Built in 1909, this was San Antonio’s first fully air-conditioned hotel, and has traditionally been the site of gala events and celebrity visits. The common areas and lobbies, including the stunning "Peacock Alley" (see photo below), are graciously appointed with antique and reproduction furniture and art. The hotel is central to downtown attractions and dining, three blocks from the Alamo and from the Riverwalk.
The guest rooms are delightful. The usual double rate (approx. $220) was reduced through our conference discount to $120 plus taxes—a BARGAIN. I stayed in two different double rooms, both identical with the exception of a desk, which I sorely needed for my work and which was the b
...Read More
The guest rooms are delightful. The usual double rate (approx. $220) was reduced through our conference discount to $120 plus taxes—a BARGAIN. I stayed in two different double rooms, both identical with the exception of a desk, which I sorely needed for my work and which was the basis for the move. In the double, not only does each guest get her own queen bed, but she also gets her own closet AND her own bathroom. The unattractive exposed pipes in the rooms (and in some meeting rooms) service the sprinkler system, making them a necessary eyesore. The doors are charming—large, heavy dark wood, with spherical glass doorknobs. The bathrooms are pure nineteen-fifties, with porcelain tub-shower combinations, four prong hot and cold water handles, and black and white floor and wall tiling. The doorframe even has a bottle opener screwed to it. However, the other in-room amenities are up-to-date: hair dryers, coffee makers, cable television, ironing board and iron, and phones with data ports. One big snafu: upon checkout I saw on my bill that three in-room movies had been erroneously charged to us, but the matter was resolved politely. After checkout, they were happy to store my luggage until my shuttle to the airport left, and I would certainly return to this hotel on a future visit (with the discount, of course). I overheard other patrons complain of nighttime noisiness, either from neighboring rooms’ activities, or from garbage pick-up at the street level. We were troubled by neither in room 563.
I ordered the pricey room service Continental breakfast one morning, since I was up at 5:30 preparing my presentation for 8:30. It was a pot of coffee or tea, two breakfast breads, a fruit cup, and a lovely and proverbial yellow rose. The bran muffins were nothing special, but the fruit was fresh and flavorful for February!
Business travelers: The hotel has a business center, two steps outside the hotel exit, but with minimal equipment. Their one Windows machine, running older versions of MS Windows and MS Word, might not serve your needs. An Internet connection there was $5.00 plus some small fee per minute. To print on their laser printer cost $1 per page, the price one pays, I suppose, for not being prepared before one leaves for a conference! With the phone cord I brought, I was able to plug my laptop into the data port on my room’s telephone and dial up the local Earthlink (my ISP) number, for the cost of a local phone call ($.50) rather than the $5-plus fee.
Read Less