#344 - La Mansion del Rio, in San Antonio

Thanksgiving at La Mansion

With no family in town for the holiday, Don and I made last minute reservations for a stay in San Antonio. In a hotel where we've always wanted to stay!

We arrived the day before Thanksgiving. We wandered down the Riverwalk looking for those familiar stairs leading up to the Spanish style building. I remember spotting that pair of stairs (and the leaning tree in the middle) about 2 decades ago, for the first time.  

On the Riverwalk

Since moving to Texas 24 years ago, we've visited the historic San Antonio Riverwalk numerous times. (rarely quiet, like my 7 am photo)

Somewhere, we have photos of the kids posing on this sweet pedestrian bridge, right near the hotel entrance.

Selena Bridge

I learned recently, that many refer to this bridge as the Selena Bridge. Nearly 3 decades ago, the famous singer performed her last concert at the Alamodome. Tragically, she was killed a couple weeks later. A romantic scene from the movie Selena, (1997) was filmed on this bridge. 

The bridge gives sort of a curious view of La Mansion, with its arches and wrought iron. The hotel section facing the water, opened as La Posada in 1968. It was built on the property of the historic St. Mary's College, after the school relocated. The luxury hotel opened just in time for the crowds attending the HemisFair '68!  
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College Street 

When Don and I arrived the day before Thanksgiving, we found the door (near Selena Bridge) locked. We left the charming Riverwalk-World and searched for the main entrance on College Street.

From the street, we saw a a very different view of the hotel. We could also see St. Mary's Church, on the corner. Obviously the school and church are connected historically.

St. Mary's College

The first building for St. Mary's was constructed in 1852. This 4-story structure came later, in the 1870s. It was the tallest building in San Antonio at that time!

It was fun to compare the old image to today's building. Not much has changed. We tried the door beneath the flags. Locked! How do we enter this complex of old and new buildings?

La Mansion del Rio Hotel

The main entrance was actually in a newer building, with valet parking and garage. 

The friendly valet guys pointed to the lobby door, near a welcoming sign that showed the full name of the hotel... which was a mouthful.

Once we had our keycard, we could enter all the doors. The entrance above the Riverwalk (near the oval sign) was the only one we needed.

Obviously we were drawn more to the "rio" than the street. I liked just stepping out, to see the river activity. Back inside the door, an open air corridor took us to the lobby, elevator... pool. 

Unlike the high-rise hotels nearby, we got to enjoy a little fresh air, every time we wandered.

We could peek at the pool and courtyard, every time we headed to the lobby. The vibe was different each time!  Sometimes lively. Sometimes still.

​Lobby

The lobby desk was within the old building. We checked in a little early, which meant we missed the rush.

It was a Wednesday before the holiday weekend. Lots of families began to arrive.

Cocoa

La Mansion is now owned by Omni, so we got some Omni perks, like the Hot Cocoa Table. I of course had to stop for a chocolatey drink!

I'm glad they kept the La Mansion name, so we weren't constantly reminded that we were actually staying in a chain hotel.

El Colegio... Blitzen's

There's a curious history behind the hotel's El Colegio Bar. 

This part of the school property was added in 1934, after St. Mary's College added a law school. El Colegio became the bar's name. We would learn later what the glowing BLIZTEN'S sign was all about.

The Dean's Office

In 1967, St. Mary's outgrew the location and moved. In '68, a former law student purchased the property. A new building was added for hotel rooms and the Dean's office (with its wonderful stone fireplace) became the hotel's cozy bar. For years it was also a convenient gathering place for lawyers and judges, who worked at the nearby courthouse.

Don and I actually had a drink in El Colegio, about 10 years ago.  ​We sat at a table looking out towards College Street.​ 

Exploring the Old Building

I was sorry that our room couldn't have been in the historic building, on College Street. 

But at least I could explore the building that once held the school. Not far from the lobby desk, a Christmas tree with the gigantic gold balls, lured me over. Then I got curious about what was above.

