The Cheshire

Unique destination hotel for a weekend getaway. Author named rooms, old English furnishings, make you forget your in the heart of forest park.  Near the zoo, great pool with cabanas and drink service and covered parking. Continental breakfast was very upscale with fresh fruit, Danish, cereals and cheeses. Not your typical hotel but a fun one.

Although an old hotel, has been remodeled.
Very helpful  staff. Parking $7 per nite is just plain wrong.
Several restaurants on site.

Room was a tad dusty, AC works very well. Rooms are not entirely sound proof.

They have bikes and helmets for check out to ride in Forest Park.
Valet parking or park in there underground garage for $7.

Wifi is excellent.
Free Breakfast

My nephew was getting married, I booked a room for 2 nights 4 months ago. Parking options were expensive, I grabbed a spot open in the hotel owned restaurant lot next door. I immediately noticed the filthy glass in the front doors and the sticky, tacky feel of the handles and door. On the way to the slow, noisy and extremely hot elevator I was stunned to see that apparently a packed warehouse of heavy, ponderous 'olde' English furniture, artwork and knick knacks had thrown up in every square inch of space. The murky lighting and heavy dark woodwork created an utterly exhausting energy drain. I was stunned to discover my room hadn't been cleaned. There were used towels thrown over the ice bucket and in the bathroom. There was a spray bottle of cleaner left behind that obviously hadn't been used. The glass covering the tops of the furniture was filmy, smeared, greasy feeling and extremely dusty. The coffeemaker was covered with dust and large, greasy fingerprints. The floor was covered with dirty footprints and the carpet tacks sticking up from the line where carpet met floor was a painful touch. I was stuck several times. The sheets had not been changed and one of the pillows had the strong stench of dead fish. The heavy wood bed frame had whitish streaks, dribbles and smears. There was no soap, shampoo etc. There was hair all over the bathroom. I went back into the hellishly hot elevator and spoke to the desk person. It was after 9 p.m., I had just driven 7 hours and the thought of finding a different place in a strange city was not appealing. The desk person said he would send up a housekeeper immediately, apologized and comped half the rate for the night. A young man knocked on the door with a stack of towels. I asked him what that was about. He said he had no idea. I explained the situation, he came in and immediately commented that the room hadn't been cleaned in a long time and needed some serious detail cleaning. He told me there are no housekeeping people at night. He went to the front desk with me to confirm the condition of the room and the price was comped 100%. I refused to sleep on used sheets so this young man helped me change the bed. His eyes fell on the large spots and stains the same time mine did. Our eyes met as he asked, I wonder what that is? I said, oh, you know exactly what that is! We changed all the linen, he suggested I do not touch the throw. It gets worse! The air conditioning rattled constantly. And for some insane reason, probably the same reasoning behind the hideous decor and giant stuffed bear in the lobby, claws reaching out in warning to run, run! the bathroom lights, all 4 of them, are on a motion sensor with NO WAY TO TURN THEM OFF! Walk by, on they go, go in, on they go, go in at 3 a.m. and on they go, glaring, blaring light bouncing off the mirror and glass shower door, ensuring that you are now wide awake and can listen to the rattling AC the rest of the night. The next morning I had to attend the wedding rehearsal without a shower or even washing my face. I assumed that the desk person would make sure cleaning services were provided first thing in the morning. Nope. My room was not cleaned and supplied until 4:30 in the afternoon, 1 hour before I had to go to the rehearsal dinner. After the room was cleaned the glass remained smeared, the coffeemaker untouched, the ice bucket still had it's nice thick insulating layer of dust and the desk chair had little bits and pieces of something red, hard candy maybe, and pieces of cellophane. The lamps remained dusty and smeary.  The shower is set in such a way that you have to get in to turn it on, no way to reach in and adjust the temperature before entering. And those lights! My God! I could have operated on myself. When I returned that evening other wedding attendees had arrived to discover their rooms in the same condition as mine. Several employees were in the hall trying to make peace. I snagged one to unscrew the lightbulbs in the bathroom asking him what the hell was going on with motion sensors in a hotel room bathroom. He laughed and said it was the owner's idea. I learned that several visitors for the wedding were furious and ready to check out except, as it was with me, they had come long distances and were utterly exhausted. On the very scant plus side- the mattress was very comfortable, the down pillows and comforter good quality. Complimentary breakfast was good, fresh fruit, sliced turkey and cheese, a variety of muffins, bagels and sweet rolls, bean roll ups, juices, tea and coffee. No one to replenish plates, coffee or wipe the eating areas. Guests had to go to the front desk to request items. Every guest for the wedding had a horrible experience. I was comped the full visit as were others. This place is disgustingly dirty, sticky, noisy and not worth even half the nightly rate.