Here is what U.S. News & World Report had to say about each of the following hotels.

Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis ranks #1 out of 42
The Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis is the city’s only five-star hotel. As you can imagine, the amenities are on par with its rating. There’s a luxury spa with a menu of services that includes hot stone massages and detoxifying facials; there’s the elegant Cielo restaurant with its pristine views of the Gateway Arch; and there are the 200 guestrooms themselves, complete with deep soaking tubs and floor-to-ceiling windows. But it’s not just for adults: This Four Seasons also offers a host of amenities for its younger guests, including poolside, family-sized cabanas and teen spa treatments.

Omni Majestic Hotel ranks #3 out of 42
The Omni Majestic Hotel is a solid choice for travelers wanting to be close to the Gateway Arch. Plus, its open-arms policy to pets (weighing 25 pounds and lighter) and children makes it a well-rounded hotel for a number of travelers. The Omni Majestic’s downtown location also makes it a convenient place for business travelers to bed down. Recent guests rave about the spacious, well-appointed rooms and the genuinely friendly staff. If you’re a member of the Omni Select Guest program, you can earn or redeem complimentary perks here.

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis ranks #4 out of 42
This 4.5-star hotel gets high marks for its service and lavish rooms. Travelers should know that this hotel is located in Clayton, a nearby suburb of St. Louis (about eight miles west of the city). To get downtown, guests will need to drive or take the Metrolink from the Forsyth station. Still, you’ll find elegant guestrooms (equipped with 400-thread-count linens), two decadent on-site restaurants, and even a spa with massage services at this property. Because this Ritz-Carlton is under the Marriott umbrella, members of the Marriott Rewards Program can earn or redeem points here.

The Westin St. Louis ranks #5 out of 42
This four-star Westin huddles near Busch Stadium, making it an ideal place for Cardinals’ fans to stay. In fact, its high rating from guests is, in part, due to its excellent location downtown on Spruce Street. But the friendly staff, the tasty Clark Street Bar & Grill, and the large, comfortable rooms definitely add to its charm as well. And if you’re into treatments like Swedish massages or peppermint-rosemary body scrubs, The Westin St. Louis offers these too at its Solera Spa. If you’re a member of the Starwood Preferred Guest program, you can accrue or apply accumulated points here.

Moonrise Hotel ranks #6 out of 42
This luxury, boutique property is a convenient place to book if you’re planning to bar hop in the Loop. It’s in walking distance to places like the Blueberry Hill restaurant and club and the Pageant nightclub, plus the hotel’s own rooftop terrace isn’t a bad place to lounge all night. Rooms include Serta Enrapture pillow-top mattresses, walk-in rain showers, and H2O Plus bath amenities. Many guests highest praise goes to its location, Eclipse restaurant, and the ambience and view from the Rooftop Terrace Bar.

The Chase Park Plaza Hotel ranks #7 out of 42
This 4.5-star hotel, located at the northeast corner of Forest Park (and about 4 miles southeast of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery), offers guests many luxurious services. Amenities include, an in-house movie theater, a Mediterranean-style pool, and an immaculate gym. The elegant cafés and dining options at Chase Park Plaza are also a big hit. Still, a vocal minority says the staff needs some lessons in finesse; the service staff is especially described as unhelpful and even rude. Other recent guests also add that though the antiquated atmosphere is charming, the hotel is need of some contemporary revamping.

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“A food and drinks scene emerges in the land of Budweiser” is the subhead of his January 28 article about St. Louis’ dining delights called, “Beyond the BBQ in St. Louis.”

He states: “Long the bastion of barbecue and mass-market beer, St. Louis has undergone a culinary renaissance in recent years.”

We’re delighted you had a good time here, Paul. St. Louis is nothing if not hospitable and we’re darn glad to have met you. (Although until recently, most St. Louisans would have told you the best barbecue could be found on their Webers at home, which hardly qualifies our town as a “bastion” for just one kind of chow.)

Brady tells his readers about the “ethereal” chitarra pasta at Gerard Craft’s Pastaria in Clayton, and he points foodies toward David Bailey’s hotspots of Bailey’s Range, Bridge, Rooster and Bailey’s Chocolate Bar.

After a jaunt through the tastes of Downtown, Clayton and Lafayette Square, Brady experienced the Mediterranean flavors of Nico and the Asian offerings of Seoul Taco, both in the Loop.

Capitalist Pig, the barbecue joint at Mad Art Gallery is not currently operating and will reopen in the spring according to Sauce magazine, but it must have been in full flavor when Brady was in town. He mentions the hardwood-smoked meats and the Blackberry-Ancho sauce as worthy of attention.

