TX San Antonio St. Anthony Wyndham

[Duhhh]

I just completed my stay, and here's my report:

The main reason to stay at this hotel is the lobby. It's just magnificent. There are pictures of celebrities from the past and present in the hotel (John Wayne, Princess Grace, Arnold Schwarzenegger), and the chandeliers and furnishings are just amazing. There is an upscale restaurant and a small cozy bar off the lobby. Several banquet halls were in use every night, and the black-tie affairs added to the ambiance. The pool area on the 6th floor features a small, square, shallow tiled pool, surrounded by gravel on tar (it's the roof!) - not much happening there. The rooms are small, but that was expected in a mature downtown hotel. The furnishings were elegant, but the mattress was very firm. Everything had an antique, solid look and feel - mainly because everything was antique, and solid! The bathroom was adequate, with separate bathtub and shower - no non-slip tiles, so be careful in there! The bathroom fixtures were ancient, heavy-duty brass. I noticed the bathroom was plumbed for hot, cold AND ice water! The ice-water tap was no longer functioning - I had to walk out into the hall to get my ice :). Our room had a nice view of the park across the street. Other rooms have a nice view of a brick wall :) . I was surprised that such an old hotel has such poor interior insulation. If you are a light sleeper, you're going to be disturbed by everything your neighbor does. That isn't helped by the turbo-flush toilets, which sound a lot light jets being launched off an aircraft carrier.

If you bring a car, your good deal will be lost. The hotel charges $12/day to park a car, $17 per day if you use valet. The hotel is within walking distance of the Riverwalk, and downtown San Antonio is not car-friendly anyway.

The staff didn't impress me, and in general, I thought the "extras" that Wyndham brought to this property were all negatives. For example, Wyndham's current "mascot" is Spongebob Squarepants. He was EVERYWHERE, including on our room keys. Not exactly what you'd expect from a hotel trying to exude elegance!

Other than the parking charges, I was pleased with this hotel. If you don't stay there, at least walk through the lobby - that's the real treat. The hotel is on Travis at Jefferson, just a few blocks west of the Alamo.