The iconic Millennium Hotel in downtown St. Louis is situated between the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium and was built in 1968 by William B. Tabler Architects. The hotel had two main parts: the lower complex and the towers. The lower complex consisted of a plaza and several recreational facilities. The towers, which held the hotel space, consisted of two structures: Millennium Hotel Tower I and Millennium Hotel Tower II.
Millennium Hotel Tower I was 28 stories tall, featured a revolving restaurant on the top floor called “Top of the Riverfront,” and is what most people associate with the Millennium Hotel. Millennium Hotel Tower II was smaller but still stood an impressive 11 stories high. Between the two towers, there were 780 rooms and 19 suites.
The hotel changed its name several times over the years and was originally known as Stouffer’s Riverfront Inn before becoming the Regal Riverfront Hotel, then the Clarion Hotel, and finally the Millennium Hotel in 1999. The hotel closed in 2014 due to numerous factors and has sat abandoned for over a decade. As iconic as it is, it had become an eyesore for the city and was purchased in 2025 by the Gateway Arch Park Foundation. The foundation plans to work with the City of St. Louis, the St. Louis Development Corporation, and Greater St. Louis Inc. to redevelop the property.
The redevelopment will include 1.3 million square feet of mixed-use development, 585 apartments, commercial space, an amphitheater, a food hall, and improved streetscapes once full demolition and construction are completed. Demolition began on Nov. 13 with the lower complex, followed by Millennium Hotel Tower II. This will be followed by the demolition of Millennium Hotel Tower I in May, and finally the construction of the new development. The entire process is scheduled to be completed by the second half of 2027 and is expected to cost about $670 million.
While it is sad to see icons of the past go, this project will greatly help revitalize the iconic St. Louis waterfront.
