Alise O'Brien
When the Mayfair Hotel first flung open its doors in August 1925, it had 400 rooms. Then, in the 1970s, after walls were knocked down to provide more space in each room, the number decreased to 182, the same number the hotel has today. But those rooms are now much-improved, after Denver-based Magnolia Hotels recently oversaw a $15 million renovation, reopening the space as the Magnolia Hotel St. Louis (401 N. Eighth, 314-436-9000, magnoliahotels.com) in mid-August.
Now, each standard room includes a bedroom, a sitting area, and French doors in between. “They have a very contemporary feel, but are comfortable,” says Magnolia Hotels president Leigh Hitz. “We think it is very important that your room is something you can sleep in.”
Many a well-known guest rested in the historic hotel’s beds, including composer Irving Berlin, actor John Barrymore, and President Harry Truman, to name a few. Decades ago, actor Cary Grant frequented the hotel. “He entertained here a lot,” Hitz says. “He would lay chocolates on the pillows of his guests.” Now, Magnolia is bringing back the tradition—Bissinger’s chocolates are included with turndown service—and the name, with the Cary Grant Suite located on the 18th floor. The same floor houses The Presidential Suite, complete with an open hospitality room, a fireplace, and original crown moldings and casework.
British-born architect Guy Thornton of Guy Thornton Design (guythorntondesign.com) took the lead in reworking the highly trafficked ground floor, as well as the second floor. The goal was to mix the new with the old. For example, the chandeliers were taken down and shipped to Kalb Electric in Maplewood to be cleaned, rewired, and rejuvenated.
The old Mayfair Room, famous for its signature Mayfair salad dressing, is now called Robies Restaurant and Lounge, named for John Robie, Grant’s character in To Catch a Thief. Other snazzy updates include a first-floor bar with a lit top and a bar back comprising onyx boxes lit from the inside.“The idea is that it is a juxtaposition of something modern inside a very historic room,” Thornton says.
The architect designed a new staircase leading to the second floor—ideal for blushing brides to gracefully descend. The second floor contains meeting rooms, a reception area, and a 4,000-square-foot ballroom that can hold up to 300 people. “That’s where the wed-dings will take place,” Hitz says. “We are a business transient hotel during the week, andon the weekends we cater to the leisure wed-ding market—our company does 500 weddings a year [across the chain’s five hotels].” Magnolia Hotel St. Louis even has a wedding planner on staff.
“For me, the hotel has a comfort and a sense of style, with an understated elegance,” Thornton says. “It’s not trying to be something it is not.”
