We went to one several years back. Spent the first night in Fairview Heights. Looked to be a really nice area with all new hotels, motels, restaurant's, shopping etc. NOT!!!!
A LOT of car break ins at the motels/hotels along with a few mugging's & assaults. One of the staff members at our place ( Drury Inn) got paid back for calling the police and was hospitalized. The police said it's an expected normal occurrence and they were too understaffed to deal with it . You would think the businesses would hire off duty officers or something. But no, they claim it's too expensive. NICE!!!!

We were lucky with no problems but didn't stick around for another night of excitement. And no these were not dives' but rather new hotels restaurants etc. The police said it's just a bit too close to Ferguson and E St Louis and the thieves consider it easy pickings.
I'll advise to anyone going and staying overnight to go another 30 or so miles up the road which is what we did the second and third nights. No problems there