A lot of folks will be spending Thanksgiving with loved ones, but for some of us, the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend can be a chance to get away and relax. Sometimes it's nice to do that somewhere else besides home. If that appeals to you and your significant other, or even your family, keep reading to check out five great affordable hotels you can book for a Thanksgiving getaway in St. Louis.

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In the Creighton household, our Thanksgiving tradition has really focused on Thanksgiving morning more so than the evening meal. There's coffee, juice, some kind of breakfast pastry, and depending on how ambitious we feel, pancakes or french toast and some kind of breakfast meat. All enjoyed while watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade from New York.

What's better than settling into your easy chair in a comfy pair of sleep pants or sweats and celebrating Thanksgiving by doing that? How bout watching the parade from a comfy bed, with big pillows, a comforter, and a big box of donuts and juice? Or better yet, room service.

If that seems like a fun way to celebrate Thanksgiving or at least Thanksgiving morning. Here are five reasonably priced hotels in St. Louis you can book now that currently have rooms available with check-in on Wednesday, November 23, and a check-out on Friday, November 25.

How I Put The List Together

I used the travel website Expedia to put the list together. Their star ratings are generally accurate and their recommended hotels along with the star ratings tend to insure you're staying at a decent quality hotel. It's not foolproof, but it's a pretty good rule of thumb.

I decided that "affordable" would be a nightly rate of $165 or less per night, and I would limit the list to three-star or higher properties. Of course, all of this is subjective, so if you're looking to do a getaway weekend where the hotel is a big part of the weekend, do your own homework and make an educated decision.

Finally, you might want to skip booking on Expedia and go directly through the hotel. Anecdotally, booking directly through the hotel might get you a slightly better room, or get you some kind of minor preference over people who book through a hotel booking site. In many cases, the rates are equivalent or perhaps a little bit better. Most of the time, it's pretty much a wash.

#5 Hollywood Casino & Hotel St. Louis

Sunset King Room / Hollywood Casino & Hotel St. Louis
Sunset King Room / Hollywood Casino & Hotel St. Louis
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If your getaway plans include a little casino action, or you just don't want to have to leave the hotel for meals or cocktails Hollywood Casino & Hotel in St. Louis might be the place for you. It gets three and a half stars on Expedia, and Expedia says they offer free parking, room service, and more. A two-night Thanksgiving stay on Expedia costs $375, while booking through the hotel casino site costs the same.

#4 Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis at the Arch

Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch
Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch
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I stayed at this hotel several years ago for a conference and I was quite impressed. The Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch has a restaurant on-site, offers a really great free breakfast in the lobby, and I found the room quite comfortable. Expedia gives it three stars, yet their reviewers review it quite higher. Parking adjacent to the hotel is somewhat expensive at $25 a night. Each room also comes with a mini fridge and a microwave.

Expedia shows the cost for a two-night stay over Thanksgiving at $304, yet on the Drury Inn site, that cost is $264 if you're a Drury Rewards member. I found you can upgrade the type of room you have quite a bit and still stay at $160 a night or less over Thanksgiving.

#3 Moonrise Hotel 

Moonrise Hotel
Moonrise Hotel
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Number three on my list is one of the funky hotels in St. Louis, and probably the funkiest hotel on this list. The Moonrise Hotel is located on the world-famous Delmar Loop and the hotel's website promises an unforgettable experience and smooth customer service landing for each guest. There's a restaurant and bar on-site, however, there is no free breakfast. Expedia gives the property four stars.

You are paying for the atmosphere and the fun of a boutique hotel if you choose to stay at the Moonrise, yet, there's a good chance you'll come away with a unique, fun, experience you won't forget. As of this writing, you can actually save about $25 bucks by booking with Expedia. Their cost for a two-night stay over Thanksgiving is $339 vs. booking on the hotel site which came out to $377.

#2 Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Louis St. Charles 

Embassy Suites St. Charles
Embassy Suites St. Charles
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Depending on what you're looking at doing on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, a downtown St. Louis hotel might not be your bag. If it's not perhaps the Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Charles might be more to your liking. St Charles' historic main street is a five-minute drive away, and the hotel is a short walk away from many shops and businesses.

Expedia gives the property three and a half stars and the Expedia rate and the Hilton Honors rate for a basic room are more or less equivalent. The hotel offers free made-to-order breakfast, evening reception, room service, and a restaurant on site. The total cost to stay two nights over Thanksgiving booking on the hotel site is $360.

#1 Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch

Hyatt Regency at the Arch
Hyatt Regency at the Arch
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A stone's throw from The Arch, The Hyatt Regency St. Louis may be the most full-service hotel on this list. There's a Starbucks in the hotel, a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Brewhouse Historical Sports Bar, and Red Kitchen and Red Bar. If the restaurants and the bar are the attraction for staying here, call the hotel to find out what's open and what the hours are. The Hyatt site talks about some limited options and operating hours because of COVID-19. The hotel site says they're not offering room service right now either.

Expedia gives the hotel four stars, and the price of the room on Expedia is a little higher than what you'll pay on the Hyatt website. World of Hyatt members can book two nights over Thanksgiving at the hotel on the Hyatt site for $258 dollars. The rate on Expedia is $328 per stay. The breakfast buffet will cost a little over $20 a person, and there's limited on-site parking for $30 a night.

Conclusion and Final Tips 

There you have it, five well-rated hotels according to Expedia, that you can stay at affordably for a couple of nights over Thanksgiving. There are some pretty cool hotels on the list, and if you book now, you have an opportunity to get a pretty good rate. There are a few things to remember:

  • I looked at rates checking in on Wednesday and checking out on Friday, rates go up for the weekend. So staying over Friday into Saturday, or trying to do the trip Friday - Sunday after Thanksgiving will probably cost you more than checking in the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and checking out on Black Friday.
  • Part of our attraction for booking over Thanksgiving is to enjoy watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in bed somewhere other than home on Thanksgiving morning, especially with a box of doughnuts or room service. That said, you'll want to plan where to have Thanksgiving dinner, and you'll need to do some legwork to see what's open or closed on Thanksgiving.
  • Double check the hotel's amenities like restaurants and bars, pools, etc. before you book. I really didn't think COVID-19 would be impacting much of anything at this point, but hotels, especially full-service hotels are still recovering so amenities and services, restaurants and bars might still be impacted. The holiday may also impact operating hours.
  • Don't expect museums and public attractions to be open on Thanksgiving, although I'd expect they'll be open the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and on Black Friday. So once again, if you're looking at doing things on Thanksgiving out of the hotel, plan ahead.

Have fun and enjoy your long Thanksgiving getaway!

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