Hilton Pennywell St. Louis at the Arch

We stayed at the Pennywell Hilton in downtown St. Louis for over a week, and while there’s a lot to appreciate, a few things kept it from being a great stay. The lobby of the building is spacious with plenty of seating, and a few architectural touches that highlight the building’s history as a bank. I liked the old vault doors leading to the snack shop and some of the ceiling details. The staff were generally kind and welcoming. I really got the sense they care and want you to have a good experience. That said, there were a few consistent issues. The lobby was hot most of the time, and there was a loud humming sound (maybe from fans or a generator) coming from downstairs. It filled the lobby and kind of took away from the otherwise nice atmosphere. The loud sound was around for about half of the days during our stay, combined with the lack of AC in the seating area of the lobby as made it uncomfortable to be in. Housekeeping was generally fine but lacked attention to detail. Towels were refreshed, beds were made, and trash bins were emptied each day. However, other basic things were overlooked. For example, when we arrived, the body wash container in the shower was nearly empty. After housekeeping came the next day and didn’t refill it, I assumed they’d take care of it the following day but they didn’t. By day three, we ended up leaving a handwritten note in the shower just to make sure we could get body wash. We also found that if the toilet paper roll was halfway finished, housekeeping didn’t proactively leave a backup roll, which felt like a small but recurring miss. While the room always looked neat after they came through, it never quite felt clean. The windowsills were noticeably dusty, and surfaces didn’t seem to be wiped down. It felt like the focus was more on tidying than actually cleaning. Then there was a noticeable smell of marijuana in the hallways, and perhaps coincidentally it was often around times when housekeeping staff were present. It was unexpected in a Hilton property and something management might want to be aware of. The breakfast buffet is small but convenient. It has the usual lineup like scrambled eggs, potatoes, pancakes, etc. One odd choice…steamed broccoli and cauliflower for breakfast? Not sure about that. The pastries were nice and kept warm, which was a thoughtful touch. Overall though, the buffet felt a little pricey for what you get. All in all, it’s a decent hotel with friendly people and a lot of potential. If they tightened up a few areas it could really shine.

Location is good for downtown St. Louis. Valet did a great job. My $15 Hilton Honors room credit could not be applied at the sundry Because they stated it was owned by a third-party. I have stayed at several Hilton properties and never been told this. I did not have time for a sit down breakfast and felt ripped off.

Would not recommend this place to anyone that can’t handle warm rooms in the summer due to motion sensors in the rooms to be able to have AC. I am currently here right now and brought multiple customers here for a Cardinals game for lodging. Over $400 a night spending $4200 all together and there is very little AC in the Lobby and the rooms won’t get cooler than 73. I have been sweating most of the time I’ve been here. Service is good and the staff are polite and good people also a nice clean hotel with good housekeeping but the AC side of it needs work. 1 star rating due to the AC operating procedures here. Update. 7/11/25 The hotel manager Ryan reached out to me and made things right. He was a very nice and professional gentleman. It is a nice hotel and the staff is nice but they need to do some changing on their HVAC operating procedures. They get that fixed and I would rate it 5 stars. I am just not a fan of motion sensors in the room to be able to have the AC working in the heat of the summer.