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San Antonio's largest hotel—the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk—is showing off its $9 million renovation completed earlier this year.
An updated lobby, new Moda Fare restaurant, Spoonful Provisions coffee service, and the Tejas Lounge bar have been serving guests at the 1,003-room hotel since this spring.
Ryan Fender, the hotel's general manager, said the grand hotel is even grander now.
"We offered great product and service before, but I really now feel like we've got the physical spaces to really be aligned with that sense of grandeur that people expect when they hear that name, 'Grand Hyatt,' that's really well-known around the world," he said.
The lobby updates include modern check-in desks, dark wood accents, and artfully designed crystal chandeliers.
Moda Fare features Italian cuisine and crafted cocktails with diners surrounded in Italian style and wood accents and flooring and a garden style patio.
The Tejas Lounge serves curated Texas spirits and light bites. And Spoonful Provisions offers more space to serve up premium coffee roasters on marble counter space surrounded by a floral mural.
Fender said the hotel overcame a hot summer to have a better-than-expected season due to its own marketing efforts and from gatherings at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center next door.
He said while the local hotel industry is still growing back towards the number of pre-pandemic hotel stays by guests, changes in their spending habits has closed some of the revenue gap. For example, he said guests are spending more on bigger accommodations, like a suite, when they do stay.
And Fender said airport improvements and the potential of the sports and entertainment district named Project Marvel, including a new arena for the Spurs, could provide a big revenue boost to the downtown leisure and hospitality industry. The project also calls for an expanded convention center.
"You know, having the Spurs nearby, having more space in our convention center could really open, unlock the key for San Antonio being accessible to even larger conventions."
The hotel is San Antonio's third tallest building, not including the city's tallest structure—the 750 feet tall Tower of the Americas. The hotel is 34 floors and stands at 424 feet.
The tallest building is the Marriott River Center at 38 floors and 546 feet. The second tallest is the Weston Centre at 32 floors and 444 feet.
The building heights come from global building information provider—Emporis.
