Audubon's Hotel (City)

Audubon’s Hotel

One of Missouri’s Longest Running Hotels

At 9 North Main Street in downtown Ste. Genevieve, Audubon’s blends boutique hotel charm with restaurant excellence in a building that has anchored the town’s social scene since 1901. First opened as the City Hotel in 1904, this 120-year-old structure underwent complete renovation in 2018, transforming into seven contemporary luxury rooms, each with private bathroom. Current owners Brock and Megan Gibson—who also own Dannie’s Sports Tavern and The Beacon—purchased the establishment in fall 2024 from the Fallerts and Fergusons, inheriting what Brock calls “an absolute gem” and “a very important place in this town.” With a first-floor restaurant serving scratch-made French, Cajun, German, and Italian cuisine, a beer garden across the street, and an untapped basement cellar, Audubon’s delivers what one longtime visitor describes as “the best hotel in town…the location can’t be beat. All the important historic attractions and restaurants are within walking distance. A person can park, check in, and never get in your car again.”

Palace Bar to Boutique Hotel: 120 Years of Downtown Vitality

The property’s story begins in 1901 when Charles Petrequin purchased it for just over $2,000. By 1903, it housed the historically famous Palace Bar—a cornerstone of Ste. Genevieve’s social life that remains legendary today. Over twelve decades, the building has accommodated diverse businesses: hotels, a barber shop, a plumbing business, and notably, the first television in Ste. Genevieve County.

The 1904 City Hotel (later known as Hotel Ste. Genevieve, then Hotel Audubon) served travelers for generations before declining in the early 2000s and closing. The Fallerts and Fergusons reopened it as Audubon’s restaurant in December 2014, then tackled the hotel renovation in 2018—transforming outdated accommodations into seven luxury boutique rooms with contemporary styling and private bathrooms.

When Brock and Megan Gibson purchased Audubon’s in fall 2024, they inherited not just a building but a responsibility. “I just realized that it’s a very important place in this town and I felt like I had a sense of responsibility,” Brock explained to the Ste. Genevieve Herald. He referred to previous owner Herb Fallert as “a patriarch of this town” with “very big shoes to fill.”

The Gibsons kept the existing staff—kitchen crew, waitstaff, all local residents who had already established “a really well-oiled machine.” The transition proved smoother than expected: “As we stepped into ownership, it just was a comfortable transition…the cooks and the staff already did all the work.”

Seven Contemporary Luxury Rooms

The boutique-style rooms feature contemporary décor—clean lines, modern amenities, comfortable furnishings without period reproduction or historic theming. Each room includes:

• Private bathroom (some with walk-in showers)
• Extremely comfortable beds with quality linens
• Spacious layouts
• Modern climate control
• Contemporary styling
• Spotless cleanliness

Guest reviews consistently praise room comfort: “bed was super soft, nice walk-in shower,” “room was really nice,” “spacious and spotless.” The contemporary approach contrasts with Ste. Genevieve’s heritage hotels (Dr. Hertich House, Southern Hotel, Inn St. Gemme Beauvais) that emphasize period authenticity. Audubon’s delivers modern boutique hotel experience in a historic building—clean, comfortable, unfussy.

The Gibsons maintain the professional, friendly check-in standards established by previous ownership. Staff remain accessible and helpful. Brock and Megan themselves stay involved—available to answer questions or hear suggestions. As the OpenTable description notes: “Just ask for Brock or Megan and the staff will assist with making contact.”

Full-Service Weekend Breakfast

Audubon’s serves full-service breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings. Unlike the modest continental offerings under previous ownership, the Gibson-era breakfast delivers substantial weekend brunch. The menu includes specialty drinks, diverse culinary options, and live music in the beer garden on Saturdays—creating morning experience that extends beyond basic hotel breakfast service.

Weekday breakfast offerings remain lighter, but the weekend brunch positions Audubon’s competitively with other downtown lodging breakfast experiences.

First-Floor Restaurant: Scratch-Made Cultural Heritage

The restaurant operates independently of hotel stays—you needn’t be a guest to dine, and hotel guests aren’t required to eat at the restaurant. But the convenience appeals: step downstairs from your room for dinner, retreat upstairs afterward. No driving, no parking, no navigating streets after wine.

Kitchen Manager Hannah leads scratch-made menu preparation representing Ste. Genevieve’s multicultural culinary heritage: French, Cajun, German, and Italian dishes crafted with local ingredients. Signature items include:

• Pork schnitzel and spaetzle (German heritage)
• Cajun pasta
• Bacon-wrapped shrimp
• Salmon
• French onion soup
• Spinach artichoke dip
• Pretzel with beer cheese
• Brick oven pizza
• Specialty cocktails and craft beers

The Gibsons plan modest menu adjustments—adding some items, removing a couple—without major overhaul. The food quality and pricing structure already work: “It’s not a holiday only venue. It’s a place you can go any day of the week and have lunch and have dinner, and really have a nice one that’s low cost and high quality.”

Brock notes an interesting economic dynamic: the hotel revenue allows the restaurant to offer 25% lower prices than typical standalone restaurants. “The hotel offsets the loss from the low cost of the food. So it’s a gem. It’s an absolute gem.”

The bar offers full service—specialty cocktails, wine selection, craft beers. Bar hours extend past restaurant closing: until 10 PM Monday-Thursday, midnight Friday-Saturday.

