It’s a place that Nat King Cole could not have sung any better. The heritage is one that is unparalleled. The Spanish renaissance harkens back to a time when Texas was simply a republic. The Spanish tile bright red. The beautiful pane glass windows spotless. The shimmering chandeliers, reflecting off the marble floor. The beautiful Aurora Ivy on those massive, unforgettable (there is that word again!!) couches in the large, elongated, spacious lobby.
Then there is the hotel guest of honour herself, that would, of course, be the gorgeous, sophisticated, illustrious GRAND PIANO!!! She sits still….aimlessly….timelessly…. As a family heirloom….right next to the Gateway Restaurant as both hotel guests, restaurant patrons and passer-bys alike all stare at her in awe as if she is the second coming of Christ himself! And get this….. what if I told you guys, we haven’t even left the lobby yet?
Needless to say , the Saint Anthony is hands down one of the most exquisite hotels you will ever lay eyes on. Aside from the fact that it holds the title as the only hotel that is part of “The Luxury Collection,” it is also one of the oldest in America that is still continually operating! It was founded in 1909 and it’s part of the national historic of registered places. Yet you would never be able to tell by the way the place this kept up. I mean it is absolutely immaculate!! Therefore, it was a place that I decided to make a move and take a leap of faith. Here’s the story…
It was there that I made one of the biggest decisions of my life. It could not have been done without Edgar Rodriguez. He was instrumental with helping me get it started. He, along with Jeffrey Moon, got everything situated prior to me and my fiancés arrival. Once we got there, Eddie and Tania picked up where he left off!! They made sure that are suite was ready to go, and OMG it was!!! we stayed in the Franklin suite. Remember that gorgeous, Aurora Ivy green that I mentioned was ornately decorated all over the lobby and other areas? Well, here’s something cool to know…. There was also the colour team in the room! Our couch was that colour as well as other accessories. Inside of the bathroom was this gorgeous slabs of marble with one of the longest bathtubs we’ve ever seen (seriously, take a look at the pics)!! The only complaint we would have is that there was no coffee table. They should add one in there. in addition, we also had a beautiful surprise waiting for us. Nothing ties to their Aurora Ivy Green theme better than a a congratulatory cake as well! Simply put….we were just blown away! Oh, did I also mention that the Head Valet manager, Johnny, took care of us himself for the entire trip? Again, we travel all over and stay at four and five star hotels. There are a few darken rival this level of exemplary service! However, there is more..,.
Then went down to go grab breakfast the very next day, the the space that they house for the restaurant is like nothing we’ve ever seen. Or at least I think that we’ve seen stateside. Ed Hawkins is back to something that we’ve seen either in northern Europe or southern France. It was this beautiful, elongated, sun-drenched alcove space. More importantly, it was packed to the rafters with people trying to get in to get a seat! In fact, surprisingly, we had to compete with people who had reservations, but weren’t even staying at the hotel!! They had made reservations on OpenTable or something. So if there’s one thing that I would disagree with the hotel on, it would be that the hotel guest should have priority to the restaurant. Not to worry, however, because as luck would have it, there are two other restaurants in the lobby as well. One of them is this stunning Gentlemens club-looking space with oak walls. The name of the place escapes me, but it’s very nice! The other one looks like a Gastro pub that is right off of the street. I like this one because a) it stays open all night and b) it. Has this magnificent Moosehead with a hat on. LOL!!
And then there is the amenities spaces. The first is the rooftop bar. This was really cool to experience on two occasions. The first was when we got there and no one was around. It was very spacious and we were able to kind of experience it on our own. The second was during the New Year’s Eve party and it was an absolute madhouse. Both had their “places” of experience, as if you will. The second, well, this one hurts the most because we didn’t get to experience it due to the weather, has to be the rooftop pool. Once again, the pictures do not do it justice. It has to be one of the most amazing parts of the hotel. My fiance and I was saying to ourselves there had to have been a movie filmed here at one point. LOL!!! Last, but not least there is the business centre on the second floor. Similar to the Gentlemans bar, it is filled with oak walls and has these amazing Greek sculptures. There are also these Grandball rooms that you can find on this floor and throughout the lobby. I could keep going, but I think you guys get the gist.
So folks there you have it… The Saint Anthony hotel is the place to be at. If you are looking for atop-notch luxury in San Antonio. Speaking of San Antonio, did I mention it’s only 2 to 3 block walk from the Riverwalk itself. That’s right, you cannot beat it’s location! Not to mention that service is far better than the Intercontinental. So if you have the disposable income and you are looking to stay at a unique, collectible, one-of-a-kind hotel and you are in the Riverwalk area, don’t even bother, looking at anywhere else!! Make sure you book a room at the Saint Anthony Hotel!!
I want to give a special thanks to these hotel staff for making our experience a memorable one:
- Edgar Rodriguez
- Jeffery Moon
- Tania Veloz
- Eddie (Front Desk)
- Jonny (Valet)
- Dean (Valet)
- Ashley (Dining)
- Vicki (Dining)
- Kaylee (Dining)
- Jaylee (Dining)
- Mark (Dining)
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