Home2 Suites by Hilton St. Louis/Forest Park — Hotel in St. Louis

But you need to read this so your five star stay doesn’t become a two star one. Here is how to manage your expectations.||Pros:||1. Large comfortable hotel rooms, including suites. So far as I could tell the sofas were all sleeper sofas as well. We had a full kitchen with dishes, eating utensils, microwave, full fridge/freezer, and dishwasher. Sign also says that you can borrow a cooktop and skillet free of charge, but we didn’t try it. Suites had separate controls for temperature for each room. You do have to share a bathroom as there were no two bathroom units. |2. There is an area for snacks, drinks, and even some prepared meals for purchase.|3. Indoor pool, gym includes, treadmill, bicycle, nautilus type equipment and some free weights.|4. Onsite coin operated washer and dryer. The washer and dryer both operate for $0.50 and the front desk can change cash for quarters. You do have to come up with your own laundry detergent though.|5. Distance from the Barnes Jewish Hospital is 0.3 miles and is a very feasible and safe walk with sidewalks the whole way. Or you can take the free shuttle to any of the area hospitals within a 3 mile radius of the hotel. Shuttle seats 4-6 people and also delivers and picks up to restaurants and stores within 3 miles. This included the Fabulous Fox theater. Weekdays the shuttle started at 0600 and ends at a sort of nebulous time of about 9:30 PM. Weekend schedules were less certain. As best as I could tell, official start time is at noon but if they can find a driver earlier than that, you can still get a ride. You don’t book anything in advance. When you get to the lobby, ask the front desk to call the shuttle driver. If you are out and need to be picked up, call the hotel number, listen to the recording, stay on the line, and then ask the front desk to send the driver. There is only one shuttle and driver at any time, so you may have to wait for it to complete another trip and you should give yourself extra time. Although the shuttle area doesn’t include the airport, there is a Metrolink that could take you to the Central West End stop next to Barnes Jewish Hospital. I don’t know if they would pick you up from the station if you’re not already a guest, but I do know that they can deliver you to that station to go to the airport to fly out.|6. Hot breakfast buffet included from 0630-0930 weekdays and until 1000 on weekends. Breakfast choices included some combination of cold cereal, hot oatmeal or grits, biscuits, rolls, eggs (disc shaped for making a breakfast sandwich), sausage patties, bacon, spinach and egg pastries, chicken strips, potato puffs, waffle maker with lots of nut and fruit toppings, yogurt, milk, coffee, tea, and juices. Best thing about the breakfast buffet is that you don’t have to coordinate your waking or breakfast times that way.|7. There is a hospital rate, at least for Barnes Jewish, of $145. There may be similar rates for the other hospitals. Importantly, you have to know this and request it. They don’t offer it, even if they know you are taking the shuttle to the hospital every day, and at least one desk person told me that it could not be retroactively applied to the previous days of my stay. However, the general manager did make the adjustments.|8. Staff generally is friendly though not necessarily proactive in problem-solving. Outstanding staff members at the breakfast buffet were Michael Walker and a new worker, Connie, who started during my stay. Both were exceptionally hard working and made sure to keep the breakfast area supplied and tidy.|9. Onsite parking is free. The main part of the parking area is behind a gate, however, the area is still accessible without a room card.||Here is where you have to manage your expectations:||1. Housekeeping happens every other day. This includes making the bed, emptying trash, and resupplying towels. However, it’s inconsistent, sometimes trash doesn’t get emptied and recycling rarely got emptied even if the room was otherwise serviced. In three weeks, the room never got vacuumed. One thing we did learn is that if you have your Do Not Disturb tag on your door when the housekeepers come through to assign rooms to be cleaned, your room will be struck off the list and won’t be cleaned at any time that day. So I quit using the Do Not Disturb tag and just double bolted my door at night. Cleaning didn’t seem to start before 0900 anyway. If you do miss your cleaning, you’ll have to go to the front desk for towels or amenities. The housekeepers never checked the levels of shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel, so you will get your supplies from the front desk as well, and you’ll have to carry them to your room, then dump what you don’t want outside your door (so sometimes the hallway does have kind of a trashy look).|2. There were a couple of times that the phones were not set up to pick up with the recording. On those occasions, one time we happened to see the shuttle driving by and managed to flag it down. The other times we elected to just walk back from the hospital.|3. Although it got better during the course of our stay, especially when Connie started, the breakfast area could be haphazardly supplied early on. This meant that on a busy weekend morning, there would be no utensils, plates, or bowls and the milk and yogurt fridge could be completely empty. We learned to stash our own milk and yogurt the day before and if you’re in a real hurry, you might have to bring your own dinnerware and utensils from your room. There was at least one time that guests started taking the milk out of the paid amenities fridge because there was none in the buffet area. Be prompt about arriving for breakfast on time. There is no grace period and they close at 0930 on the dot. They didn’t go so far as to unplug a waffle if it was already in the iron, but they do pull the curtain across the food area on time. The latest I ever saw it close was about four minutes late. So don’t wander down fifteen minutes late.|4. If you have any room requests, you have to call the hotel to ensure it. So booking a certain type room online, or booking adjoining rooms won’t be honored, even if you booked it that way online on the hotel’s website.|5. There is only one bank of elevators at one end of the hotel. There are four floors. If you have impairments with mobility and you can’t walk a hundred paces to the other end of the hall, avoid rooms with low numbers (like 301 or 302). Rooms closest to the elevator were rooms like 328 to 332.|6. When you book your room, book for the absolute maximum number of rooms you might need. You can cancel any portion of a reservation that you don’t need, but I made the mistake of extending my reservation piecemeal each time a setback occurred at the hospital. While I was able to keep my room, what did happen every time would be that the key would be deactivated and the room would get struck off the cleaning list again, even if I particularly requested to have it serviced on its usual...