Beer Garden and Untapped Potential

Across the street sits Audubon’s beer garden—outdoor space hosting live music every Saturday during season. The beer garden grand opening drew enthusiastic response: “phenomenal singer/guitarist playing, nice lighting and good atmosphere. The owner was working the bar and was extremely accommodating, well spoken and made a good drink.”

The basement cellar remains “finished and has a lot of untapped potential,” according to Brock Gibson. What that development looks like remains to be seen, but the Gibsons recognize opportunities beyond current operations.

Catering services handle events both on-site and off-site: rehearsal dinners, anniversary parties, special gatherings. The 60th anniversary party review praised both food and service: “delicious…fantastic. We worked with Megan and she had everything organized and we had a great party.”

Unbeatable Downtown Location

9 North Main Street positions you within blocks of everything:

• Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center/National Park Visitor Center
• Felix Vallé House State Historic Site
• Bolduc House Museum
• Sainte Genevieve Catholic Church
• Main Street shops, galleries, restaurants
• Common Grounds Coffee, Pat’s Bakery
• Downtown nightlife, bars, music venues

Everything sits within easy walking distance. Park once, check in, explore on foot. Wine country (Crown Valley, Charleville, Chaumette) requires 20-30 minute drives. State parks (Hawn, Pickle Springs) sit similar distances. But downtown immersion happens entirely on foot.

Where Locals and Visitors Meet

Brock Gibson envisions Audubon’s as a place “where locals and visitors alike can feel comfortable—and maybe even get to know each other.” The tagline “where the past meets the present, and the visitors meet the locals” isn’t just marketing; it’s intentional community building.

“I’ve been happy to see more locals coming in lately,” Brock said. The restaurant serves as everyday dining option, not just special occasion venue. Locals can eat lunch regularly, have weekend dinners, treat Audubon’s as their neighborhood restaurant rather than tourist-only establishment.

This local-visitor integration distinguishes Audubon’s from purely tourist-focused venues. You’re as likely to sit beside Ste. Genevieve residents as fellow travelers—experiencing the community’s actual dining culture rather than sanitized tourism version.

Practical Information

• Location: 9 North Main Street, downtown Ste. Genevieve, Missouri 63670
• Phone: (573) 883-2479
• Building History: Built 1901; became Palace Bar 1903; opened as City Hotel 1904; housed first TV in Ste. Genevieve County; fully renovated 2018
• Previous Owners: Herb & Norma Fallert, Greg & Pat Ferguson, Jim & Marybeth Ferguson (reopened restaurant 2014, hotel 2018)
• Accommodations: Seven contemporary luxury boutique rooms, each with private bathroom
• Room Features: Comfortable beds with quality linens, spacious layouts, walk-in showers (some rooms), modern climate control, contemporary styling
• Weekend Breakfast: Full-service breakfast served Saturday and Sunday
• Restaurant: First-floor upscale dining serving scratch-made French, Cajun, German, Italian cuisine; Chef Matthew Ralls.
• Restaurant Hours: Monday – Friday 4 p.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. – 9 pm. and Sunday 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Bar Hours: Until 10 PM Mon-Thu, midnight Fri-Sat
• Beer Garden: Across the street; live music every Saturday during season
• Catering: On-site and off-site events; rehearsal dinners, parties, special gatherings
• Certification: AAA Diamond Program rated
• Walking Distance: Welcome Center/National Park, all major historic sites, restaurants, shops, downtown attractions
• Booking: Direct via phone or online reservation system

Perfect For:

• Visitors prioritizing walkable downtown location
• Travelers wanting contemporary boutique hotel style in historic building
• Diners seeking scratch-made multicultural cuisine
• Weekend brunch enthusiasts
• Couples exploring wine country with downtown base
• Those who appreciate local-visitor community integration
• Guests wanting hotel-restaurant convenience
• Business travelers needing professional, central lodging
• Anyone who parks once and explores on foot

Not Ideal For:

• Those seeking period-authentic historic hotel décor
• Guests wanting resort amenities or extensive services
• Light sleepers uncomfortable with active ground-floor restaurant/bar
• Anyone prioritizing parking lot convenience over downtown walkability
• Visitors seeking chain hotel predictability

Audubon’s Hotel represents adaptive reuse done right—honoring the Palace Bar’s 120-year legacy while delivering contemporary hospitality. The Gibsons inherited not just a building but community trust, staff expertise, and established excellence. Their approach emphasizes continuity over disruption: keep the phenomenal staff, maintain quality food at accessible prices, welcome locals alongside visitors, steward what Herb Fallert built rather than demolish and rebuild.

The contemporary room styling reflects this pragmatism. Forcing faux-Victorian décor into rooms would create Disney-fied history divorced from the building’s actual Palace Bar, plumbing business, first-television-in-the-county past. Better to deliver genuinely comfortable contemporary rooms in authentically historic building—honoring both 1904 and 2026 honestly.

The restaurant-hotel economic synergy creates unusual value. That 25% price reduction enabled by hotel revenue means locals can afford regular dining, visitors can eat well without budget strain, and quality doesn’t suffer to chase margins. The beer garden, untapped basement cellar, and catering operations add revenue diversification that protects the core restaurant and hotel from seasonal tourism fluctuations.

When longtime visitors say “I’ll be staying here again next month” after 40 years of Ste. Genevieve trips, that’s endorsement transcending algorithm-generated ratings. When locals increasingly choose Audubon’s for regular dining, that signals community confidence beyond tourist reviews. The Gibsons understand what they’ve inherited: responsibility to community, trust from previous owners, opportunity to steward Ste. Genevieve’s oldest and most celebrated social scene into its next chapter.