A short list, on purpose
You'll sleep in Missouri, and Viking has berthed across the river in Illinois, so the hotel matters more here than the berth. We list three, and say why only three.
How we chose
Three hotels is the number we can stand behind, each for a different plan: the Arch, a Forbes-rated stay, or the hotel Viking has used.
One holds a Forbes Four-Star, one is Forbes Recommended, and one is the hotel Viking's guests used in 2022. None of the three has a confirmed river view.
Price didn't order the list. Your plan for the Arch did.
The hotels
Quick picks
| Hotel | Style | Rating | Position | Pick it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis | Grand | Forbes Four-Star | Clayton, not downtown | Forbes Four-Star, in Clayton |
| The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St. Louis | Historic | — | — | The hotel Viking has used |
| Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis | Grand | Forbes Recommended | Downtown, near the Arch | Near the Arch |
GrandForbes Four-Star, in Clayton
In Clayton, Missouri, with Forbes' line 'big-city sophistication with Midwestern warmth'.
The luxury benchmark here. It's in Clayton, not downtown, so expect a drive to the Arch.
See rates on Booking.comHistoricThe hotel Viking has used
Where Viking's guests stayed before boarding at Alton in 2022.
The hotel Viking itself has used. Pick it if you want to match your line's hotel and its luggage handling.
See rates on Booking.comGrandNear the Arch
Near the Arch, by Forbes' description
The downtown, Arch-side pick.
See rates on Booking.comHotel links go to Booking.com; Seabound Journeys may earn a commission at no cost to you, and the rate you see is Booking.com’s. Affiliate disclosure. Ratings are Forbes Travel Guide listings as of October 22, 2026, or the hotel’s own classification where no guide rates it.
Embarkation day
In 2022, Viking trucked luggage from the hotel across the river to Alton. Confirm that is still the arrangement, and when bags must be outside your door.
Your itinerary says St. Louis (Alton). The ship has berthed in Alton, so confirm where you board before you plan a downtown morning.
The National Park Service says summer tram tickets often sell out. Reserve before you pick the hotel, then choose one that puts you close.
Why trust this page
Every fare, berth and timetable here was checked on October 22, 2026, at the line, port or hotel wherever they publish it. Where they don’t, we name the source we used, or say nothing is published.
No line or hotel pays to appear here or to rank higher. Affiliate links are labelled, and they never decide what we recommend.
A Seabound Journeys advisor reads your brief, compares the lines for your dates and answers you personally. CLIA-affiliated, Florida Seller of Travel ST15578.
Have us plan it
We book the night before with the sailing, so the transfer, the all-aboard time and the flight all line up. Tell us the dates and which of these you liked.
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Quick answers
The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza, in a 2022 on-board report. Confirm your own hotel in your documents.
The Four Seasons, which Forbes describes as near the Arch. No walking distance is published.
We could confirm three with enough detail to recommend. We'd rather give you three honest picks than pad the list.
The Ritz-Carlton for a Forbes-rated stay, or the Chase Park Plaza if you want the hotel Viking's guests used in 2022.
Every fact above comes from a source listed here, checked on October 22, 2026: port and city authorities, the lines’ own pages, the hotels and the rating guides. Where nothing official is published, the page says so rather than filling the gap.
