21c Museum Hotel St Louis

The place

In the heart of downtown St Louis, a historic YMCA building turned art-filled escape. The public spaces keep much of what was original; the 173 rooms and suites take a modern turn — lofty ceilings, large windows, original artwork, flashes of orange and green.

The old lap pool survives, indoors and historic, alongside a 24-hour fitness center, a sauna, steam rooms, and treatments. The in-house museum is large, its exhibitions curated.

For the table: Idol Wolf, the signature restaurant drawing on the rich culinary traditions of Spain, and Good Press, a laid-back cafe for morning coffee and simple bites.