Relaxing weekend in San Antonio at Hotel Valencia Riverwalk

C & I strive to focus on immersive and authentic experiences while traveling. That has led us to desert camping in a Bedouin tent while in Jordan and enjoying the beautiful Islamic décor of the luxurious Sapphire Plaza Hotel in Doha, Qatar. As I searched for a place to stay for our upcoming trip to San Antonio, I came across the Spanish Colonial Mansion of Hotel Valencia Riverwalk. What better way to experience the rich Spanish heritage of San Antonio than live in a place named after Valencia, Spain and a stone’s throw away from the Alamo and other Spanish Missions? Hotel Valencia Riverwalk graciously offered to host us for the weekend and so there we were, enjoying the timeless elegance of stucco-clad walls, plantation shutters and arched doorways.  

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Full Disclosure: We stayed at this cool place on the Riverwalk as guests of Hotel Valencia. All opinions are our own. 

Hotel Valencia enjoys a serene location on the Riverwalk. C & I had a courtyard facing room with a balcony that opened out on their big airy courtyard and a cool waterfall. Hotel Valencia also has Riverwalk facing rooms with balconies overhanging the Riverwalk. Our courtyard room was big, fragrant with their signature scent and beautiful decorated. I loved the giant mirror and the desk running up the length of the room while C enjoyed relaxing on the comfy leather chair and ottoman. S-boy was thrilled by the balcony and the fluffy bed. We all liked sitting on the balcony and spending quality time. The plantation shutters provided complete blackout and the sound of splashing water from the waterfall lulled us into a very relaxing deep sleep.

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Hotel Valencia has striking décor in its lobby and common areas and I liked the many little nooks they have for guests to sit and relax. One of the features I really loved was a beautiful, traditional library. I am a big fan of libraries in general and to see one in a hotel is a pleasant surprise. They had most of the leading daily’s available for guests in the library.

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The Argentinean restaurant Dorrego’s is located right across from the lobby; we had an excellent dinner there courtesy Hotel Valencia during our stay. Dorrego’s also provides complimentary continental breakfast to hotel guests. C & I really liked the machine that squeezes out fresh orange juice at the press of a button; the refreshing OJ reminded me of the fresh fruit juice served everywhere in India. The restaurant has an outside deck which was currently closed for renovation but seemed like the perfect place to have meals overlooking the Riverwalk. We also saw a vow renewal underway in their big courtyard; it looked a perfect place to have a romantic wedding ceremony.

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I had the opportunity to meet with Stacy Seaborn, the Director of Marketing and she informed me that Hotel Valencia had underwent an extensive renovation that completed early this year and all the furniture, accents, and décor in common areas and rooms were handpicked to reflect a Mediterranean Spanish influence, luxury and inviting vibe. I can vouch for that, it definitely works; C & I spent most of the afternoon relaxing in our room and escaping the Texan heat. Other times, we took full advantage of the location and walking to lunch at Casa Rio, visited the Alamo and saw San Antonio – the Saga show at the Main Plaza. We also spent a lot of time strolling on the Riverwalk; it was cool to just walk to all the touristy places from the hotel. As cliché as it sounds, we really didn’t want to leave and probably will plan a stay again when we return from our big trip to Chile.

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What do you like best about boutique hotels? Do you have any favorites? Let me know in comments.