Jetting away to Europe — or even Florida — sounded easy when you started planning your summer holiday in January over margaritas on a shady day. But, suddenly, it seems simpler to stay home — not actually in your home, mind you, but somewhere in town. What you want to do is to explore your own city like a tourist. You want to throw just the essentials into a bag and steer your car (better yet, take an Uber) to one of San Antonio’s new hotels — or to one of the storied, renovated icons — and simply do the staycation thing. There’s so much you haven’t taken time to do here, and you’ll find a plethora of experiences right out your door.
In an uncertain world, it can feel better not to venture far. But that’s not the only reason to take a staycation. Whether you’re retreating for a quick weekend at a romantic hotel downtown, taking a long afternoon digital detox at a rooftop pool or gallivanting with the whole family at a full scale resort, you’ll save money, time and travel headaches on an in-city jaunt.
Ready to stay “in residence”? We’ve got some ideas for you.
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A sanctum of heyday glam with a prodigious musical and artistic legacy, scores of meddlesome ghosts and a redesigned silhouette that straddles both old and new, The Gunter Hotel emanates gravitas and quiet opulence downtown. Welcoming prominent guests for nearly 120 years, it has a new incarnation that satisfies modern-day travelers with 311 refurbished rooms, including 30 suites. Sip martinis at speakeasy-like Bar 414, chomp burgers at the lobby-sited Keystone Club, gobble pastries at Paris Baguette and partake of breakfast or dinner at Jots, where a nook has been designated the Creator’s Salon to encourage guests to pen their own lyrics, poems and great thoughts. Steps from the Majestic Theater, this getaway will please artsy staycationers.
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What’s New: The Gunter reopened in fall 2025 as a Tribute property after a $57 million renovation that gave it new dining concepts (Jots, Keystone Club, Bar 414, Paris Baguette) and gussied up its guest rooms with hepcat-level amenities, such as in-room record players, records from a vinyl library staffed by a vinyl ambassador and a copy of Robert Johnson’s first album (recorded in part at the hotel in 1936). There’s even a state-of-the-art recording studio on property.
Insider’s Tip: Not only are dogs allowed, but a special canine menu to be enjoyed on the patio pampers them. A prix-fixe menu is available to pair with tickets to the Majestic Theater — and restaurants often extend hours a bit to allow for postshow noshes. Take advantage of The Gunter’s Texas Resident Rate, which offers a savings of up to 15% off the hotel’s best available rate. And don’t hesitate to order the gin-based Do Not Disturb cocktail at Bar 414, an homage to the mystery of Room 636 and its infamous, unsolved murder.
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When summer sidewalks sizzle, dunk yourself in a water world with a swimming hole to fit every person’s splash-filled fantasy. With a mind-boggling 950-foot lazy river (a nod to Texas’ tubing culture), waterslides, a FlowRider wave simulation machine and various other swimming holes dotting the property (including an adults-only, Texas-shaped pool with a waterfall-flanked hot tub), Hyatt Regency Hill Country dares you to stay dry. Sprawling across some 300 bucolic acres with a Texas ranch-house aesthetic, this resort near SeaWorld San Antonio boasts evening s’mores, tennis, championship golf at Hill Country Golf Club, a plenitude of family-friendly activities, walking trails, multiple eateries and bars, and the sought-after Windflower Spa.
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What’s New: Just completed, a $100 million renovation updates and expands this popular playground to offer premium four-bedroom villas, the Big Spring Lagoon (a 2.2-acre lagoon complete with beach, cabanas and water sport options) and a state-of-the-art Toptracer Range at Hill Country Golf Club for virtual golfing fun — among other improvements.
Insider’s Tip: Weekend visitors can practice yoga with a herd of playful goats in a 40-minute, beginner-friendly yoga class on Saturday mornings.
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San Antonio can be folksy, in a good way, but it also embodies an urbane elegance that dates back more than a century to its domination as a cattle industry top dog, railroad centerpiece and wealthy commercial hub. In many ways, the sleek InterContinental speaks to that era with confident sophistication. Spitting distance from the River Walk, it’s a mosaic of rich brass finishes, shiny marble, dark wood and caramel leather. Brightening up its Western-intoned earthiness, a concierge gallery displays local products and artwork. It has four dining and drinking spots, with the Deco Bar providing a sexy nook for reconnecting with your staycation partner. A rooftop pool seals the deal.
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What’s New: Opened in August 2024 after a three-year, $50 million-plus redo and refurbishments to a Wyndham property, this classic 21-floor skyscraper has midcentury-modern elements and an ambience of efficient luxury.
