El Tropicano Riverwalk

Terrible experience, I reserved 2 rooms at the same time, but they wouldn’t check in my parents. They had to store their belongings in our room until 4 pm. Nicole would not honor the reservation until their priority customers checked in. Our room smelled like smoke so the cleaning lady had to spray it. There was wet paint on the wall in the vending machine area, and the hotel is out dated. It is NOT worth the price we paid. It was more like staying at a Motel 6 or 8, Rodeway Inn. Please do not stay here. Aweful, and the management «Nicole» is just as aweful making faces and rolling her eyes because I was exposing them to their lie of trying to blame it on
.
tried to fax, call, and email them with the confirmation number several times, but they just didn’t want to check in my parents. I am on a week vacation, and they ruined my stay here in San Antonio for one night. Spent 4 hours waiting until they were ready to check in my parents. I will NEVER stay here again.

5 stars are for the young guy at the front desk. He is extremely nice and helpful.
4 stars for the price since you can’t beat that.
3 stars for the rest:
Distance wise it can be further away from the happening river walk but look at the price so no complaints there.
Parking is a bit expensive but looks like it does not get cheaper anywhere else.
Rooms are clean enough but had really old décor. Need renovation.
Only complaint is the dirty hair dryer I wish I hadn’t used since it had greasy makeup stuff on if.

I had reserved this hotel for the memorial day weekend. Due to a medical emergency, I had to cancel my trip. I did my booking through Priceline and requested for refund. Priceline agreed to process the refund based on Hotel’s approval. Spoke to the hotel staff twice and explained them the situation but they were very uncooperative and discourteous even though the hotel was booked to its capacity. Very disappointed!

We had decided to get a room for one night because a member of our party is in a wheel chair and we wanted him to be able to rest if need be, and they were on a budget so we compromised in order to stay all together.
This hotel is not in the right location for that. It’s just too far from everything and the Riverwalk is not really wheelchair friendly. Yes there are ramps but they are located sporadically throughout and never where you need them. (It is only $ 6 to catch a cab back to the hotel from Alamo Square).
On the other hand, if you are not wanting to pay Riverwalk prices but still want to have the access, this is a great place to be. This hotel is more than half as cheap as the Marriot, which is normally where we stay.
The hotel is not new but it is cozy. The service is great. They are laid back and friendly and just «normal». They don’t seem to have to stick to this «corporate robot» mentality. They are allowed to have a personality, which you will rarely find at a 4 or 5 star hotel.
The pool is great. And HUGE! It lights up after dark with different colors and they have great music playing on the speakers. This is so much fun for the kids. Goes from 3 feet to 9 feet, which is very rare anymore. Another perk of an older hotel.
They have these great post cards in the room that are very nostalgic that you can write a note to a friend or loved one while you are there and the front desk will mail it for free.
They do offer valet at a reasonable $ 21 for 24 hours.
Overall this hotel is top notch. It may not be new and fancy schmancy, but it’s worth every dime and then some. I will definitely be staying here again in the future.

I had reserved this hotel for the memorial day weekend. Due to a medical emergency, I had to cancel my trip. I did my booking through Priceline and requested for refund. Priceline agreed to process the refund upon hotel’s approval. I spoke to the hotel staff twice and explained them the situation but they were very uncooperative and discourteous. Very disappointed!

The hotel is dated but, the staff more than makes up for it.
We always try to stay somewhere with local flavor, or «one off». I travel extensively for work so I get tired of chain hotels. I read the reviews about it needing an update and I agree, and disagree. I think the hotel needs some cosmetic repairs, and newer mechanical equipment but, it’s not rundown. Personally I hope they keep the 1960’s Cuban vibe.
The great thing is you are on the Riverwalk, quite literally one flight of stairs (it is a river taxi pick-​up, and drop off). The trolley also stops at the hotel. I found it to be a convenient location as you could walk to The Alamo Plaza in 10 – 15 minutes. Everything was close by shopping, food, and entertainment.
The reason I only rated the hotel a 3-​star is twofold:
1. I had to use my personal hotspot, as the wifi is terrible. It seems to reset every 5 minutes.
2. Having to pay 16.00 a day for parking is egregious, I understand there is a shortage of available spots in the area but, if I am guest it should be included in the price.
At the end of the day we’d stay again, simply because the staff seems to know the hotel is «seasoned» so they go out of their way to be friendly, and accommodating.

