The 57-room Days Inn Downtown opened last week with the customary ribbon cutting and reception for St. Louis officials and other invited folks.

But guests might wonder if the new establishment is really downtown. It’s situated just off Interstate 70, at 2810 North 9th Street. That’s considerably north of downtown. Sure, as the Days Inn says, the new lodging facility is minutes from the Arch, Busch Stadium, Laclede’s Landing, America’s Center, Lumiere Place and the Edward Jones Dome.

But the distance, for example, exceeds 2 1/2 miles from Busch Stadium. That’s more than a few long home runs, even for Albert Pujols. Take a look:

At least the Days Inn Downtown’s rooms start as a reasonable $79.99 per night.