By Edmond Ortiz
One downtown San Antonio hotel is reopening following a major overhaul while a second local hotel is closing this fall.
Elsewhere in downtown, two other historic hotels recently came under the ownership of a Texas state agency.
Gunter Hotel
Gunter Hotel, a 116-year-old venue, recently began a phased reopening after a $57 million renovation, such as a state-of-the-art recording studio, 900-plus album vinyl library, and three new dining and bar concepts.
Those new amenities complement the 311 guest rooms, and features such as rooftop pool, a 24/7 fitness center, and 20,000 square feet of meeting spaces across the rejuvenated hotel, which is part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Tribute portfolio.
According to a Sept. 22 press release, all guest rooms and select public spaces at the Gunter Hotel are now open, including a new signature restaurant Jots, and new lobby bar Keystone Club, with the full hotel reopening to take place later this year.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome guests to the newly transformed Gunter Hotel and to share the next chapter of this historic icon,” said Jiwon Choi, owner and managing director at Axle Capital, Gunter Hotel’s parent company, in the release.
The press release stated that the hotel’s guest rooms now feature updated layouts with contemporary bathrooms, mid-century-inspired fixtures, and a refined color palette.
Each guest room now has a record player and a copy of famed blues musician Robert Johnson’s first album, as a tribute to Johnson, who recorded several songs in Room 414 at the hotel in 1936.
Hotel representatives said guests are encouraged to enhance their stay by visiting the curated vinyl library in the hotel lobby, and ask for a recommendation from an onsite vinyl record ambassador.
Johnson’s stay inspired Gunter Hotel’s owners years ago to open Bar 414, a speakeasy-style bar which is still undergoing final touches as part of the building’s improvements. According to the release, Bar 414 still retains vintage musical decor, a curated drink list, and “a moody, welcoming atmosphere.”
Hotel representatives called The Keystone Club a refined bar offering light bites and traditional craft cocktails, beer and wine in “a sleek, stylish setting.” Jots, however, is described as an homage to supper clubs that were especially popular in the mid-1900s.
The new eatery – named after Jonathan “Jot” Gunter, a local rancher and the Gunter Hotel’s initial financier of the hotel – will serve classic American cuisine with a retro touch, with a focus on regional and seasonal ingredients.Menu iItems will include rosemary prime rib, brown butter scallops, and pan-seared Alaskan salmon, grilled citrus pound cake, and charred peach cheesecake.
Paris Baguette, a globally renowned bakery and cafe, will be another culinary addition at Gunter Hotel, serving as the brand’s first location in San Antonio.
Paris Baguette serves fresh baked breads, pastries, cakes, sandwiches, salads, handcrafted coffees and specialty drinks.
The aforementioned new recording studio, simply called The Studio, further recalls the Gunter Hotel’s musical heritage, the release stated. Located above Bar 414 and accessible via a hidden staircase, the social lounge will invite artists to enjoy the Art Deco surroundings and leave their own musical mark, hotel representatives added.
205 E. Houston St. (210-227-3241)
Hotel Havana
As a new era dawns on the Gunter Hotel, an era at Hotel Havana is coming to an end.
Officials at the revered River Walk boutique hotel announced in mid-September that the hotel was closing its doors Oct. 20 when the property comes under new ownership.
Austin-based firm Bunkhouse Hotels currently owns the 27-room hotel, which hotelier Liz Lambert launched in 2010 in a century-old Mediterranean Revival structure.
Hotel Havana and its adjoining bar/restaurant Ocho collectively and separately gained acclaim from travel writers, lifestyle bloggers, and local foodies over the years.
But Ocho was shuttered on June 29 amid initial reports of planned renovations.
A message on the Hotel Havana home page states that any reservations slated for Oct. 20 and beyond will not be honored, and that hotel staff is notifying affected guests and customers and helping them to make alternative arrangements or cancel reservations at no penalty.
1015 Navarro St. (210-222-2008)
Crockett and Menger hotels
The Crockett Hotel and the Menger Hotel, both situated near the Alamo, are now owned by the Texas General Land Office.
The state agency announced the acquisition on Aug. 26, with GLO officials said they partnered with investment firm Rockbridge and the Alamo Trust Inc. to buy the two historic hotel properties, neither of which had been available for purchase in decades.
GLO did not disclose a purchase price, but according to the Bexar Appraisal District, the total appraised value of both hotel properties is estimated at $55 million.
GLO officials in a press release said buying the Crockett and Menger hotels is an opportunity “that will strengthen the visitor experience at the Lone Star State’s most visited historic site.”
“By securing the footprint around the Alamo complex for the state of Texas, we are protecting these hallowed grounds and enhancing one of our nation’s most sacred historical sites,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said in a statement.
Both hotels sit on parcels that once were part of agricultural fields of Mission San Antonio de Valero, the 18th-century Spanish mission that eventually became known as the Alamo.
The modern-day Alamo Plaza has been undergoing a massive, multi-year overhaul that will culminate in a 2027 grand opening of the Alamo Visitor Center and Museum.
GLO representatives said purchasing the Crockett and Menger hotels will help to ensure both venues are integrated into the larger Alamo experience for locals and tourists alike.
“Together, these efforts ensure that the Menger and Crockett Hotels continue to welcome Alamo visitors in a way that reflects the significance of the site they neighbor, where history lives on in the heart of Texas,” the press release stated.
320 Bonham St. and 204 Alamo Plaza
