Thompson San Antonio, Riverwalk

Thompson San Antonio opened in February 2021 as the first ground-up Thompson Hotels property in Texas, a 20-story River Walk tower pairing hand-crafted Mexican design with a four-venue dining program led by chef Steve McHugh. It marked one of the first major new-build luxury hotels to open in San Antonio's Arts District in years.

The place

The hotel rises 20 stories in San Antonio's Arts District, directly on the River Walk and a short walk from the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts and the Alamo, anchoring the mixed-use Arts Residences development.

The concept

Thompson San Antonio was built from the ground up as the brand's entry into Texas, developed by Houston-based DC Partners with San Antonio's Universal Services Group. Mexico City interior designer Mariana Valero of Amass & G filled the public spaces with handcrafted materials (natural parota wood, hand-stitched leather wrapped around a floating staircase, rusted Corten steel and black granite) pairing them with works by Jeff Koons and Koray Akay, a combination meant to read as international design credibility rather than a generic Texas hotel look.

Dining & wellness

Four food-and-beverage venues anchor the hotel: Landrace, the ground-floor restaurant helmed by James Beard-nominated chef Steve McHugh; The Moon's Daughters, a 20th-floor rooftop restaurant and bar with skyline views; a lobby bar; and a pool-deck bar around the fourth-floor pool. A 5,000-square-foot Thompson Spa and a 24-hour fitness center round out the amenities.