Insider’s Tip: Be sure to book a room that has “Club Access” to enjoy the Club InterContinental, a tranquil, exclusive space that overlooks the River Walk. Open throughout the day, it serves guests a variety of snacks and drinks.
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Invoking that well-known saying “Everything’s bigger in Texas,” this gargantuan refuge, exuberantly occupying more than 600 acres, defines largesse. Massively humming, colossally luxurious, heftily steeped in fun, this bigger-than-life resort offers an ultra-getaway so packed with possibilities, you won’t know you’re a mere 30 minutes from downtown. Characterized by its acres-big, lazy river complex, this huge JW Marriott also tempts the swimsuit crowd with waterslides, a sandy beach and an adults-only infinity pool — among others. Tee off on a Pete Dye-designed golf course and de-stress at enchanting Lantana Spa, modeled around the healing traditions of Latin American curanderos. Eight food and drink venues keep staycationers well fed.
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What’s New: Enhanced menus at all food and beverage outlets, especially the new poolside Rivertop, include lighter but creative fare — like turkey avocado crunch wraps and green chile queso — to pair with frozen margaritas and piña coladas. The newly launched Glow Golf activity delights as an after-dark, mini-golf adventure on weekends. It runs Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Insider’s Tip: Book one of the Grand River Suites, which have one or two bedroom configurations, dining rooms, fireplaces and ample living areas. Surprise your kids with a teepee camping amenity, one of the resort’s many kid-pleasing extras. The Glamp in the Great Indoors Suite Package also brings the outdoor camping experience indoors (no mosquitoes) via a themed-luxury suite, kitted out with an indoor tent, complete with sleeping bags, stuffed animals and more.
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Linking Southtown to downtown’s buzz, this design-centric mecca on South Alamo Street next to La Villita hits the mark. Built within the bones of a preserved and repurposed circa 1858 German-English school, it has a contemporary tower that soars 10 stories high. A savvy hotel, Kimpton Santo speaks to the city’s multicultural history, its forward-thinking populace, and its growing gastronomic and hospitality scene. With Bauhaus-meets-South Texas Indigenous architectural vibes, Kimpton Santo has cool kid appeal. Enjoy its captivating art collection, rooftop lounge and pool, intimate bars and signature restaurant, Dean’s Steak & Seafood. Rooms, as in all Kimpton properties, boast yoga mats. There’s a free daily happy hour, free valet (and pampering) for pets, and gratis morning coffee and tea. Don’t miss Tenfold Rooftop Bar’s Sunday-Thursday happy hour and Cloud Nine Thursdays, when live DJ sets send sound waves sky high.
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What’s New: Opened two summers ago, this vibrant hotel is a brilliantly executed example of adaptive reuse and new construction. The new tower pleasingly contrasts with the historic, old-schoolhouse portion, emphasizing the harmony between roots and new beginnings found in San Antonio.
Insider’s Tip: Free bikes, no pet fee and pool passes for day-trippers make the grade. Book a reservation for drinks at The Study, a cocktail lounge hidden away in the historic 19th-century German schoolhouse with chef-curated snacks, classic cocktails and rare spirits. Families, grab the Suite Family Retreat, a peachy deal for the gang. You’ll not only bunk in a roomy suite but get a $100 food and beverage credit, plus in-room movies accompanied by a popcorn machine, curated minibar treats and free valet.
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The newest addition to downtown San Antonio stands 17 stories high at the corner of South Alamo and Market streets, towering over Hemisfair. A $185 million project designed by Overland Partners, The Monarch San Antonio is a Curio Collection by Hilton luxury property featuring 200 rooms, including 28 suites. Owned and operated by San Antonio-based Zachry Hospitality, the site holds significance for the family, as the late founder, H.B. Zachry, served as chairman of the HemisFair ’68 board and completed the Hilton Palacio del Rio project across Alamo Street. Pamper yourself with a massage or facial at the spa, which features Germaine de Capuccini skin-care products from Spain. Afterward, enjoy a dip in the plunge pool and spend the day in a private rooftop cabana.
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What’s New: Absolutely everything. Opening in March, The Monarch’s thoughtful touches throughout reflect its namesake’s annual migration and local materials like limestone. Each floor traces the monarch butterfly’s life cycle, culminating in its celebrated migration and the $2 million public art installation La Mariposa pavilion. Start your day with flaky French pastries at Nectarie Café, where natural light floods the space in the morning. Enjoy lunch, dinner or cocktails on the 17th floor at the Yucatán-inspired Aleteo, which translates to “flutter,” where you can enjoy 365-degree views of the city. Or splurge on tuna carpacio, fire-grilled steaks and lobster thermidor at Oak & Amber.