But you need to read this so your five star stay doesn’t become a two star one. Here is how to manage expectations. Pros: Large comfortable hotel rooms, including suites. So far as I could tell the sofas were all sleeper sofas as well. We had a full kitchen with dishes, eating utensils, microwave, full fridge/freezer, and dishwasher. Sign also says that you can borrow a cooktop and skillet free of charge. Suites had separate controls for temperature for each room. You do have to share a bathroom as there were no two bathroom units. There is an area for snacks, drinks, and even some prepared meals for purchase. Indoor pool, gym includes, treadmill, bicycle, nautilus type equipment and some free weights. Onsite coin operated washer and dryer. The washer and dryer both operate for $0.50 and the front desk can change cash for quarters. Bring your own laundry detergent though. You can take the free shuttle to any of the area hospitals within a 3 mile radius of the hotel. Shuttle seats 4-6 people and also delivers and picks up to restaurants and stores within 3 miles. Weekdays the shuttle started at 0600 and ends about 9:30 PM. Weekend schedule: official start time is at noon but if they can find a driver earlier than that, you can still get a ride. Although the shuttle area doesn’t include the airport, there is a Metrolink that could take you to the Central West End stop next to Barnes Jewish Hospital. Hot breakfast buffet included from 0630-0930 weekdays and until 1000 on weekends. Breakfast choices included some combination of cold cereal, hot oatmeal or grits, biscuits, rolls, eggs, sausage patties, bacon, spinach and egg pastries, chicken strips, potato puffs, waffle maker with lots of nut and fruit toppings, yogurt, milk, coffee, tea, and juices. There is a hospital rate, at least for Barnes Jewish, of $145. There may be similar rates for the other hospitals. Importantly, you have to know this and request it. Staff generally is friendly though not necessarily proactive in problem-solving. Onsite parking is free. The main part of the parking area is behind a gate, however, the area is still accessible without a room card.