Pros:
–the customer service here was refreshing and so friendly! They gave lots of recommendations of places to eat and activities, as well as coupons to restaurants!
–the lobby is very cool
–everything is very clean!
–room was really great!
–we had a maintenance issue and received help immediately
–the river walk was right outside of our apartment window! SO COOL! However Alamo Plaza was a bit of a walk from the portion of the river walk we were at.
–we had a window in our room that actually opened! It was really awesome, especially since we had such a great view of the riverwalk.
Cons:
— WIFI is very slow and impossible to connect to with mobile devices. To get high speed internet you had to pay for an upgrade. Even the cheapest hotels and motels I have stayed in offer free high speed wifi.
–there was NO free parking. Self parking was $ 16 and valet was $ 20– with absolutely no alternative
–very outdated. You can tell the hotel must have been all of the rage in its day, and although it is very clear, it is in desperate need of an update.
–feel like they should be more clear that their breakfast buffet is not a complimentary one.

Maybe I’m just not that picky, but I would come back to the El Trapicano. The price is nice, I dig the retro exterior/​modern interior vibe. I like the Keurig machines in the rooms, and I thought everything was clean and well-​serviced. I like that it’s on the Riverwalk, and I kinda like that it’s situated about halfway between The Pearl and Downtown. Yeah, parking was expensive, and the neighborhood is borderline, and the beers at the hotel bar were $ 7 a pint (though at the time of my visit you could put your $ 7 towards a 4.5% ABV kolsch or a 9% ABV barleywine…) but the tiki atmosphere makes it an enjoyable way to sit on the patio overlooking the Riverwalk and enjoy being far away from the crowds.

My wife and I recently spent 3 days at the El Tropicana for her 50^th High School reunion. It was wonderful! Our room (on the 4^th floor) was clean, spacious, and attractively furnished. And quiet. In many places today, the walls are paper thin and a person can hear every word uttered next door. Not so for our room! It was quiet…
An early riser, I’d sneak out the door and take my morning coffee on the patio, overlooking the river walk. I need quiet time in the morning and the patio at the El Tropicana did the trick.
Far from the noise of the commercial section of the river walk, the only interruption came from the occasional jogger who never knew I was there. A family of squirrels in the oak tree beside the patio provided ample entertainment.
The staff worked hard to make this 50^th reunion special and their effort was evident in the
constant smiles of old friends greeting each other after all those years. The food was delicious, mixed drink prices reasonable, and the front desk staff friendly and helpful.
Located on the «blue route» buses whisked us down to historical city center in just minutes.
Our car remained parked for the entire three days and yet my wife and I saw everything
we wanted to… For me, a native Texan, that included the Alamo.
I highly recommend the EL Tropicana for older visitors to San Antonio. If you who have outgrown the nightlife and partying and want a quiet place of refuge, away from the drunk college kids and the noisy, crowded river walk,…this…is…it!

Cool quirky place. Great employees. Pina Coladas kinda stink but they try…
Rooms small but sexy and kinda south of the border’ish. All in all I enjoy the place, very laid back and eclectic.
The manager carries a bit of charisma, dark hair, dashing eyes. I recommend the whole experience.