I absolutely love a good staircase! I had this one all to myself as I climbed to the 4th floor.

​When I reached the top, I looked down and gave a tiny squeal of giddy delight. 

Then I noticed I wasn't by myself. A man dressed in paint splattered clothes had just come from the elevator. I told the workman I was enjoying the best view! He said he'd never seen the stairs, since his job required him to use specific halls and elevators. I invited him to come have a look and I wish I could have taken a picture of his happy face. We both admired the tree from above!

Decor

I wandered and found numerous event spaces. 

But the doors were all locked. I wasn't as free to explore as I'd hoped. 

But there were many halls for wandering, in both main buildings. 

I enjoyed all the different styles of art... antique paintings and Mexican Huichol yarn art.

There were vintage photos of San Antonio and old pictures showing some of St. Mary's athletes. The school was all male until 1963.

This little sitting area with soft chairs and soothing art, seemed to be inviting me to stop and sit a while. 

 
Fountains

A visit to San Antonio always makes me feel like I've traveled to Mexico or Spain. Especially when there are trickling fountains. I found one in a courtyard...

... and another with a lion's head, on the outside of the building.

I wish someone could have told me about this unusual fountain near the pool. Stone faces and colorful pieces of tile! Was this a recent piece of art?

Our Little Oasis

Our host at check-in was very gracious, giving us some room options.

We couldn't have been happier with our choice, on the 4th floor at the very end of the building.

I loved our beams and the brick wall. 1960s Spanish style! And a door with a balcony!

The carpet and furniture looked nicely updated. I was of course drawn to the photos and art.

​Who were these smiling gals with rattlers on their jumpers? Female students sometime after 1963, I guess.

Trivia: The green and gold serpent became the school mascot, after diamondback rattlesnakes were found on campus, in the 1920s.

​There was more art in the bathroom.

It was a nice space. Not huge, but modern and fresh, with good light. 

Relaxing

Don was pleased with a comfy chair. 

We had a cozy morning on Thursday, enjoying coffee and pastries, with the Macy's Parade!
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Balcony

I loved having doors that opened, to let in fresh air and views and sounds.  

We also had a door that opened to a shared balcony. It invited me to wander a little later.

2 Views

Our balcony wasn't the most spacious, but we had 2 chairs. I could sit in one and check on the pool activity. 

I could sit in the other and study St. Mary's! What a delight to hear the bells chime... a lot! Some guests might get annoyed with regular bell and song interruptions. But I loved it. The sounds transported me to a different time and place. 

Roof View

Besides people watching below, I could look across at the historic building.

The building was designed by a French architect. I felt like I was in Paris.

When I wandered along some of the upper walkways, I was able to study some of the buildings that surrounded our hotel.   

So many tall buildings have popped up in the old city, since the original 4-story school of 1877.

You can see our 4th floor balcony, above the fountain. So close to the church and bells!

Outside Seating

​The pool courtyard was especially inviting at night. The water was plenty warm and a fire pit made the sitting area cozy, when temps dropped.

At the opposite end of the property, there was another courtyard.

It also had a fire pit, but also lots of rocking chairs to lure guests. I never saw anyone making use.

I'm glad we enjoyed some outside sitting on Wednesday, when it was slightly warmer. 

The first evening, we ordered some wine at El Colegio and enjoyed some people watching by the pool. I did not see a single person on a cell phone. Rare! I actually noticed a dad, reading Hemingway while his kids swam.

​Location

We hardly needed to leave our sweet hotel, tucked between the Riverwalk and city buildings. But the Riverwalk access was the icing on the cake.

San Antonio's Riverwalk is a little like the canals of Venice. No cars. Lots of tourists... shops and restaurants. WPA helped create the canals and bridges in the 1930s.

Then and Now

Disastrous flooding of the San Antonio River in 1921, initially prompted the creation of the Riverwalk plan. I'm not sure when the vintage photo was taken, but it looks similar to the photo I took, on the right.

