Howdy. I’m considering having a bunch of my company’s clients stay at the Hilton at the Ballpark as part of a trip to a Card’s game. This is versus having them stay at, say the Ameristar in St. Charles or the Harrah’s and busing them in to the stadium.
Is the area around the stadium safe? Fun? Can you catch a cab to go to the Lumiere Casino? Hell, could you walk to the Lumiere Casino?
I’m trying to save on the transportation costs if I put them further out, but am also trying to give them the opportunity to have some fun before/after the game and am hoping the area around the stadium will afford them dining, safety, things to do.
It is very safe around the new busch stadium but the downside is there is not a whole lot to do after the game within walking distance. The city essentially dies after a Cardinals game.
The Casino Queen is ok on the Illinois side and a short cab ride away and if strip bars are your thing east St.Louis is the place to hang out.
Yeah, there’s not a whole lot to do in the immediate area around the stadium, but it has a Metrolink station and most of the places people will want to go are just a short train ride away. Lumiere Place is right near the Arch-Laclede’s Landing station, and it’s probably a five-minute ride at most. Also, Soulard is about a 5-minute cab or bus ride south (I’ve walked it, but the neighborhood in between is a little dodgy), and it has plenty of dining and drinking options.
Washington Avenue also has restaurants and bars. They light up the part of the street with all the stuff to do at night. My favorite Friday night destination is there - Rue13 for 80s dance night.
Tell Accounting you took the clients to the “Sauget Ballet.” Sauget [saw-zhay] is the little company town just across the Mississippi River where a couple of strip clubs are located.
In spite of all the development, downtown St Louis still has a long way to go. Historic Soulard, a little bit south of Busch Stadium is more blues and rock & roll- or at least use to be.
Lumiere Place Casino is a ten minute walk from Busch Stadium. You can use the Lumiere Link to cross under Interstate 70.
I haven’t been to Lumeiere Place yet, though I pass it everyday on the way to work. The place is certainly glitzy, and self-contained. All sorts of shops, clubs and restaurants are in the casino complex.
If you are trying to save on transportation, you can take the MetroLink light rail system from Lambert Field directly to Busch Stadium. Although Metro does cheat visitors and North St Louis County residents by charging like $1 extra fare from the Lambert Field MetroLink station. So if you can, buy your ticket before you arrive in St Louis,
Oh yeah, don’t forget Eero Saarinen’s 630 ft inverted catenary curve, magnificent.
If you are trying to save on transportation costs, put them up at a hotel near Lumiere Place or near Laclede’s Landing. The walk to the ballpark is not too onerous, but there is more to do near the Landing. (plus, their hotel rooms don’t look out over a giant pit of mud, as do the ballpark ones.)
East St. Louis isn’t really a place to hang out at any time, though. (I work at a chemical plant in Sauget.) And the strip clubs aren’t really in East St. Louis, proper, anyway. Probably best to ask a hotel concierge to recommend one, if you find they want to go see strippers, since some of those clubs look a bit… seedy, particularly in Brooklyn. If you have no car, you’ll need to cab over and back, as the MetroLink doesn’t have any strip club stops.
If you need things for them to do, the Bush Brewery tour is pretty good. It’s past Soulard, so you’ll need transportation there or back. There’s an ungodly overpriced souvenier shop and hospitality room after; so you’ll get to try some beers too.
I’ll second the Brewery Tour, I’ve taken visiting friends there several times, they’ve loved it. My hotel suggestion is the Convention Center Drury Inn, which is eight blocks from Busch and two blocks from LaClede’s Landing, which offers a wealth of post-game drinking, dining and dancing options. I’ve heard a lot of positive reviews of the hotel and as a business traveler I’m a Drury fan in general. You’re also jolly close to Lumiere Place, which is supposed to be a nice place to gamble (i haven’t made it in there yet). You may be able to get the hotel to throw in a ride to the stadium if you’re booking for a decent-sized group, I’ve wrangled similar comps in trips to other towns.
Interesting about the Drury. I kinda avoided it because it looked like your basic no-frills middle of the road hotel. I’ll take another look.
Great, great, tips, all. It helps to have someone who knows the area. My boss is going to be so impressed when I can go in and give him all these details and options.
(He thinks this board is just a bunch of ranting liberals. Ha! Little does he know that most of my good ideas and solutions come from Dopers!)
And thank god for the Lumiere Link. That’s just what I need to feel more comfortable putting them up - possibly - at the Lumiere Hotel.
I would guess the Convention Center Drury is right by Washington? Or on Washington even? Because I think Washington goes right by it heading towards the river. But I don’t venture downtown too often. I just know there are lots of bars and whatnot now because of the “loft district.” I wasn’t too impressed by some of the places on the Landing - the dueling piano bar was neat but for a broke college kid the $6 cover and $4 domestic bottles were a bit steep, especially since it was so crowded we had to stand up.
The brewery tour is neat…although I went to the Coors one first (on vacation, don’t like Coors) and theirs was better. If it’s gonna be hot though, be forewarned you are outside a decent amount, dress accordingly. They walk you outside and stuff.
My parents have been to Lumiere Place a couple times and really liked it. I haven’t been yet because Ameristar is way closer.
Isn’t Al Hrabosky’s bar by the stadium? I know people that party there after games.
Well, I started this thread just looking for a good, safe, cost-effective place to put up our clients. But I’ve gotten so many good tips and ideas, that I’m going to put together a pre-trip brochure… You guys are a great concierge service!