On the wet side of the menu, Schlafly, Six Row Brewing Company and Livery Company (which opened about six months ago on Cherokee Street) get shout outs in the article for their brews and spirits that exist “in the shadow of Budweiser.” (We might argue that they exist because of — not in spite of — the longstanding brewing heritage of St. Louis. Either way, they certainly taste good.)

Please come again, Paul. And bring a few million of your hungry readers along for the ride. We secretly feel sorry for people who don’t have the opportunity to live here and experience our powerful food culture all the time.

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A not-to-be missed highlight is the Puppy Cuddling opportunity where MPI WEC will team up with Stray Rescue of St. Louis. You may never think that the homeless dogs Stray Rescue saves are from the city streets because of the love, energy, and playfulness they exude. These companion animals are resilient and seem to be very aware of their new lease on life. That is why Stray Rescue wants to share this contagious joy with all of the attendees of the 2012 World Education Congress! St. Louis invites you to stop by the Puppy Cuddling area, where rescued dogs will be waiting for you to cuddle, pet, and play with them. Your interactions with our furry friends provide important socialization to ensure that they are more adoptable.

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#1 Toasted Ravioli: This breaded, deep-fried dish is undoubtedly the favorite appetizer at any Italian restaurant this side of the Arch. Classically stuffed with beef or cheese, these hearty pasta shells are best served golden brown, crispy and dusted with parmesan cheese!

Don’t forget the marinara sauce.

#2 St. Louis-Style Thin Crust Pizza: When it comes to pizza, St. Louis is all about the thin crust. Unlike our northern neighbors, crispy cracker crust is highly preferred to the doughier deep dish. Add to that the signature Provel cheese, a tangy blend of provolone, Swiss and white Cheddar that melts over all of your favorite toppings.

Best when sliced in squares.

#3 Pork Steaks: The only thing more St. Louis than barbeque is the barbeque pork steak— a true summertime staple. The pork steak is a tougher cut of meat, but when it’s basted in sweet BBQ sauce, and grilled with tender(ized) loving care, the result is a savory, succulent treat for the tastebuds!

You may want to bring extra napkins.

#4 Gooey Butter Cake: It’s difficult to believe that this scrumptious creation was originally made by accident! This signature St. Louis dessert is a mouth-watering coffee cake made with cream cheese, yellow cake mix and plenty of the namesake “gooey butter” smear. It’s soft, it’s sweet and it’s utterly irresistible.

One piece is never enough.

#5 Slinger: If you’re pulling an all-nighter in St. Louis, make sure to stop into the nearest 24-hour diner for a slinger. This hometown masterpiece combines eggs, hash browns and a hamburger patty topped with chili, cheese and onions. It’s sure to curb your cravings ‘till the morning.

Warning: Not for the faint of stomach!

Popular local delivery chains like Imo’s Pizza and Elicia’s Pizza and Wings Delivery specialize in bringing the St. Louis-style pies to your door, with both offering delivery to downtown hotels. Traditionalists can also get their favorite style delivered, thanks to a downtown location of Papa John’s Pizza.

Cicero’s Restaurant in The Loop offers the best of both worlds (can’t we all just get along?), with mozzarella on its thick crust pizzas and provel on the thin crust versions. Joanie’s Pizzeria in Soulard serves up thin crust pies that include such specialties as the Franco’s Cajun Pride and Buffalo Chicken pizzas. On The Hill, Rigazzi’s St. Louis style was recognized as one of the best pizzas in the U.S. by Bon Appétit Magazine (mozzarella available upon request), with neighboring Guido’s Pizzeria & Tapas letting diners choose their cheese.

If your kids insist on having a side order of activity with your pie, then America’s Incredible Pizza Company is the place. There are two – count ‘em two – locations in the region, and they’re guaranteed to have enough activities to help the wee ones work up a big appetite.

But there’s a new kind of pizza in St. Louis, thanks to a unique crust and the endorsement of a world leader. Pi Pizzeria captured the heart – and taste buds – of President Barack Obama, who first tried Pi’s pies while in town for a campaign stop. The Commander in Chief was so taken with the cornmeal crust and the collection of toppings that he invited the restaurant’s proprietor to the White House to whip up a few pizzas for the First Family and his staff. Pi offers specialty thin crust pizzas and a unique deep dish recipe that features a soft cornmeal crust that has to be tasted to be believed. There are now four Pi locations throughout St. Louis.