We came to stay at El Tropicano thanks to a 4-​night secret deal reservation on Hotwire. It said 3-​star hotel on the riverwalk, so I was expecting something at least as nice as a Holiday Inn or even a Crowne Plaza (both generally 3-​star).
Nope. I’ve experienced better at a Super 8 or even a Motel 6.
The staff was generally friendly, but the hotel had a lot to be desired.
First, they charge $ 16 a night for self-​parking in a fenced lot. It really seems excessive for something that does not have an attached garage.
Second, the room smelled a bit damp and musty– a smell that did not go away for the duration of our stay.
Third, the room was… mostly… clean, but there were strange streaks on the bathroom wallpaper and hairs in the corners.
Fourth, the room and the hotel was in need of a number of minor repairs. The curtains didn’t draw all the way closed, the wallpaper was peeling in a number of places in the bathroom which also had some shoddy caulking, and the pool area seemed like it hasn’t changed since the 1970’s.
And the greatest inconvenience for our stay– the internet. We came because my wife had a four-​day conference in town, so I figured I’d hole up in the room, and get some work done on my laptop in peace and quiet. It would have been a lot easier if the hotel’s wifi (both the free and «premium» — don’t waste your money) didn’t disconnect every three minutes. I do not exaggerate. I ended up connected to a public wifi from the street, but this eliminated the possibility of me taking my laptop or tablet to the pool deck or any other location in the hotel.
If you are considering a stay at the El Tropicano, I’d recommend considering another hotel. It wasn’t horrible, it just wasn’t nice.
Also, know that as far as its riverwalk location, it is directly adjacent to the riverwalk which is great for walking, but if you are wanting to visit any of the shops or touristy spots, they are a brisk 20-​minute walk away.

Very horrible. Enough said. Cracks in the walls, paint job is bad just all around couldn’t get hot water for an hour. Do not do not recommend. For the price we paid and the pictures on the Internet of what we were suppose to get. Wow! Not even close

I have no idea why this hotel has so many good reviews about the actually hotel and bad reviews about the staff lol I experienced the opposite, the staff was amazing and extremely helpful. The hotel on the other hand was lacking.
Room smelled like mildew/​mold especially in the bathroom. The bathroom tub did not drain very well so there’s a pool of water as you’re showering.
The towel rack was hanging off the wall.
Parking was terrible! (Self parking)
There’s a wall unit ac with a remote. Ours was taped up and worked when it wanted to. Lol
The pool area is nice and has a cute little bar.
I did appreciate the hotel being on the riverwalk as advertised.

This place! Wow! That’s all I have to say! Everyone one was so amazing! Front desk people, valet, the guy at the bar! Thanks for the yummy Tiki God! Yum!
Why 4 stars you may ask? Well, on our last day, we asked for someone to bring a cart up to bring our stuff down and guess what? They weren’t helpful at all. She said, «let me see if I can find someone to help you.» We waited for a while before someone came up. The guy that came up, was like, here you go. Stopped and asked, «wait, did y’all need help?» We ended up saying, «no thanks, we got it.» Super rude.
Honestly, over all, without those very rude employees I will be come back here to stay again! AMAZING!

Good points — The lobby area is very nice with a tropical theme. The bar is small but ok. Staff were ok but didn’t go out of their way to be helpful. Our room was clean and quite nice.
Right next to the RiverWalk so you can walk or ride a boat downtown without having to put up with the crowds.
Less good points — Our bathroom was small with only a shelf of about 4″ x 15″ to place all your supplies on. Wifi didn’t reach our room, although it didn’t appear to work on the 1^st floor either, we kept getting security issues. Our room was by the elevator and ice machine, both of which are very old and noisy. Make sure you’re not close to them.
I felt sorry for the Toucan and Tortoise. At least have a mate for each of them so they’re not lonely, otherwise put them in a proper wildlife park with lots of other animals.

