Hotels With a Pool in St. Louis
Most pool hotels in St. Louis are downtown, between the Gateway Arch and Union Station, and most of their pools are indoors, which makes them useful all year in a city with humid summers and cold winters. Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis At The Arch leads the list with a 9.2 rating from more than 3,600 reviews, an indoor pool, hot tub and free hot breakfast a minute from the Old Courthouse. Its sister hotel at Union Station scores the same. St. Louis Union Station Hotel adds an outdoor pool inside a converted 1894 train station, and Clayton Plaza Hotel offers two pools west of downtown. Hotels are ranked by guest rating.
St. Louis grew up on the Mississippi River as the gateway to the American West, a story told by the 630-foot Gateway Arch on the riverfront. Today it is a city of brick neighbourhoods, baseball, blues and barbecue, with free museums and a zoo in Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the country.
Where to stay
Indoor pools near the Arch
St. Louis is a good city for a pool hotel because so much of downtown is walkable: the Gateway Arch, the riverfront, Busch Stadium, the St. Louis Aquarium and the National Blues Museum are all close together. A hotel pool is where families recover after a day of sightseeing, and indoor pools keep working through the Missouri winter.
Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis At The Arch is the standout choice for a pool stay. It is rated 9.2 from more than 3,600 guest reviews, one of the largest volumes in the city, and stands a one-minute walk from the Old Courthouse, with the Gateway Arch grounds just beyond. The indoor pool and hot tub are open year round, a fitness centre is on site, and a free hot breakfast is included, which keeps costs down for families. Parking costs extra, and the airport is roughly nineteen minutes away by taxi, so it also works well for a short weekend without a rental car.
Drury Plaza Hotel at Union Station matches that 9.2 rating from about 2,100 reviews. It offers the same formula of free breakfast, an indoor pool, a hot tub and a fitness room, and it is a five-minute walk from the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station, which makes it a strong pick for families with children. Next door, the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, occupies the restored 1894 train station. It is the only hotel on this list with an outdoor pool downtown, and its Grand Hall hosts a nightly 3D light show. Rated 8.6 from more than 9,400 reviews, it is the most reviewed hotel here.
Two more downtown hotels suit travellers who want space or a central base. Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Louis Downtown is an all-suite hotel with a free made-to-order breakfast, an indoor pool and a gym, a two-minute walk from the National Blues Museum and the convention centre. Separate living areas help families and longer business trips. The Hampton Inn St. Louis-Downtown at the Gateway Arch, rated 8.6, has an indoor pool, free hot breakfast and an Irish pub, and it accepts pets. Both are within walking distance of Busch Stadium, home of the Cardinals, and the riverfront along the Mississippi River.
Outside the core, two hotels offer good value. Pear Tree Inn St. Louis Near Union Station has an indoor pool and hot tub, hot breakfast and free parking, which is rare downtown and saves real money on a road trip. It is about eight minutes by taxi from the Gateway Arch. Clayton Plaza Hotel sits in the Clayton business district west of the city and has two pools, a restaurant and bar, free breakfast and an airport shuttle. It is about nine minutes by taxi from the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park and fourteen minutes from the airport, the closest of all the hotels on this list.
A traveler's perspectiveFor a family trip to St. Louis, I would choose Drury Plaza Hotel at Union Station. The indoor pool and hot tub are there for the evenings, breakfast is free, the 9.2 guest rating is among the best in the city, and the St. Louis Aquarium is a five-minute walk. My advice for a couple is the Union Station Hotel, for its outdoor pool and nightly light show.
Drury Plaza Hotel Louis At Union Station
2,100 reviews
Five minutes from the Aquarium at Union Station
Check availabilityWhy guests love itDrury Plaza at Union Station is one of the easiest family bases in St. Louis. The St. Louis Aquarium is a five-minute walk, so you can spend a morning there and be back for a rest without a car. Free hot breakfast keeps costs down, and the indoor pool and hot tub work in any season, which helps in cold Missouri winters. A 9.2 rating from about 2,100 guests is reassuring. Parking is extra, so budget for it.
Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis At The Arch
3,696 reviews
One minute from the Old Courthouse, breakfast included
Check availabilityWhy guests love itFew downtown hotels are this convenient for families: the Old Courthouse is a one-minute walk, and the Gateway Arch grounds are just beyond it. The complimentary hot breakfast covers mornings before sightseeing, and the indoor pool and hot tub give children a reliable treat after a day outdoors, whatever the weather. A 9.2 score from nearly 3,700 reviews shows consistent service. Parking costs extra, so walking everywhere downtown makes the most sense here.
Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Louis Downtown
2,337 reviews
All-suite rooms two minutes from the Convention Center
Check availabilityWhy guests love itEvery room at the Embassy Suites St. Louis Downtown is a suite, which I find makes the biggest difference for families: a separate living space instead of everyone around one bed. The free made-to-order breakfast is cooked each morning, and the indoor pool gives children a swim whatever the weather. The National Blues Museum is a two-minute walk. Pets are accepted, parking is paid, and 2,337 reviews give it 8.6.
St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton
9,483 reviews
A converted 1894 train station with a nightly light show
Check availabilityWhy guests love itSt. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton occupies a converted 1894 train station, and the nightly 3D light show in the building is the moment children remember. The outdoor pool adds a swim in warmer months, and the gastropub keeps dinner simple. Pets are welcome. Breakfast and parking cost extra, and the airport is about twenty-four minutes by taxi. Guests rate this 4-star hotel 8.6 across 9,483 reviews, a long and steady record.
