Instead we ended up changing rooms four times in 20 minutes and were victims of incomplete room service and bizarre waitressing.
My friends and I planned the trip earlier in the year with the hope of seeing our favorite Atlanta Braves, Javy Lopez, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Chipper Jones.
We were under the impression that three of the four could retire at season's end and we thought this would be a good excuse to get together for the first time in a decade, and reflect on the common thread that made us friends, the Braves.
From the get go things started to go bad. Lopez retired before the season began. Smoltz suffered a season ending injury and a week before the trip, Glavine suffered a season ending injury.
Suddenly we were down to Chipper and the hope that he would stay healthy.
Two days before departure, my mother was diagnosed with peritoneal cancer, my friend's grandfather was found by her mom passed out in the street and airlifted to a hospital 200 miles away and our friend in Florida was forced to battle Tropical Storm Fay in Florida.
In the end we overcame the odds and gathered at the St. Louis Renaissance only to encounter the unbelievable.
We chose the Renaissance because it is within walking distance of Busch Stadium and offers a parking garage.
So we arrived on Friday afternoon. So far so good we were able to check in early. But seconds after checking in we wondered if we should be checking out.
We were escorted to room 441 by a cheerful hotel porter. She showed us to our room, unloaded our bags and explained all we needed to know about the hotel. I asked if we could have a rollaway bed and that was the beginning of an unplanned 20 minute, four room tour of the hotel.
One of my friends barely had time to visit the restroom before we were on the move to room 430 because management claimed that we could not have a rollaway bed in room 441.
Well that was fine so the porter packed our bags and down the hall we went.
Shortly there after I went to the front desk to exchange room keys, while my friends settled in and visited the little girls room.
After my arrival at the front desk I was told that we should not be in room 430 because it was occupied.
I told the desk guy that is where we were moved but he insisted we should be in room 630. So here came the porter and we were on the move again. This time the porter seemed a little irritable, maybe it was the fact that we had not tipped her for her services, but who would have known that we would need her services this much.
She raced through the halls of the third floor like a runner in a marathon. We struggled to keep up losing site of her as we rounded the many corners of the hotel. After we reached the finish line disguised as room 340 she told us that we just took the long way.
Then I knew something was wrong when the key the desk clerk gave me worked and the key the porter said we should have did not work.
But anyway here we were in our third room in our so far 10 minute stay at the St. Louis Renaissance.
This room was smaller than the previous three and the view had changed from the tip top of the Edward Jones Dome to a brick wall and alley. As I visited the little girls room my friend called to question why a rollaway bed supposedly would be a fit for this room and not any of the previous three.
By the time I exited our third bathroom, we were on the move again.
This time without the help of the porter, we made our way to room 630 for what we hoped would be our last room on the unscheduled room and restroom tour of the St. Louis Renaissance.
We settled in, chatted for a moment and waited for the rollaway bed. After some time we elected to leave the room and head to Busch Stadium before the hotel decided to move us again and zap us of our remaining energy.
After a carefree evening at the ball park, where the only thing that went wrong was that the Braves lost 18-3, we returned to the hotel.
The new problem we encountered, we had moved so many times we couldn't remember which room we were in.
I was sure it was 630 but there were trays outside the room that led us to believe someone was in there. One of my friends strongly believed we were in room 640. So we quietly stuck the key in the door of 640 and the light went red.
So we decided it had to be 630 and to our amazement we were right. But guess what at 11:30 p.m. there was still no rollaway bed. The very reason for all of the room changes still had not arrived.
So after a heated call to the front desk, a bed arrived and free breakfast coupons were awaiting us the next morning.
While in line to pick up the coupons, I met a lady who was preparing for her third room change. I do not know the details of her encounter but I told her she should get breakfast as well.
The breakfast experience went well and I have to recommend the crepes. The citrus creme cheese filling was a taste experience that I hope to experience again.
With that we departed for our second day at Busch Stadium. This time the outcome was favorable for Braves fans despite the rain delay.
We then returned for our second evening at the hotel. To my disbelief the free issue of the St. Louis Post Dispatch was gone and so was my idea of browsing the local news.
My roomies and I then decided to order room service. The prices were steep for our budgets but we decided to take advantage and enjoy, so soon our $90 order arrived.
The server walked us through each plate step by step, but of course I managed to find a problem. My requested cheese and sour cream for my baked potato that accompanied my $30 steak was not there.
The tip craving server apologized and promised to be right back with the condiments. But much like the complimentary copy of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, I never saw her again.
Finally our last morning at the hotel had arrived. We decided to once again treat ourselves and have breakfast at the hotel.
We made our way to the restaurant and settled in. A waitress asked what we wanted to drink. I answered water and away she went. Meanwhile a waiter appeared at the table and explained the buffet. He also asked what we wanted to drink and we replied water. As he left the waitress re-appeared and presented me a glass of water and ignored the others. We had no clue what was going on. Maybe she was aware I didn't get my cheese the night before.
After she disappeared again the waiter reappeared with three glasses of water and looked at me with amazement as I already had one. I told him I didn't know what was going on and continued to wait for Candid Camera to jump out of the shadows.
We finished breakfast and checked out of the hotel and never looked back. All I can say is if you choose to stay at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand and Suites Hotel, be prepared to tip everyone, don't ask for a rollaway bed, try the crepes on the breakfast menu, hide your free St. Louis Post Dispatch, and watch out for the mystery water waitress.
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