• Cunetto House of Pasta (The Hill)
• Old Spaghetti Factory (Laclede’s Landing)
• Fitz’s American Grill & Bottling Works (The Loop)
• Arch View Café (Downtown)
• Bandana’s Bar-B-Q (multiple locations)
• Blueberry Hill (The Loop)
• St. Louis Union Station’s food court (Downtown)
• Zia’s on The Hill (The Hill)
• Pam’s Chicago Style Dogs & More (The Loop)
• The Pasta House Co. (multiple locations)
• Duff’s Restaurant (Central West End)
• Pujols 5 Westport Grill (Westport Plaza)
• Rigazzi’s (The Hill)

Keep up to date on the hottest new family-friendly restaurants in St. Louis. Follow Explore St. Louis on twitter and facebook.

Each year, St. Louis strikes up the band for a variety of music-related events, both large and small. On Tuesdays in May and June, free “Twilight Tuesdays” concerts take place on the lawn of the Missouri History Museum, and Laumeier Sculpture Park’s Music + Movie Series offers free movies and live music every Friday night in June.

Memorial Day weekend welcomes the annual Rib America music and barbecue festival to Soldiers Memorial in downtown St. Louis. In June, Jefferson Barracks Park hosts local bands for “Blues on the Mississippi” on Friday nights, and “Oldies on the River” on Saturday nights. The Missouri Botanical Garden features free summertime jazz and pop concerts in the garden on Wednesday nights in June and July at the Whitaker Music Festival.

On Laclede’s Landing, the Big Muddy Blues Festival is held over Labor Day weekend each year, and the free, two-day event showcases local and regional blues bands on multiple stages. Taste of St. Louis is a three-day celebration of St. Louis art, culture, food, and music, featuring local artists and national headliners throughout the three-day event.

From October through May, the St. Louis Cathedral concerts offer an opportunity to “experience great music in a great space.” The breathtakingly beautiful Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis hosts world-class musicians from around the globe for a variety of afternoon and evening performances. The Gateway Arch Riverboats cruises Old Man River year-round, featuring a variety of live entertainment cruises with blues bands.

Visit the calendar section for the most up to date listing of music festivals and events.

St. Louis is home to a number of family-run shops that still specialize in creating the holey pastry. Here you can watch doughnuts being made the old-fashioned way—no machinery here. Whatever the flavor they eventually become, all doughnuts start out as a pile of dough worked over with an industrial-strength rolling pin, hand-cut and deep-fried. Depending on what’s selling best that day, customers can see the evolution of everything from the traditional yeasty glazed version to hearty cake-style or jelly-filled varieties being created.

In 2010, one local holey roller made the national honor roll. The Donut Stop in nearby Lemay was named one of the Top 10 Best Places for Donuts in the U.S. by Bon Appétit magazine. (Hmmm – who knew Bon Appétit-ers even ate doughnuts?)

Local Donut Shops

Donut Drive-In
6525 Chippewa Street (on historic Route 66)
(314) 645–7714

The Donut House
8500 Morganford Road
(314) 638–5828

O’Fashion Donuts
5120 Southwest Avenue
(314) 772–0398

St. Louis Hills Donut Shop
6917 Hampton Avenue
(314) 481–6050

World’s Fair Doughnuts
1904 South Vandeventer at Southwest Avenue
(314) 776–9975

The Donut Stop
1101 Lemay Ferry Road
(314) 631-3333

One of the bridges connecting St. Louis with Illinois and all points east is the 6,442-foot long Eads Bridge, designed and built by James Buchanan Eads in 1874. The innovative structure was the world’s first alloy steel bridge and the first to depend entirely upon the use of the cantilever in the building of the superstructure. Across the river in Collinsville, Illinois, is the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, which was the settlement of the Mississippians between 800 and 1400 AD.

In addition to the iconic Gateway Arch, St. Louis is home to such celebrated landmarks as the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, former 19th century home of the King of Ragtime, and St. Louis Union Station. The train station was completed in 1894 and was once the largest and busiest passenger rail terminal in the world.

Other prominent downtown landmarks include Christ Church Cathedral, designed in the early English decorated style by architect Leopold Eidlitz in 1867, and the 1892 Wainwright Building, a 10-story, red-brick, steel-frame building considered to be the first skyscraper ever built. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery is a historic red brick complex that includes the 1868 Lyon School and the Budweiser Clydesdale Stables, built in 1885.

White Haven was the home of Civil War General and United States President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia during the 1850s. Grant married St. Louisan Julia Dent, the sister of his Jefferson Barracks roommate whom he met at the 1,000-acre plantation in 1843.

Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), established in 1859, is the oldest functioning botanical garden in the country, and nearby Tower Grove Park, created by MBG founder Henry Shaw in 1868, features original Victorian ornamental pavilions, gateways and statues.