Let’s see… I’ve read a ton of the reviews on this site about El Tropicano Riverwalk. Here’s my experience:
My buddy and I went to San Antonio to meet my son (USMC) and 3 of his Military brothers that are currently stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. 2 Marines, 2 Air Men and the two of us. We came down to celebrate my son’s 21^st birthday.
Check in: Could be a little more friendly and welcoming, but we were handled quickly. No issues here.
Our Room: It was on the sixth floor and had a view of the pool area. Nice and clean. Not smelly. The worst part was the shower curtain that had a couple small holes in it. Not an issue to me. Beds/​linens clean. Floors clean. Bathroom clean. Would’ve been nice to have 2 queen beds, but not a deal breaker for sure.
The bar: Good drinks at fair prices. Had a guy down there on Friday night playing crappy music on his electric piano/keyboard/organ…whatever it was. It was too loud. We moved outside and had a good time.
Parking: $ 10 to park yourself. $ 16 for valet. Didn’t have a car, so not an issue for me.
Other notes: The hotel was packed over MLK weekend. For most of the weekend only one elevator was in service. This caused some pile ups in the mornings for people trying to get to their rooms.
This hotel has a TON of charm and history. It’s one of the cheapest hotels on the Riverwalk. If you want a five star hotel, plan on spending A LOT more money and get yourself a room in the heart of the Riverwalk… probably another $ 100 or more per night.
Our flight didn’t leave until 6:30pm on Monday. Checkout is at Noon. Not an issue, they tagged our bags and kept them behind the counter so we didn’t have to drag them around town on our last day.
This place took good care of us.

A little disappointed that Priceline handed me this San Antonio dump of a hotel as a ‘3 ½ star’ ‘Express Deal.’ This place IS NOT 3 ½ stars!
Place is just. .. blah. A cheap motel feel on a very large property.
The neighborhood is a bit sketchy and they charge up the ass for parking ($ 16 for the night to park in this dump??).
And the most laughable part. .. that I have not experienced in all of my years of traveling. .. their wifi has a gawdamn firewall that prevents adults from viewing what they perceive to be adult content. Unreal. I’m a grown man. If I want to look at boobies on my laptop, I should certainly be able to.
This place sucks balls.

El hotel espectacular. La atención de maravilla. El valet parking fue maravilloso. Mande el text, y el carro estaba listo en menos de 5 min. Voy a regresar y lo recomiendo.

I am picky when it comes to my hotels, I’m not gonna lie, don’t judge. And I mean really picky. No I don’t need a Four Seasons but def not a motel 6 person. So I have to stay here for the weekend. Yes have to and Definitely not on my dime. Check in was easy and valet was courteous ($ 21 a day). We head in the elevator and proceed to the room. The hallways are kind of dark. I mean I don’t need it bright but they could use a little light. Entered the room and it was freezing. Easy fix, just turn off the A/​C. I looked around the room and couldn’t wait to post pics and Unilocal! I don’t understand the trip advisor reviews. I mean 4 stars! Really? Did they stay in the same hotel I did? Did I just get a shitty room? Excuse my language but I don’t get it. Did you see my pics? I don’t mean to be frustrated but I’m going to consume a lot of alcohol for the weekend to not care about the bed. And yes, who can complain when it’s free but remember, I have to be here… I don’t know Unilocalers, be sure to check in Unilocal then trip advisor (if u wish) to check reviews. I’m still confused.

Ok. WOW. I travel 300 days out of the year… And I am very rarely shocked when it comes to hotels ‘missing the mark’. With this one– I just had to write a review.
I feel like I have been transported to Guatemala… And not the good part. From the valet at the front who was literally waving people off from his counter while he watched a soccer game on a 60’s vintage portable TV with rabbit ears… To the bell man who just stood with a smirk on his face and watched me load the eight 50 pound duffle bags on to a cart I had to hunt for… To the gauntlet of maid carts clogging the path to my room like linebackers to housekeepers in the hallway I had to slalom through who were SMOKING and bitching about their husbands with piles of dirty towels from the previous night on the hallway floor (gadzooks!)… Oh my Lord, what a pile of dung this place is.
I wish I could post what our ‘river view’ room views are (we have 3 rooms in our group) — because a pic is worth a thousand words… One: a view of the parking lot through a fossilized three foot circle splatter of bird poop that has clearly been allowed to remain in the middle of the window since Reagan was president. Two: over the tar pebble roof to the pool… That has water in it that is SOLID GREEN. The winner: my brother with a view of the roof with 6 decrepit air handling units. The only ‘River’ it has a view of is the flow of green runoff water from the air handlers. And these are their good rooms!
So– traveler beware: this hotel isn’t ‘rustic’. It’s fecal. My opinion: They clearly stopped caring about their guests’ experiences decades ago. Spend your hard earned money at a place that CARES about you.

