Hotel Ignacio in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is the gateway to the West and Hotel Ignacio is your gateway to romance in St. Louis. Located in the Grand Center cultural district, this boutique hotel, which opened in Spring 2011, has a bold contemporary vibe featuring original art throughout its 49 rooms, two suites, and public spaces. Most of the art is on loan from the museum at St. Louis University, just across the street. Hotel Ignacio is within easy walking distance to the Fox Theater, mounting current touring Broadway Shows and Powell Hall, home of the St. Louis Symphony. Also nearby are the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts and the Contemporary Art Museum.

All guest rooms have either two queen beds or one king with restful Tempur-Pedic mattresses and the decor features museum-quality paintings. Ideal for honeymoon couples and other lovers, the top-floor suites feature floor-to-ceiling views of the university, romantic wood-burning fireplaces and state-of-the-art amenities: flatscreen TVs, complimentary wi-fi, and large marble bathrooms with rain forest showers and Jacuzzis. An Avaya media hub allows guests to access the Internet, hotel information and nearby destinations from their room. Push-button curtains can be lowered to create a cozy mood and each suite comes with a wet bar and pre-stocked refrigerator. Bamboo fiber towels and bed linens add to Hotel Ignacio’s commitment to the environment.

The hotel’s social and culinary hub is Café Pintxos, which by day is a bright, busy breakfast shop, serving hotel guests and neighboring business people fresh coffees, smoothies, muffins and an assortment of tasty morning pastries made on premises. By night, it’s a trendy tapas bar--a gathering spot before or after an evening in the arts and entertainment district, Grand Center. Rev things up next door at Triumph Grill, a full-service restaurant and motorcycle museum. Varoom! Wedding parties occupying the entire hotel can use these locations for receptions, dinners and parties.

Every wedding at the hotel is customized to suit couples’ individual preferences via the hotel's relationships with area wedding venues, including the magnificent Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Themes and locations might include beer halls (St. Louis is famous for its beer) to formal catered affairs at museums, clubs and gardens. Once the hotel’s romance counselors understand what couples want, they make it seemingly easy for dreams to come true.

Honeymoon couples receive room service champagne in the evening and breakfast in bed and a suite filled with orchids. A complimentary one-night stay in one of the suites is offered to couples who book the entire hotel for a destination wedding. In-room couples’ massages in front of one of the suite’s fireplaces are a perfectly romantic way to relax and unwind after the rigors of a wedding. Suites are stocked with complimentary St. Louis treats: Kako chocolates, Hank’s Cheese Cakes, and Mom’s Pretzels.

Couples who stroll through the hotel can soak up culture via the impressive contemporary art collection. Afterwards, curl up in front of the fire in their suite, or rev it up in the fitness center on the second floor. Business details as well as last minute wedding details (faxes, printing, etc.) can be tended to in the hotel’s business center. Gourmet coffee and tea and fresh fruit are offered in the lobby, free of charge. The lounge on the first floor also features a wood-burning fireplace where couples can curl up, sip some wine, and relax in the art-filled space.

The hotel is minutes from some of the city’s most popular theaters and museums and a short drive or taxi ride to the downtown area dominated by Eero Saarinen’s masterpiece: The Gateway Arch, the tallest monument in the United States. Forest Park, considered to be the heart of St Louis, was the site of the 1904 World’s Fair. It's now home to the world renowned St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Art Museum, and outdoor concert venues. St. Louis also offers its own culinary treats: from BBQ at high-ranked Pappy’s and frozen custard called "concretes" at Ted Drewes on historic Route 66 to fine dining at nearby 11/11 Mississippi.

The blocks immediately surrounding the hotel are works in progress. By the time you visit, more cultural institutions, stores, restaurants, antiques shops, and nightspots will likely have opened. Note that there is neither a swimming pool nor a spa at the hotel.

The hotel is an art-filled urban oasis in the neighborhood that defines St. Louis's vibrant art scene. The youthful and attentive staff is at your beck and call 24/7 to make sure your stay is a romantic and relaxing experience. Early in the day students and professors at St. Louis University often gather in the cafe. In the evenings guests arrive for tapas on their way from work and to and from the numerous cultural venues in the neighborhood. In addition to couples like you, others staying at the hotel might be cast members of touring Broadway shows and artists whose work is on display at local galleries and museums.