Hampton Inn St. Louis-Downtown (At the Gateway Arch)
2,262 reviews
Indoor pool and an Irish pub near the Arch grounds
Check availabilityWhy guests love itHampton Inn St. Louis Downtown at the Gateway Arch serves a free hot breakfast every morning, which gets families out the door quickly for a day near the Gateway Arch. The indoor pool gives children a swim in any season, and the National Blues Museum is a five-minute walk for parents curious about the city's music history. An Irish pub on site makes dinner easy, pets are accepted, and parking costs extra. Guests rate it 8.6 from 2,262 reviews.
Clayton Plaza Hotel
1,936 reviews
Two pools and fifteen meeting rooms in Clayton
Check availabilityWhy guests love itClayton Plaza Hotel gives St. Louis families a lot to work with: two pools, free breakfast and a casual restaurant and bar on site. It sits in Clayton, a nine-minute taxi ride from the Saint Louis Art Museum, an easy cultural outing, and about fourteen minutes by taxi from the airport, which helps on travel days. The fifteen meeting rooms show its business side, but the pools keep children happy. Guests rate it 8.4 from 1,936 reviews.
Pear Tree Inn St. Louis Near Union Station
2,532 reviews
Free parking and a pool near Union Station
Check availabilityWhy guests love itFree hot breakfast, free parking and an indoor pool with a hot tub are the practical trio I would point families to at the Pear Tree Inn near Union Station. The pool works in any season, and parking without a fee is unusual this close to downtown St. Louis. The Gateway Arch is an eight-minute taxi ride, and Syberg's On Market is a minute's walk for dinner. Pets are accepted. A score of 8.4 from 2,532 reviews is solid.
21c Museum Hotel St Louis
935 reviews
A free contemporary art museum built into the hotel
Check availabilityWhy guests love itFew hotels keep children curious the way 21c does: the public spaces double as a contemporary art museum, so a walk to breakfast becomes a small gallery visit. Breakfast is free, and the indoor pool and hot tub give families an easy evening plan. City Museum, the climbable playground of salvaged objects that St. Louis children love, is a six-minute walk away. Pet-friendly rooms are available. More than 900 guests rate the stay 8.2.
The Cheshire
2,148 reviews
British-inspired rooms four minutes from Forest Park
Check availabilityWhy guests love itThe Forest Park entrance is a four-minute walk away, and the park holds the Saint Louis Zoo, free to enter and an easy full day with children. Breakfast is included, the outdoor pool covers warm afternoons, and parking is free on site. The Britain-inspired decor gives this 4-star hotel real character, and pets are welcome. The airport is about seventeen minutes by taxi, and 2,148 reviews average 8.2.
Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark
5,844 reviews
High-rise rooftop views two minutes from the Old Courthouse
Check availabilityWhy guests love itFamilies timing a St. Louis trip around a Cardinals game will find this high-rise hard to beat on location, with Busch Stadium close by and the Old Courthouse a two-minute walk away. The indoor pool gives children something to look forward to after a day downtown, and the rooftop bar suits parents once the kids are settled. Breakfast costs extra, so budget for it. Over 5,800 guests rate the stay 8.0, a strong signal for a hotel this size.
Aloft by Marriott St. Louis Cortex
558 reviews
Indoor pool and patio in the Cortex district
Check availabilityWhy guests love itAloft St. Louis Cortex stands in the Cortex innovation district, and its indoor pool is the feature that matters most to children, whatever the Missouri weather. Parents get a contemporary bar and a patio for the evening. Missouri Botanical Garden is a seven-minute taxi ride away, a good family outing, and the airport is about twenty minutes by taxi. Pets are accepted, parking costs extra, and guests rate it 7.8 from 558 reviews.
Residence Inn by Marriott St. Louis Downtown
1,516 reviews
Kitchens and an indoor pool for longer downtown stays
Check availabilityWhy guests love itEvery room at the Residence Inn St. Louis Downtown has a kitchen, a real advantage for a family stretching a visit past a weekend without eating out at every meal. The free hot breakfast covers mornings, and the indoor pool works in any season for an evening swim after a day downtown. The bar handles a casual drink without leaving the building. The Gateway Arch is about seven minutes by taxi, and parking costs extra.
HoteLumière at the Arch - A Caesars Rewards Destination
1,158 reviews
Rooftop skyline dining above a casino floor
Check availabilityWhy guests love itThe casino floor is the first thing families meet at HoteLumière, so I would only book it with children if the pool and suites matter more than the setting. The pool and hot tub cover an afternoon away from the gaming, the spa suits parents, and the rooftop restaurant looks over the Arch grounds. Free parking and free WiFi help a family budget. City Museum, a classic with children, is an eight-minute taxi ride. A score of 7.0 from 1,158 reviews is modest.
Quality Inn Florissant-St. Louis
1,212 reviews
Free pool and hot tub minutes from the airport
Check availabilityWhy guests love itQuality Inn Florissant-St. Louis is a practical stop for families with an early flight or a late arrival: Lambert International is about ten minutes by public transport or twelve by taxi. Breakfast and parking are free, and the indoor pool and hot tub let children swim whatever the weather. Florissant lies north of downtown St. Louis, so I would treat it as an airport base rather than a sightseeing one.
Local tips
- 1Choose an indoor pool from November to March, when St. Louis winters are too cold for outdoor swimming.
- 2Most downtown hotels charge for parking; Pear Tree Inn Near Union Station is the exception with free parking.
- 3Book early for Cardinals home games at Busch Stadium, when downtown hotels fill quickly.
- 4Forest Park museums and the Saint Louis Zoo are free, which leaves more budget for a better hotel.
- 5The MetroLink light rail links Lambert airport with downtown and Union Station, avoiding a taxi fare.
- 6Combine the Gateway Arch, the riverfront and the Old Courthouse in one morning: they sit next to each other.