floor.
We learned that the ballroom was built for a reception for Charles Lindbergh. The lights were in the floor to make the ladies' dresses shimmer when they danced in the 1920's. This room was a disco in the 1960's with a wooden floor placed on top. During the 1990's some of the roof had caved in damaging the wooden floor which had protected the unique floor.
Our next stop was the Drury Plaza which had been the fur exchange and a hat factory so technically not a historic hotel, but rather a hotel in a historic building. Our tour guide told us the Drurys walked by as the wrecking ball was tearing part of this down. They thought it was a shame to lose such a historic structure, so they bought it the next day.
One wall of the lobby has sculptures of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
The Statler Hotel is now part of the Renaissance Hotel which has been beautifully restored. This hotel was the site of the first air conditioning and the "gentleman's bar" below. . .
Was the site of the first woman to publicly light a cigarette (a suffragette). I loved the crystal light fixture above. The "gentleman's bar" is very modern and welcomes all genders today, but no one can smoke there.
The ballroom has Wedgwood china panels throughout the ceiling.
The Mayfair Hotel (home of the yummy Mayfair salad dressing and the Prosperity sandwich) is undergoing renovations so we didn't see too much of it.
Apparently all of the downtown hotels had a German-themed restaurant including the Mayfair.
Another Drury Hotel renovation is next door to Union Station. This one was once a residential YMCA frequently visited by railroad executives who enjoyed its exercise rooms and indoor pool.
I'd wanted to visit it ever since I'd heard about its renovations. They have a wonderful (static) collection of model trains through out the lobby, but none of my photos turned out.
Of course the Grand Dame is the Union Station Hotel. Although I've been there often attending dances in 1970's, touring it and attending conferences, I'm always in awe of its grandeur. If you can't stay there, be sure to include it on your visit to see the magnificent Tiffany window representing the three major railroad cities of San Francisco, St. Louis and New York City.
No comments:
Post a Comment