The new photo shows the 1968 hotel addition, which blocks the view of St. Mary's roof. When I look at both photos I wonder how many feet have walked along these paths. And how many visitors have fallen into that water!

Exploring on Foot

We didn't join tourists for a boat tour. We've done that. But we never tire of wandering along the winding along the pathways, beside water. 

A few times we took the stairs up to the street level and explored. We passed by The Alamo, then enjoyed some lunch at the historic Menger Hotel... evening drinks at the glamorous St. Anthony Hotel. The area was extra festive with colorful decorations and lights! 

Blitzen's

On both days, Blitzen's (or El Colegio) opened its doors in the morning and afternoon. Coffee Bar... then Cocktail Bar.

I believe Omni has something to do with the Blitzen's name. I believe this year, about 13 Blitzen's Christmas Pop-Up Bars showed up in Omni hotels, around the country.

I popped in to see some Pop-Up surprises, when it first opened on Wednesday afternoon.

I love some Christmas spirit! I love surprises! I love the history of El Colegio. But the blend of it all was a bit odd.

The old fireplace was festive and amusing with Santa Dear.

The bar stools had cute covers and there were 2 Santas decorating a leather sofa. There were lights hanging above and a tree in the corner.  All good.

But in the morning when we sipped coffee and enjoyed the newspaper, we had the same one complaint.

​It's hard to enjoy your coffee or cocktail and all the festive decor when there are TVs flickering on both sides of the fireplace and behind the bar.

I'd have been fine with some classic holiday movies playing. But it was all sports. Wrestling at 9 am!

4 Brothers: Southern Provisions

Our hotel had a lovely restaurant, with an intriguing name. The restaurant also had a lovely patio, overlooking the Riverwalk.

The restaurant name recognizes the 4 brothers of the Society of Mary, who established St. Mary's College. That was in 1853!  We're talking 16 years after the fall of the Alamo!

​This lovely dining room and bar was built on land, that likely saw some dramatic happenings, in 1836. 

I guess the entire hotel sits on land that was once part of the famed Battle of the Alamo. The mission itself is just about a quarter mile away.

Thanksgiving Dinner

We were lucky to get reservations for Thanksgiving dinner at 4 Brothers. Our trip had been spur of the moment. I had hoped for a cozy booth, like the one I spotted during one of my exploration missions.

I was especially thrilled when I found out it was not a buffet. We could order from the menu, or enjoy a plate of typical Thanksgiving foods.

We arrived early to enjoy a toast in the bar.

At first I was disappointed that we were seated at a cafe table, close to others. But we ended up enjoying a couple seated nearby. They were intrigued, when Don ordered a smoking toasted pecan old fashioned cocktail!

They had just finished their meal, so the 4 of us ended up chatting until our food came.  

This would not have worked out well, if this couple had been at all annoying. But I'll always remember our conversation. Just like us, they had decided on a T-Day getaway to San Antonio, because their grown kids weren't in town. We talked about some interesting things... like shared concerns about our country. It was odd and unexpected and pleasant. 

I'll remember how much I enjoyed my turkey dinner, as well as the upbeat waiter who served it. How did he manage to be so energetic and gracious after serving on a busy holiday? 
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Nighttime 

​After dinner we stepped out into the chilly air to have one last peek at the water. 

On Thanksgiving night, the sidewalks were fairly quiet. (photos mostly from the night before) We stood on the bridge and wondered what the river would look like the next night... for the annual holiday light parade on the water! 

What's Notable?

Our stay at La Mansion was such a sweet surprise. Our expectations were simple... to just enjoy a change of scenery, in a decent hotel.

We loved our room with balcony and bells. We appreciated the professional and friendly staff. The history of the property was an added treat. There was even something very pleasant about the other guests we passed, or observed, or spoke with. And of course the location made our stay extra special. Maybe next time we'll splurge and book a room  overlooking the water!
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