The Chase Park Plaza is the hotel I stayed at when I came to St. Louis for SDR, my 4-month follow-up, and PERCS. We really enjoyed it each time!

PROS:

• SDR discount is pretty generous, and it’s probably the most upscale hotel in St. Louis, so it’s a beautiful place to stay.
• Amazing staff!!!! The entire staff was friendly, but there were a couple of people who truly made an impact on us. If you choose the Chase, look for Brenda and James; they’re often right outside the dining area. Their kindness and prayers meant the world to us!
• Outdoor pool open in warmer months (not sure of the exact month) all the way through November. (However, keep in mind that after SDR or PERCS, you’ll have to wait 2 weeks to swim again.)
• Movie theater. (You don’t have to be staying at the Chase to go to their movie theater, but it’s pretty magical to be able to walk down to the theater from your room. 🙂 In the days after SDR, it was uncomfortable for me to sit up for long periods of time, so we ordered really delicious popcorn from the theater concession stand and brought it up to our hotel room to eat while I watched Netflix in bed. Before PERCS, we actually watched a movie in the theater, and we had almost the whole theater to ourselves!
• Washer and dryer down the hall (or in-room if you choose their apartments).
• Pretty close to St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. It was about a 10-minute walk for my mom (who doesn’t have CP); slightly longer for me (mild CP, can walk independently), a total of eight-tenths of a mile. The shuttle ride to and from the hospital was available upon request and was about 5 minutes, but sometimes there was a wait. Also note that you should probably tip the shuttle drivers a small amount each time, although it’s not required.
• Walking distance to Whole Foods, Straubs, restaurants. The Chase is within close walking distance to a grocery store called Straubs, which is pricey, but has really good prepared meals. They have excellent mushroom-Swiss quiche and prepared salads, which were useful when we didn’t want to go out for dinner, especially when I was back in the hotel after my SDR hospital stay. Other nearby places include Jeni’s (a gourmet ice cream shop — we loved it! May be slightly fancy for young children’s tastes.), a delicious cupcake shop called The Cup, and a natural-foods grocery store, Whole Foods (pricey, but high-quality food).
  
  

CONS:

• Not the closest to the hospital. It’s about a 10-minute walk or a 5-minute shuttle ride, and sometimes the shuttle rides are delayed. The delays are usually short (about 10 minutes, if the shuttle drivers just left to take someone to the hospital), but sometimes they can be up to 30 minutes, and we almost missed a therapy appointment because of that. If you need a closer hotel, consider the Parkway (connected to the hospital) or MetroLofts (if you’re staying 30+ days).
• Shuttle isn’t the most accessible. There’s a fairly large step up to get into the shuttle. The shuttle drivers provide a stepstool to make the step easier, but it may still be challenging for many people. I have mild CP and was able to handle the step 5 days after SDR with someone’s help. However, I couldn’t do it the day after double hamstring PERCS, so my mom had to take me back to our hotel in my wheelchair, which wasn’t the easiest ride. This is less of an issue for small children; parents could just lift them in and out.
• Only apartments have 2-bedroom suites. Their rooms could accommodate 2 to 4 people (4 in the larger rooms, assuming 1 person takes the sleeper sofa, you request the roll-away twin bed, and 2 people take the king bed). If you need a larger room, some people have booked 2 rooms next to each other (ask the hotel about your options), but otherwise you should look into other options. The apartments may work if you’re staying longer, but these are pricier.
• Smaller rooms have no kitchens. If you’re staying for a month (i.e., if you’re international), you may need to book the most expensive room or a Chase apartment (see below for link) so you can have a kitchen.

As of March 2019, here were the SDR-discount room rates for the Chase (Again, remember that these rates have likely changed since then, so please double check before you book!):

•  Chase guest room:  one bed in room, desk:  $119.00 + tax per night ($139.74)
(This was the room we chose when I went for SDR. The bed was a king bed, so it slept two people, but the room was quite small. It was fine during my SDR since my mom and I spent a lot of our stay in the hospital, but I would recommend upgrading to the next biggest room if you can afford it; it’s much roomier, and the more expensive rooms seemed to come with mini fridges, which is useful for storing groceries and leftovers.)

•  One Bedroom Suite:  one bedroom with king bed, living area with sleeper sofa: $129.00 ($151.49)

(This was the room we chose when I went back for my follow-up; my brother came along too, so it was three of us. The living area was quite spacious, and there was a mini-fridge in one of the cabinets, which was useful. To us, it was definitely worth the ~$10 price increase. With the free roll-away bed, this room could accommodate about 4 people if 2 share the king bed.)

•  One Bedroom with Kitchen: one bedroom with king bed, living room, kitchen with all dishes, pots, pans:  $139.00 ($163.23)

•  **They can add a roll-away bed at no charge. It is actually a twin bed on wheels. It does not fold in the middle. 

The Chase also has apartments available for longer stays (not sure of the rates; email and ask for the SDR rate). These include in-room washing machines and dryers.

I managed fine in a non-accessible room, even after SDR, but for those with more involved CP, request an accessible room.

The Orion Apartments are luxury apartments about a 10-minute walk/5-minute drive from the hospital (they’re very close to the Chase Park Plaza, and they are attached to the Whole Foods). They are an option for international families (who stay a month), but most US families don’t stay long enough to be able to rent them.

As of 2018, the cost was about $150/night (including taxes) for a 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom suite.

PROS:

• Pretty close to St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. (About a 5-minute drive/10-minute walk).
• Washer and dryer in apartment
• Whole Foods (grocery store with mostly natural/organic food) is downstairs.
• Rooftop pool when weather is warm.

CONS:

• Not the closest to the hospital. It’s about a 10-minute walk or a 5-minute drive. If you need a closer hotel, consider the Parkway (connected to the hospital) or MetroLofts (if you’re staying 30+ days).
• No shuttle. It’s within walking distance to the hospital, but if you need a ride there or need a ride to other places, you’ll need to get an Uber/Lyft or rent a car.

Contact Arch Interim Housing to book an apartment here.

Orion photographs provided by Carly King.