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    Hotel Contessa

    3.4 (549 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Bar
    Holly M.

    Hotel Contessa is conveniently located on the Riverwalk. If you need to valet such as we did, it is $57 a night. Since the hotel has a 3 night minimum price approximately $350+ per night, that is a significant cost added to the stay. You can park in an open parking lot across the street for approximately $45 per night. Still, a significant cost. The hotel is nicely decorated for the holidays and each member of the staff we met from the front desk, servers, valets and bellman were very pleasant, particularly Francisco. The hotel rooms are large with a separate living room including a desk, high top table with stools, couch and coffee table. The bathroom needs updated. The caulking in the tub is stained as well as the tub itself and the bathroom fixtures are old and rusted. The lighting itself needs changed to a bright white. It's too dark to see very well but can see the room was a little dusty. Tile and countertops are old and need replaced. There is a counter across from the bathroom for additional space plus a coffee station. It had had a Kurig with powder creamer and sugar. We had a nice experience in the bar. Both the bartender and servers were great. Very friendly and atte. We had appetizers and drinks and they were good. There is a nice lounge area lined with couches to sit and relax. From the bar and restaurant, you can walk directly out to the Riverwalk. The hotel is a little off the main Riverwalk path so you don't have to deal with the huge crowds which is great. The Hotel Contessa has an area directly outside for weddings called Wedding Island. Perfect for a small wedding. Guests will need to line up along the Riverwalk path to watch the ceremony. Overall, we enjoyed our stay. It is a great spot on the Riverwalk. However, for the price you pay, the hotel rooms need updated and the cost of valet is absolutely absurd. Hotel guests should be provided with a discounted rate.

    Rose E.

    This is one of many hotels located on the Riverwalk, and we stayed here for several nights. First of all, we were so appreciative of the fact they let us check in super-early! I believe they usually charge $40 for early check-in, but the Concierge said she'd lift this charge (possibly because this was for our anniversary?). Super-nice...Thank you!! Now, the hotel itself is gorgeous...with stunning pictures and artworks throughout. Also, they had a plush bar area...as well as plush sitting areas. Also, they had a great restaurant, Ambler, where we enjoyed several drinks. Now the room! We chose a suite, and it was so spacious...and beautifully decorated! The living room, especially, was HUGE...almost as if we were in an apartment home. There was even a nice bar table with chairs to eat in the room. So aesthetically, it was 5 stars! However, I have to be honest. The amenities were a bit outdated. The shower stall was antiquated (with curtains?!?), and the showerhead was really weak...and the water was really soft. It took a long time to get soap out of your hair. Otherwise, the bathroom was spacious and ideal. Also, we couldn't find a guide with their TV channels, so it was incredibly hard to find something to watch. Possibly another outdated TV system. A/C system was fairly quiet, but somehow, I felt it could have been cooler...in that 65-66 felt like about 69. Still, the A/C was pretty good overall. One last thing was the bedding. The bed itself was comfortable, but the comforter was super-thin...so not as plush as it could have been. I guess given the hot 'n humid San Antonio weather, thicker comforter probably didn't make much sense? Service was really good on the most part. Like I mentioned, they gifted us with an early check-in, so kudos for that. I do have to mention that on our check-out, however, there was this guy who stayed on the phone with another customer for a good 10 minutes before even acknowledging us. WOW. I've never had to wait that long to check out...possibly anywhere! I thought we were going to miss our flight! We found that super rude. Aren't you supposed to help the in-person customer before the phone customer? I included a pic of the team member that nearly delayed our flight. Not perfect, but overall, we really enjoyed staying at the hotel. In terms of aesthetics and space, we absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, some of their amenities could use some updating. Despite some highs and lows, I feel that this hotel still deserves at least 4 stars.

    Mariachi on lower dining floor.

    Came here for a family trip. I walked in and there was mariachi playing in the downstairs restaurant/bar area, which was super amazing. The lobby was clean and super pretty. They also had an art exhibit. Check in was a bit slow. We made our way up to our room on the 7th floor. Clean at first look and definitely spacious of your a party of four or less. However, when looking in the shower , there was a half circle of what appeared to be mold around the drain, and some on the walls. Randomly, the toilet became backed up, and when consulting with my other family member in a separate room, they said their tub became backed up aswell. I can tell the staff works hard to be able to keep up with the amount of guests, and i hate to complain, but in the hallway going to our rooms, there was a drink that was there when we got to the hotel (Day 1) and it was still there while we left (Day 3). Plates of food accompanied it in Day 2 , and was still there on Day 3. Also, we were only given one roll of tissue paper in the bathroom. It is a nice hotel, but I cannot say that my experience would make me come back. The location is definitely good, and the lobby/atmosphere, but for the price i think the rooms should definitely be cleaned more, and the guests more taken care of. Again i hate to complain, and i hope that everyone can have a better experience.

    Decorated for Fiesta!
    Steve G.

