Local Music on Riverwalk

My first trip to San Antonio’s Riverwalk is now in the books. I can now officially say that I have been there and done that. I mentioned in an earlier post “San Antonio Riverwalk” that I had used the “Name Your Own Price” technique alongside with betterbidding.com to find the best last minute hotel deal on the RIverwalk.

We were able to book the Marriott San Antonio Plaza which is about two blocks walk to the Riverwalk for $75. I thought that this was a great deal seeing that the average four star hotel was going for around $230 in this area. Of course there were taxes and other fees that Priceline.com tacked on, so the all in price was $95. This is still a good deal for a Friday last minute booking.
Marriott San Antonio Plaza Hotel Review

When we first arrived to the hotel I was not sure if we were in the right spot. From the highway I could see a huge Marriott Hotel in the distance and when I saw that we were nearing our destination and that hotel was still off in the distance I immediately thought my Garmin was out of whack. I circled around twice and even looked up hotel pictures on Yelp.com before I parked and got the luggage out of the car.
First Thoughts

Fountain at Marriott Plaza Entrance

Once we had the bags in the lobby the sweet lady at the front desk offered to upgrade our room to a single king. Of course we accepted this gesture because of my larger that normal body type. The two guys that were running the valet outside were just as friendly as the lady at the front desk. I couldn’t have asked for more cordial individuals (they even told me where the nearest gas station was to pick up some cold ones).
Outdoors

View of the Courtyard

The actual hotel appearance itself was on point. They used an old Mexican style plaza approach that was tranquil. As you walk up to the front desk you walk past a large fountain that sets up perfectly for the interior design. The Lobby and Restaurant were clean and have tons of available seating. We chose not to have breakfast on the property, but to wait for brunch and eat somewhere else.

A Freakin Pheasant

The Garden Area that was in between the Pool and Patio have three fountains and old trees that created just the right amount of shade. This is where I sat to write this post before I was caught off guard by one of the craziest looking birds I had ever seen. Apparently there are multiple types of pheasant that live on the plaza grounds. I had no idea before having one sneak up on me. The birds seemed harmless, but I was hesitant to put it on my should due to the fear of having my ear drum plucked out. The birds went on about their business and I went on about mine.
The Room

King Size

The room was not an extremely modern room, but it was clean and the bed was like sleeping on a cloud. The bathroom had good water pressure and the shampoo was pretty classy (not that I know anything about shampoo). We had extra towels delivered to our room and also extra conditioner. They met our requests with a smile and promptness.

The only two things about the room that I can say I did not like was that a train went by in the middle of night (sounded like the tracks were at the

Sink Area

foot of the bed) and that you had to pay $13 to get internet in your room (free in the lobby and courtyard). The train came through when I was in a serious REM cycle so I thought I was dreaming at first. It wasn’t a huge deal because I fell right back asleep, but I did wake up. The free WiFi is more of a pain in the ass complaint. I would have rather written for the blog from the comfort of the room/balcony drinking a cup of coffee, but I had to get dressed and go down to the lobby to surf the net.
Parking

When we pulled up and I read the sign I felt like I had just received a swift kick between the legs. The sign said that you could self park for $23 a night or valet for $29 plus tip. When I see signs like this I always feel like I have been set up. Of course the parking fees are never listed on the site or at least not in a place that you can easily find them. The valet guys were cool so I didn’t feel quite as bad about forking over the dough.
Conclusion

Pros:

Close to the Riverwalk
Great Price
Soft Bed
A Good Looking Hotel Inside and Out

Cons:

Paying for parking (insert stomach pain here)
Only free WiFi in the Lobby/Courtyard
Train Station Stop in the room

I would definitely stay at this property again if I was able to get the same price. I felt that I got a great deal and the service was quality. If I could find a better place to park that would be free then I could see this hotel being a repeat adventure although the Grand Hyatt is calling my name.

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