Insider’s Tip: Place your itinerary in the highly qualified hands of the Les Clefs d’Or concierge team of John G. Ruiz, Jeff Moon and Michele Jacob, who all hold Golden Keys. Take advantage of their insider tips and deep knowledge of San Antonio.
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This mainstay on the River Walk never disappoints. A posh haven from the hubbub that is ideal for staying in, its location amid the milieu is also one of its assets. If desired, you’ll be two steps from those tourist pastimes you’ve longed to try — like cruising on a River Walk barge. Mokara has a heated rooftop pool, a glamorous spa, capacious rooms and suites replete with freestanding bathtubs and — wait for it — a signature Bathtub Butler program. Yes, the butler will draw your bath and enrich the water with bath salts or bubbles for your relaxation. Reserve tables at any of the three restaurants: Ostra (celebrated for its oyster bar), Four Brothers (Southern soul food and South Texas pizzazz) and the chic Rooftop Cafe.
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What’s New: Recently launched, Mokara’s stylishly renovated guest rooms took their design cue from the hotel’s former life as a turn-of-the-century saddle factory. They feature hand-stitched leather decor, patterned wallpaper with textures reminiscent of horsehair, handcrafted woods, neutral color palettes, and eye-catching abstract and impressionist artwork by Dallas-based artist Lindsey Meyer.
Insider’s Tip: Celebrate with the One Bedroom River Walk Suite, a true sanctuary, or purchase a pool pass for the day to enjoy chilling in a lounge chair with a cold libation.
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This graceful redo of a vintage hotel began with a classic O’Neil Ford-designed structure. Embracing two other historic buildings on 4.5 acres, The Plaza retains many original elements and much of its first footprint, all updated with contemporary elan. For history buffs who love a hotel with soul, The Plaza pampers with resort-size guest rooms and suites, a spa, the largest pool in downtown San Antonio (day passes available), the Anaqua Garden Bar and Corinne San Antonio — the hotel’s all-day restaurant. Fun fact: The Plaza’s 42-foot tall anaqua tree is one of the largest of its species as listed by the American Forestry Associations’ National Register of Big Trees.
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What’s New: Meticulously repurposed and preserved in collaboration with the National Register of Historic Places and the Office of Historic Preservation, this new version of the hotel comprises three 19th-century buildings. Notably, one of them, a restored schoolhouse-turned-private bungalow, hidden amid the garden, holds the Arciniega Luxury Suite, The Plaza’s premium accommodation.
Insider’s Tip: For a staycation that feels like a splurge, book the Arciniega Legacy Indulgence Package, which includes residency in the Arciniega Luxury Suite, a personalized private-chef tasting dinner for two at Corinne, customized spa treatments, a VIP cocktail experience, a gourmet breakfast and the coveted late checkout.
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Long an Alamo City destination for locals celebrating big events and hosting holiday parties, La Cantera perches atop a former limestone quarry on what may be San Antonio’s highest point. In the northwest part of the city, like a portal to the Hill Country, it feels both far away and part of the metropolis’ bounty. Outstanding vistas from all directions, both urban and countryside, define the experience at this hideaway near Six Flags Fiesta Texas and The Rim Shopping Center. Nevertheless, most check in for La Cantera’s first-class resort offerings. Think five outdoor pools (including adults-only and family-friendly options), two 18-hole championship golf courses, racquet courts, running trails and Loma de Vida Spa, an award-winning, 25,000-square-foot sanctuary. Choose from five distinct restaurants — Michelin-mentioned Signature for fine dining, for example. Featuring both classic suites and guest rooms, La Cantera also boasts The Villas, a more private complex of spacious accommodations, set around a secluded swimming pool.
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What’s New: Rebranded as part of the Signia Collection, which touts “premium, approachable luxury,” La Cantera underwent a colossal, 11-month, nearly $50 million makeover before its transition into the Hilton family last fall.
Insider’s Tip: Two stay-in-town-worthy packages sweeten the La Cantera deal. The Saddle Up and Spa package, offered at Loma de Vida Spa & Wellness, includes a guided horseback ride on nearby trails through Hill Country terrain. Completing the experience is a custom massage and immersive sound bath. Alternatively, the Unmistakably La Cantera offer provides a $100 resort credit for use at the spa, any of the resort’s in-house restaurants or poolside. To take advantage of this deal, guests must book by Aug. 30 and stay at the property by Sept. 30.
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