Our family recently had occasion to visit St. Louis, and as usual, I bargain shopped for what I could find in a nice but inexpensive hotel.

The Comfort Inn Convention Center near Westport was our internet choice, with a coupon for $39.99. Having stayed at Comfort Inns before, I felt it would be a clean and reasonable place to stay, although not "fancy" - which was fine.

The hotel itself is somewhat difficult to find, but that is due to the general St Louis road situation, not the fault of the hotel. Once we did find it, however, navigation was relatively easy. It was within easy distance of the Westport shopping area and restaurants.

Upon entering the hotel, the first impression was much more than I had expected. The lobby was large and rather elegant, with a huge stairway leading to the second floor balcony overlook, and a beautiful chandelier hanging from the two-story ceiling. Wow, I thought - not bad for $39.99!

The young man at the front desk was exceptionally helpful. He was very knowledgable about the St Louis area, and obviously liked to answer questions and give his own opinion on the area attractions - we thought it was great! He drew a custom map for us that we used the entire 3 days we were there.

The rooms were clean and adequate. The only downside was the bathroom. It was rather dated, and had mildew stains in several places on the tub and ceramic tile. While I felt it was probably clean, I didn't look forward to stepping into that shower each morning. The rooms themselves seemed somewhat humid, even with the air conditioner on, which probably contributed to the mildew problem.

Nearly every time we flushed the toilet, the water kept running through. I probably lifted the back off and fixed it a dozen times during our stay. I did inform the front desk upon our departure.

A continental breakfast was served each morning, consisting of coffee, juice, tea, rolls, oatmeal, bagels and toast. Nothing hot, if that's what you like, but it was adequate for my taste. There was a cheery area that appeared to be the former breakfast area. But a sign directed patrons to what appeared to be a former bar and restaurant in the rear of the hotel. Food was lined across the bar. It was not well lit, and seemed rather dismal in the mornings. One morning, there was a drip directly above our table, and upon trying to move out of the way, discover a few more before finding a dry seat. The strange lights above indicated it may have been some type of dance floor in a previous life.

The outdoor pool area appeared large and inviting, although we did not use it. A few meeting rooms were in use while we were there (we had to walk past them to get to the continental breakfast), and they appeared adequate.

All in all, it was not a bad stay, especially at my bargain price. But next time, I'll probably try the Red Roof Inn which was located nearby - just to compare!

Recommended: Yes