This was a very nice, historic, cozy, and welcoming hotel. My man and I spent two nights here and was very pleased with our stay.
We received two free breakfast buffet meal cards just because the staff at the front desk adored my boyfriend and great conversation! Also, since we were first time guests! The breakfast buffet usually would cost $ 9.95 a day and it consisted of biscuits with gravy, home cooked scrambled eggs (these aren’t instant), home made pancakes, chopped potatoes, cereal, oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, bacon, chilaquiles, toast, and for drink: they had coffee, apple juice, orange juice, and water. What a meal! Both mornings my boyfriend and I stacked up hard for the breakfast and left satisfied!
Our room number was 279 and it was located on the second floor just exiting the doors that lead to the pool. The view was a huge pot of ferns and a table. The room was very clean, didn’t smell bad, instead it smelled very fresh. We had a mini kitchen area that had a mini fridge, microwave, Keurig coffee maker with coffee, and a sink. On the opposite side, we had a small office space with a desk and a chair. A closet with wooden hangers and the thing to place your suitcase on.
The pool is fairly small and always had kids in it. There’s no jacuzzi to relax in, though there was a tiki bar. The pool and the bar closed early during the week. That was a disappointment.
Our bed was a king size and was huge. It was very comfortable as I couldn’t stop sleeping in it as the afternoon settled in. The pillows were fresh and comfy! I wish mines at home was as soft as theirs. Our AC blew in cold icy air. which made my sleep feel even more relaxing.
The TV was flat screened with all your major channels; though we couldn’t pick up BET and two other channels. It was four ESPN channels that was visible to watch.
The bathroom was OK; the shower was a stand up shower that had a little chair in the same area; the chair wasn’t installed in right. so it broke. The toilet was clean. The restroom was packed with clean towels, shampoo, conditioner, and hand soap. Although, we did run into some drainage issues with the shower. When you allow the water to run, it doesn’t drain, so instead it just sits there while your feet are drenched in water. That was one issue with the room and that’s it. to me it wasn’t a huge one. Eventually, when I finished showering the water with down the drain.
We didn’t have any roaches, bugs, or any uninvited visitors ruin our hotel stay. The wifi connection always stayed connected and didn’t give me any problems. It was free!
Parking was pricey; $ 16 a day for self-​parking; just get a map provided by the staff in the front you can just walk through the riverwalk to get where you are going OR just take the trolley. Access to the riverwalk was very easy to find and it such a nice scroll to burn some calories.
This hotel may be historic and was the first hotel built on the riverwalk, but it was also a very clean and lovely. Most Unilocalers are complaining about the cleanliness of this hotel, but I bet you anything this hotel is much more cleaner than your house will ever get.
The history of this hotel is what makes this stay here unforgettable; the rooms were updated, nothing smelled of old antique. Also, the staff here are very friendly and even when I got lost in the beginning, someone helped me find my way. The valet guys are nice too!
The hotel had a lot of character; on the outside from the street view you can see a mural painted on the building to tell that hotel is all about tropical and fiesta feel to it. Also, on the interior of the hotel you will find bright bold colors, a cage with birds in it, and tropical plants.
I absolutely loved my stay here at El Tropicano!!! I hope to stay here next time I visit this beautiful historic city!