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Heart of San Antonio

Places to Stay

La Mansión del Rio [TOP]
112 College Street [Map 1]
210-225-2581

There are a half dozen or so hotels on the Riverwalk and all are nice and well located. Some are obviously better than others but our pick is La Mansión del Rio, SA's only 4 Diamond hotel. All are pretty pricey, but La Mansión is a beautiful old hotel, not a cookie cutter hotel, well done and well situated. Across the river from Planet Hollywood and just a few steps from the rest of the action on the river, La Mansión will satisfy everyone's needs. It's the favorite place to rent a room for the great river parades, but you've got to get your reservations in early. When you visit the hotel, be sure to ask for Dora, if she doesn't find you first, and get a complete history of the hotel. Great location, comfortable rooms, full meeting facilities, wonderful restaruants and a century of tradition and ambiance, it earned its reputation the old fashion way, they work for you. Continuing in their world-class tradition, they'll have a surprise for the well-heeled in another year or so right across the river. Stay tuned...

Hyatt Regency Riverwalk [TOP]
123 Losoya [Map 2]
210-222-1234

While it doesn't have the history of La Mansión del Rio, the Hyatt has about everything else you could want during your stay in SA. Remember, it's right there at The Landing, the Paseo del Alamo runs through the bottom level, the Hyatt's trademark water attraction is a small "river" running along the Paseo del Alamo and of course its atrium is about a mile high. A little known, we'll soon change that, amenity it has is the Lone Star Palace-probably the best private-party spot in the city. A few steps from the hotel, right off the Paseo and overlooking the Alamo, it has room for 200 of your closest friends inside and out on the spacious deck areas. After the party, or even during, the two bedrooms furnished in early Texana are a pretty unique feature for a party room. The hotel provides all the catering and pampering you'd ever need to make your next affair one to remember.

Hilton Palacio del Rio [TOP]
200 S. Alamo [Map 3]
210-222-1400

Across the street from the Convention Center and just down the street from the Alamo, the Palacio del Rio was constructed for the 1968 Hemisfair and was the first hotel to be built from prebuilt, prefurnished modules that were simply stacked on top of each other. Long a favorite because of its Riverwalk setting, the Palacio del Rio is another great choice for sleeping off a day or night's activities.

Fairmount [TOP]
401 S. Alamo [Map 4]
210-224-8800

Just a block south of La Villita, the Convention Center and across the street from HemisFair Park, the Fairmount started life where the Rivercenter Mall now stands. It was jacked up, put on a trailer and moved to its current location. It was the largest structure ever to be moved on rubber tires. That little bit of trivia notwithstanding, the Fairmount is a small hotel priding itself on personal attention, excellent food and hosts one of the more popular bars of "those in the know."