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Standing on the roof of his seven-story Moonrise Hotel, Joe Edwards says he can’t wait until winter is over. When the vernal equinox (spring) begins, Edwards will be heading towards the final phase of the completion of the Moonrise Hotel’s newest space, the New Moon Room.
It’s adjacent to the hotel’s rooftop terrace bar and will debut in late April. Atop the hotel, guests can see the Arch, midtown, Clayton, Forest Park and, of course, The Loop. On a summer evening, Edwards says the breeze that sweeps over the roof helps provide comfort.
“In landlocked St. Louis it’s the closest ‘at the beach’ feel we can get,” Edwards says. It also affords a clear view of the setting sun, somewhat unusual in a metropolis full of obstructions.
The New Moon Room will cost $1 million, Edwards says. In addition to the Moonrise Hotel, Edwards owns and operates Blueberry Hill, The Pageant, the Tivoli Theatre and the Pin-Up Bowl in The Loop.
“That’s why people are already calling it the million-dollar miracle because that’s what it cost for (the New Moon Room) but it’s going to be nice,” he adds.
The New Moon Room differs from the Rooftop Terrace Bar in that it can be open year-round. Solar panels, 107 of them, function as the New Moon Room’s 2,100-square-foot ceiling (below) as well as its power source. The solar panels give the space 33,000 kilowatts of energy. He says the solar panels are a “long-term investment” and will pay for themselves in about six-and-a-half years.
“It’s putting a bit of energy back into the grid rather than taking it out,” Edwards says.
Guests will be able to walk between the New Moon Room and terrace area (both below) through the new facility’s sixty-feet sliding glass doors.
“We can open (the New Moon Room) up in good weather,” Edwards says. “It gives it even more of that, ‘ah’ feel.”
Edwards opened the Moonrise Hotel almost four years ago, in April 2009. The popularity of the Rooftop Terrace Bar (below), Edwards says, was the inspiration for the New Moon Room.
“Once I fine tuned everything else on the hotel it was time to build the New Moon Room and have something open all year to please more St. Louisans as well as visitors,” Edwards says.
The New Moon Room is available for rent for corporate events, wedding receptions, etc. It is spacious enough for 200 people for a reception and 150 people seated. Edwards credits The Loop for enhancing the Moonrise’s roof appeal, as it helps “supply the backdrop to a wonderful evening,” he says. In the time between a wedding ceremony and reception at the Moonrise Hotel, Edwards says, wedding parties will explore stores and attractions The Loop has to offer.
“I’m proud of what’s been happening in The Loop, not just by me but all sorts of people,” Edwards says. “They put their hearts and souls into their individual businesses. You can find things in The Loop you wouldn’t find elsewhere.”
When the space is not reserved for groups, it will be open for bottle service and small dishes. Edwards says the New Moon Room menu will not be as large as that of the Moonrise’s restaurant, Eclipse, but will feature new plates. This is giving the chefs an opportunity to “make new, creative additions.” The New Moon Room will serve Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“That’s when it’s really fun to work in the hospitality industry when you can start doing something new,” Edwards says.
Edwards says managing all of his businesses can be a challenge but he adds that he always finds it enjoyable.
“I like doing things in a first class way and I love creating places where people can have fun and put their cares behind them,” Edwards says.
Construction photos by Taylor Ringenberg.
