Conventional stylistic terminology is inadequate to describe the confection built by St. Louis beer mogul Adolphus Busch on the site of the 1889 city hall. The low first-floor arcade in red granite, once filled with stores and sidewalk activity, is fairly plain. The second and third floors are an arcade of tall arches, with scrolls, foliage, and shells as keystones, all in terra-cotta. Nine floors of plain windows in a red brick wall are capped by a heavy projecting stone balcony supported by story-high, scrolled brackets. Three more floors of red brick have tall cartouches between the windows. The attic story features tall arched dormers, a mansard roof with arched dormers and elaborate cresting, and a small circular domed tower at the corner. Of the original 825 rooms, 275 were air-conditioned. The nationally prominent hotel was the city’s social, political, and entertainment hub, hosting presidents, royalty, and celebrities. Rockbridge Capital now owns the hotel.