Meet Me In St. Louis - For The Holidays!

 

Judy Garland first sang the now famous song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in 1944 for the movie "Meet Me In St. Louis." It would be 80 years later that we experienced that holiday vibe in The St. Louis Union Station Hotel's Grand Hall.                                                                    

At its 1894 opening, the station was the largest in the world. Traffic peaked at 100,000 people a day in the 1940s.  Union Station is a balance of nostalgia and renovation. The stylish and sophisticated Grand Hall features elegant historic touches like the original terrazzo floor, green glazed terracotta bricks, stained glass windows and detailed wooden carpentry. Among the carefully restored/preserved details, we stared in awe at the Allegorical Window created from hand-crafted stained glass. Three women are depicted in Tiffany glass representing the expanse of train travel in the 1890s from New York to San Francisco with St. Louis in the middle, linking it all together. 

We had visited Union Station a month prior during a stay across the street at the Drury Inn and were so impressed with the Grand Hall we decided to return and stay at the Hilton.  

That's when we first met Reggie at the check in area.  He smiled as we inquired about reserving a room, informing us that we would have to make the reservation online, noting our frown, he quickly followed up with a reassuring tone that once the reservation was in the system, he would insure that he would take it from there.   When we arrived a month later, Reggie was smiling as he recognized the digital nomads who had stopped by last month and made sure we got a room with a view in the original building (you must reserve a room in that section for the full experience!). 

Besides the historic elegance of the hotel one can settle into a cozy chair in the lobby and prepare for one of the most spectacular light shows you will ever see. Created by Technomedia, an award winning collaborator with entertainment company Cirque du Soleil, the 3-d light show is the first of its' kind in the US. Hotel guests of all ages enjoy flying birds, an aquarium scene and other vibrant animations projected across the historic lobby in 30 video vignettes (including Christmas specials for the holidays),  set to music.

Besides the hotel, one can also venture outside to what was formerly the Train Shed where all the passengers once began their cross country adventures.  The outdoor area has an assortment of restaurants and shops along with another light show over/in the koi pond.

As this is our last blog for 2024, we wish you and yours Merry Holidays and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year in 2025!