    Great hotel! We came here for a Yelp event and decided to spend the night. Beautiful place! Big, goegeous room! Great bar! Good food! If you have the chance to come here during Fiesta week you will not be disappointed. Really done up and decorated beautifully The only thing that I had to question was the fact that we were on the third floor and we could hear this hum all night from the elevators, but it really wasn't that bad. Did not change my rating at all. Che k it out!.

    Stacey S.

    This is a perfect location if you want to be right on the Riverwalk. Excellent staff--not a single person failed to be welcoming, genuinely friendly, and exceedingly helpful. The rooms are spacious and nicely laid out. The facility was clean. We mostly ate elsewhere, but the few food items we tried were pretty tasty. The restaurant gets relatively high ratings for being part of a hotel AND right in the heart of a tourist trap. Haha. The free afternoon margaritas are an extra nice touch, and actually tasted very good! Not overly sweet and nicely boozy. The patio alongside the riverwalk is lovely, and the inside lounge area is very pleasant and comfortable. We were there to celebrate our friends' 50th wedding anniversary (!!!). They are not frequent travelers, and flew in from several states away just for this event, so this was quite the big deal for them. The hotel really went above and beyond to mark the occasion. They upgraded them to an executive suite, sent a variety pack of local craft brews to the room when they arrived, and then sent up a bottle of bubbly with a cheese plate and balloons on their actual big day. Really sweet and thoughtful gestures that made them feel special. We ourselves only had two criticisms: First is the exorbitant valet fees. We have stayed in every kind of hotel you can imagine, all over the globe (from the scariest dive motels to the most high end luxury resorts you can imagine), and nowhere have we seen $72 per day for parking. Yes, we get it downtown tourist area parking lots cost a lot. But charging more than double the self parking rate ($30-$35/day depending on the lot) is pretty close to outrageous, especially in an area where 90% or more of the guests do everything on foot once they arrive so won't be having the car pulled out at all, much less multiple times daily. We tipped the porter who unloaded and delivered our stuff to the room, then parked ourselves in the lot across the intersection. You might want to do the same if you expect to walk everywhere. Second is the condition of the property. This place is long overdue for in update. They keep it reasonably clean, but it looks rough, with so much visible wear and tear. From the chipped, scratched, and permanently stained tub, to the peeling "leather" bar chairs in our room, not to mention the multiple ugly stains all over the beige sofa upholstery (first thing you see when you open the door), and the actual holes in one of the bedspreads (see pics). Those are just a few examples of many. It's a lovely physical plant, with a nice design and beautiful decor, but when you're paying $250/night or more, you expect a fresh look and well maintained fixtures and furnishings.

    Atrium
    Paul D.

    While visiting my parents in San Antonio my wife and I decided to stay two nights downtown to walk around, and see what has been changed since the pandemic. It was also a new opportunity to stay and experience a different hotel where seem to making my rounds from previously staying at other ones. For me this place was easy finding this hotel where used to live here and pulled in to valet my vehicle. I must have timed it perfectly where not too long later there was a mad rush to check in. Upon walking in I was surprised to see an open atrium where from the out side this hotel does not looks large enough to have one. And was greeted with a portrait of La Contessa de San Antonio. It was a eye-catching painting giving this place a luxurious feel. Check-in was quick and nice to see refreshments available where it was very hot outside. Our room was a suite where was bigger than I expected and nicely decorated. It was a table for two, pull-out couch, nice bath, mini fridge, and king bed with a nice downtown view. The room was very clean and nothing wrong with it. We enjoyed hanging out at the hotel bar and restaurant called Ambler. It's was high quality and very good. You have River Walk access with a short walk to bulk of the restaurants and next to the Briscoe Western Art Museum and Arneson River Theatre. If you need to get to the side where the Hard Rock Café is located then faster to cut across on the street level. Surprised to see so many homeless people around not on only on the street level but on the River Walk too, but none around the Hotel Contessa. We also spent some time at the rooftop pool where we were provided with towels, chairs (limited shade areas), and a small bar providing drinks, and could order food from it. The pool was heated but being over 100 degrees outside colder the better. They also had a spa which was a bit hot for me. You had a great view of the city behind glass walls, and at night a perfect romantic spot. Overall I enjoyed this hotel and the rooms had so much style where we most likely will stay here again.

    At entrance
    Mari G.

    We came for an event, during Fiesta, and decided to stay the night. We had so much fun. The food was great and the service at the bar was fantastic especially with a lot of people there. The room was clean and decorated well. The pool was clean and it was breezy and there was a great view up there. Friday nights are mariachi nights so we are definitely going back. River access was great as you could take a nice stroll.

    Riverwalk floor sitting area

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    Hotel Contessa Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Hotel Contessa

    Is there another parking option less expensive than the Valet?

    Yep, kiddie corner is the public lot where I parked. Enjoy your stay and money savings.

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    Review Highlights - Hotel Contessa

    You cannot beat the staff's pleasantries, the view and be able to enjoy the Riverwalk just outside the hotel.

    Mentioned in 130 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Hotel Contessa - hotels - Updated August 2026

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