After months of being tight-lipped, San Antonio’s El Tropicano hotel is finally revealing the details on its renovation. The newly redubbed Sítio El Tropicano will reopen in fall 2026 with a major style upgrade from one of Texas’ most respected architectural firms.
Trestle Studio, the Chicago-based firm behind the restoration, has partnered with Austin’s Michael Hsu Office of Architecture to lead the design. San Antonians may not know the name, but anyone who has taken a weekend trip to the Capital City probably knows the office’s work, including properties like Hotel Ella, South Congress Hotel, and The Line Hotel, and the Uchi restaurants.
The partnership is envisioning the new Sítio El Tropicano as an “urban oasis,” with design inspiration drawn from Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, whose avant-garde work defined Latin American modernism. A press release says the emphasis will be on blending architecture with nature.
“El Tropicano was the first hotel to grace the River Walk, and it quickly became one of the city’s most magnetic social landmarks,” said Trestle Studio founder Jake Lamstein, via the release. “Our ambition has been to honor what this hotel has meant to San Antonio while imagining what it can become for future generations.”
Although some of the details have been hinted at in San Antonio Historic and Design Review meetings, Trestle has now given a clearer picture of what locals can expect. The 315-room hotel will include what the team is billing as San Antonio’s largest pool deck, 16,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a 5,000-square-foot spa and wellness retreat, and more than 400 feet of River Walk frontage.
The opening will also bring three culinary and cocktail concepts. Trestle says the restaurants and bars are a collaboration with a local restaurant group. Details will be announced at a later date.
Trestle also shared that the hotel’s art will spotlight Southwestern and Latin artists, with design influences ranging from Joan Miró and the Bauhaus to Italian still-life master Giorgio Morandi — all of which can be viewed regularly if locals join the upcoming private membership program.
El Tropicano originally opened in 1962 during a transformational period for San Antonio. The hotel became known for its midcentury glamour, hosting celebs like The Who, Dolly Parton, the Rolling Stones, and Julie Andrews. In later years, it was an in-demand events space and a hub for the now-defunct San Antonio Cocktail Conference.
“El Tropicano has long been part of San Antonio’s cultural rhythm,” said Michael Hsu. “With Sítio, we’re building a dialogue with that history: preserving what’s meaningful while introducing richer textures, deeper landscape connections, and a lobby experience that will welcome guests as a true gathering place along the River Walk.”