More like a gooey butter cake getaway. Earlier this month, I had the wonderful opportunity to experience a refreshed Downtown St. Louis experience at the recently remodeled Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel on Washington Avenue.
Swanky and sophisticated, the towering hotel nods to its classic origins of the Statler Hotel (opened in 1919) while tactically attracting the modern business traveler. Through refreshed details in amenities and atmosphere (hello gold lamps and charging outlets at every reach), I was grateful to enjoy a concierge-level city view in my suite. We also snuck up to the rooftop Crystal ballroom during a wedding set-up to explore unbeatable views and elaborate restored architectural details.
The weekend's open slate prompted me and Madeline to enjoy as much of the city as possible; our daylong timetable led us to Soulard Market, brunch at Winslow's Home, Central West End for Jeni's ice cream and a stroll, and a wine flight happy hour on Washington Ave. at Robust. So much to eat in so little time! We made a pit-stop at the Arch for a photograph, obviously.
For our evening dining experiences in St. Louis, Madeline and I drove to The Hill for authentic, historic Italian at the original Charlie Gitto's. It was unbelievably filling -- the St. Louis-famed toasted ravioli and a good bottle of red wine kicked off our dinner, followed by lobster linguine, Seabass, and sausage rigatoni. We were essentially rolled out of the restaurant by our waiter, Tony.
Saturday's dinner at the Zenia Bar & Grill was joined by a group of other regional bloggers, whose camaraderie was enjoyed over with dishes upon dishes from the seasonal menu. I consistently recommend venturing away from a hotel for meals upon visiting a new city, but the 8th Street Pantry grab-n-go market at the Marriott St. Louis Grand was impressive. The Pantry prepares paninis and salads for the business traveler. Locally-sourced sweets, sips, and other snacks are available for pick-up.
If you're ever searching for a quick weekend trip, I highly recommend St. Louis in the springtime! Follow more of my adventures on Instagram with #caramelizedtravels.
This Caramelized getaway was brought to you by the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!