The Chase Park Plaza, St. Louis

“In the 1960s, we held wrestling matches here.” Those weren’t the words I expected to hear as I stood in the luxurious interior of The Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Did they wrestle beneath the chandeliers? Somehow, I can’t picture that in these fanciful surroundings, but for nearly 25 years that’s exactly what happened. “Wrestling at the Chase” became a Saturday night favorite on the televisions of wrestling fans around the country.

In the continuing theme of “if these walls could talk,” wrestling wasn’t the only thing that made history here. During Prohibition, a New Year’s Eve whiskey raid at the hotel made headlines in The New York Times. In the 1950s, Harry Belafonte broke the color line in the hotel’s swimming pool. Notable guests throughout the years included U.S. presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Gerald Ford. Legendary entertainers including Nat King Cole, Bob Hope, Cary Grant, Tony Bennett  and heartthrob, George Clooney have also graced the hallways.

A Local Treasure

Centrally located in the city’s Central West End neighborhood, The Chase occupies a solid place in the hearts of St. Louis residents. Almost everyone I met who had grown up in St. Louis happily recounted a memory of a special occasion there.

Built in 1922 in the Italian Renaissance style, the project came with a hefty price tag (for the time) of $5 million. Later, The Chase merged with its art deco neighbor, The Park Plaza Hotel to become The Chase Park Plaza.  The good times rolled for decades until the property fell into disrepair and the doors were shuttered in the 1990s for 10 sad years.

In 2017, Sonesta International Hotels acquired the property. Diligently working to uphold the hotel’s legacy, historic tours of the property were launched in 2018, where locals join guests on a behind the scenes peek at the stories hotel. Open to the public, they sell out within minutes. During my visit, I was fortunate to tour with chief concierge, Jeanne Venn. Having worked at the hotel for 40 years, Jeanne knows all the really good stories—especially the ones featuring prominent celebrities. She’s discreet, but we managed to coax a several entertaining tidbits out of her.

The Grand Dame Gets a Facelift

Nearing 100 years old, The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta Hotel recently received a much-deserved facelift. The multi-million-dollar project freshened the 389 existing guest rooms while adding nine new guest rooms. All the public spaces are decked out with new carpeting, wall covering and crystal chandeliers. New color schemes along with the latest technology brighten the guest experience.

Even with all the enhancements, preservation of the historic integrity of the hotel remained a priority. Further tributes in the form of old photographs line the walls of the Grand Hall.

When warmer weather prevails, the original Mediterranean-style outdoor pool will once again welcome sun lovers and swimmers. And up next in the ongoing renovations, the 18,000 square foot fitness center will receive a fresh new look.

Top Notch Dining Options

The Preston, named after the building’s original owner, Preston J. Bradshaw, showcases a deliciously inventive menu served in a chic welcoming space. Small plate offerings include the not-to-be-missed Lobster Popovers—a tasty combination of lobster, house-made quick bread and aged cheddar.

Large plates showcase the kitchen’s culinary skills including the Salmon HotPot—a winning combination of salmon, shiitake, bok choy, soba noodles and lotus root. Be sure to sample one of the refreshing craft cocktails. My personal favorite had the best name. “An Affair to Remember” blends Hendricks Gin with Dolin blanc Vermouth, St. Germain and Salers Apertif.

Gastropub-style cuisine graces the menu at The Chase Club for lunch and dinner. Locally sourced and artfully prepared, you’ll find tempting delights like short rib mac & cheese made with cavatappi and aged cheddar alongside an assortment of inventive flatbreads, salads, sandwiches and burgers. Local beers on tap, creative cocktails and live music on the weekends entice hotel guests and locals to linger awhile. If you’re in St. Louis on the weekend, brunch at The Chase Club should be on your itinerary. Sweet potato biscuits with chorizo gravy elevate comfort food to new heights.

Rounding out the culinary choices at The Chase Park Plaza, the Tenderloin expertly blends its old-school steakhouse history with a refreshing new vibe. Under new ownership, it received its own facelift reopening in December. Old favorites such as pepperloin a la tenderloin remain alongside a new bar menu of appetizers, shareable small plates and sandwiches.

Sustainability at the Chase Park Plaza

Committed to being more sustainable and environmentally friendly, The Chase installed two rooftop hives containing 10,000 honeybees each. The population now includes an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 busy honey-making bees. Be sure to try the fresh organic Forest Park honey in the hotel’s restaurants.

Also, by participating in an organic food waste program, the hotel’s overall waste dropped by 40 to 50 percent in the last year. Of the tons of waste diverted from local landfills, The Chase buys back an amount of rich compost each month for the kitchen’s micro-greenery. The freshly harvested greens incorporated into the restaurants’ menus are just delicious.

The Entertainment Lives On

The wrestling matches have ended at The Chase, but entertainment lives on. A historic 5-screen cinema—The Chase Park Plaza Cinemas—resides within the hotel. New releases and old classics flicker on the screens as the enticing aroma of buttered popcorn permeates the Grand Hall and lobby. And if movies inside your hotel aren’t interesting enough, consider this. For the past 20 years, Gerry Marian has delighted moviegoers with organ concerts before the films. And when the films end, he greets those moviegoers with a platter full of candy. Is it any wonder St. Louis’ residents love this place?