Here is where you have to manage your expectations: Housekeeping happens every other day. This includes making the bed, emptying trash, and resupplying towels. However, it’s inconsistent, sometimes trash doesn’t get emptied and recycling rarely got emptied even if the room was otherwise serviced. In three weeks, the room never got vacuumed. One thing we did learn is that if you have your Do Not Disturb tag on your door when the housekeepers come through to assign rooms to be cleaned, your room will be struck off the list and won’t be cleaned at any time that day. If you do miss your cleaning, you’ll have to go to the front desk for towels or amenities. The housekeepers never checked the levels of shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel, so you will get your supplies from the front desk as well, and you’ll have to carry them to your room, then dump what you don’t want outside your door. On a busy weekend morning, there might be no utensils, plates, or bowls and the milk and yogurt fridge could be completely empty. Be prompt about arriving for breakfast on time. There is no grace period and they close at 0930 on the dot. If you have any room requests, call the hotel to ensure it. So booking a certain type room online, or booking adjoining rooms won’t be honored, even if you booked it that way online on the hotel’s website. There is only one bank of elevators at one end of the hotel. There are four floors. If you have impairments with mobility and you can’t walk a hundred paces to the other end of the hall, avoid rooms with low numbers (like 301 or 302). Rooms closest to the elevator were rooms like 328 to 332. When you book your room, book for the absolute maximum number of rooms you might need. You can cancel any portion of a reservation that you don’t need, but if you extend it, your key gets deactivated at the end of...

I have now stayed twice at this hotel, once last year for 5 weeks and this year for another week for business.

It is a great hotel for an extended stay with all the amenities. Most of the rooms are studio suites with a small kitchen area, a sofa, TV, desk, king size bed and an ensuite bathroom. There is a curtain to separate the bed from the rest of the space which is nice. The bed is really soft and comfortable but I wish the long pillow had a better cover on it that match the comfort of the rest of the bed.

There are also a few one bedroom suites which is what I stayed in last year which felt a little like my own apartment. You get a little more space with the suites. There is a separate bedroom and then a large main room with a well stocked kitchen, sofa, TV and desk as well as a table and chairs and some additional storage space. The bathroom also feels a little larger too.

There is a large entrance to the hotel with friendly staff and a large area that is used for breakfast as well as throughout the day. There are two outdoor spaces, one with outdoor sofas and a fire pit and the other with some bbq grills.

The pool is a nice size and is saline rather than chlorine. There is also a gym/laundry area where the washing machines and dryers cost 50 cents to use. You need to bring or buy your own detergent though. They do have some for purchase at the small shop near the front desk which also has some snack and ready meals. There is ample parking for all guests.

The cleaning service also suits the long term traveller as well as being environmentally friendly. Each day only a light touch cleaning service is done but every 5th day of your stay a deep clean is done. Your room is not cleaned at the weekend unless requested or it is your 5th day. This suited me as at the weekends I didn't feel I needed to get up and out of the room for it to be cleaned particularly when I was there for a long stay.

The hotel is in a good location for Forest Park, which is one of my favourite places in St Louis, and the hospitals. It isn't so great for restaurants within walking distance though. There is a driver that can take you to nearby restaurants though if you don't have a car or you do not want to drive.

Overall a nice hotel, easily accessible for disabled guests and convenient for the long term traveller.

Update:

I have now stayed at this hotel four times. Twice in a studio room and twice in a one bedroom suite.

Last time I went happened to be over Spring Break and it was incredibly busy. Due to the location it is very popular with families which, unfortunately for me as a lone business traveller, meant that I couldn't go near the pool (it constantly had kids in it) and it was a struggle to get anything for breakfast. However the staff did the best they could. I also noticed my room did not get cleaned as much as it usually does, which I hope was more down to housekeeping being stretched to their limits. It didn't bother me that much as I generally keep my room fairly clean, but I don't think it had the full clean until the day before I left (I was there for over 2 weeks) and I often had to ask for a few more bits like toilet paper.

I really hope the issues with my last visit were just down to the busy season I visited in as my previous visits have been really good. Generally staff are consistent every time stay there and they now recognise me and will have a nice chat with you if there is no one...