The town of Ste. Genvieve, Missouri is someplace that everyone should visit. With its wine country vibes and charming French settlement roots, it’s a place most may not know about, but all should have no hesitation exploring. And while you’re in Ste. Genevive, there’s only place you should be staying: The inn St. Gemme.
History on History
Owner Charles Boyer, a native to Ste. Genevive, was kind enough to greet me the day I arrived in Ste. Genvieve and escort me around the little town to show me the different locations. The place he has called home his whole life is a sleepy little place, with a population of only 4,657. The respective businesses stay open annually but really flourish in the high season months, when the wine country explodes.
Most notably though, when staying in the historic downtown, you should find no other place to rest as a traveler than here at Charles’ inn, the inn St. Gemme. Aside from the beautiful interior design his partner Sarah has accomplished with the inn, what stands out about this B&B, is the fact that it’s the oldest standing inn in all of Missouri – from what I’ve been told.
The Rooms
The Inn St. Gemme not only has a long-standing history in the state of Missouri, but it also has some of the most impressively comfortable and beautifully themed rooms. Though most B&Bs scream grandma, some of the rooms at the Inn St. Gemme give you a much more relaxed and modern vibe. Though you will still have your choice of staying in a more “grandma-y” feel suite, those rooms too are exquisitely lavished in tasteful décor and design.
The inn offers over a dozen rooms to choose from, and with an ample three floors, there’s enough space for all who need a place to stay for the night, the weekend, or longer.
The Common Space
Charles and Sarah make a point of offering some of the most luxuriously comfortable and tastefully decorated common spaces for their guests. Their front room on the main floor when you first enter the inn, is perhaps the most beautiful of them all. A deep blue on the walls welcomes guests in, giving them a taste of the past, with the décor harkening back to yester year – somewhere in the early 20th century period. Even out front, upon entering the stately structure, you will find an antique horse carriage, giving you even more of a sense of being in the past.
The dining room where breakfast is served in the mornings, is also perfectly put together, offering guests a simply beautiful place to have their several-course breakfast, which they have a handful of options to choose from.
Upstairs, there is a kitchen area where guests can store food in a refridgerator, a table where they can sit and eat alone, and a wide selection of DVDs which they can peruse and use in any of the guest rooms. Though I was busy that evening and didn’t have the time to watch a movie, it had been my plan to curl up with a film and stay cozy in my terribly comfortable bed.
My Stay
My time at The Inn St. Gemme was unfortunately too short. Because I was just passing through, I was only here for one night but would have preferred to have stayed longer. Charles and Sarah are some of the kindest people you will meet in all of Missouri, and the inn itself is one of the most elegantly comfortable accommodations you will find around.
My room in particular was exactly the type of space I enjoy. Including a roaring fire in the living room area of the suite, I had all the modern perks of a comfortable B&B stay. I had a Jacuzzi bathtub in my enormous ensuite bathroom which could accommodate 2 people; one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept on; and a flat screen TV in the bedroom. With a beautiful view of the serene town from my suite, I could relax both mentally and physically while staying here.
All in all my experience here was one of the best ever, and I can’t recommend coming here enough. So what are you waiting for? You know that you want to step into the past, and stay a few nights in one of the most charming towns you’ve never heard of. Just make sure that when you do book your stay at The Inn St. Gemme, you let them know Lisa sent you!
Get Lost with Lisa 