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El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel: Traveler Reviews

3.0 of 5
110 Lexington Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78205
Hotel amenities
El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel
Ranked #151 of 343 hotels in San Antonio
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472 reviews from our community

Traveler rating
    123
    154
    82
    64
    49
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Families
136
 
Couples
136
 
Solo
25
 
Business
84
 
Rating summary
  • Location
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Service
    4 of 5 stars
  • Value
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    4 of 5 stars
Date Rating
Dallas, Texas
1 review
“Hotel Hell”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed October 29, 2012

Do not stay at this hotel. I made the mistake of bidding for one on Priceline and I will never do that again. I asked for a hotel at the Riverwalk between a 3 and 4 star. I ended up with this dump. It is very old, it has an odd smell to it and the carpet in all 4 rooms we had was badly stained. I feel bad that put my family in this hotel but it was non refundable so we were stuck. The Front desk staff was very indifferent and didn't smile once the entire weekend. Debra the bar tender was very friendly and nice and was a nice conversationalists. The parking was dreadful! It was $18 for you to park your own car and it was very dangerous having to go up a very narrow two-way ramp. Once you parked you have had to walk back to your room down the ramp and in the street or you had to go down these very creepy stairs in the back. Either way was unacceptable. We asked the guy at vallet to park for us so we wouldn't have to endure this nightmare and he refused. Our view was of a crane in front of the building, not very attractive. This hotel says it's on the Riverwalk but you might as well stay off the Riverwalk and get a nicer hotel. It took us 20 minutes walking down the Riverwalk before we saw civilization. In the evenings there is always a Police officer in either the lobby or the bar. He was very creepy and stared at us the whole we were there, it made us very uncomfortable. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT stay at this hotel.

  • Stayed October 2012, traveled with family
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Brice L about El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Pearland, Texas
1 review
“Nastalgic!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed October 25, 2012

We wanted to be able to enjoy the peaceful part of the new riverwalk, the art walk and the museum along with the history of that part of the riverwalk. When I read about El Tropicano I thought it would be a good choice but was worried about it being too old.
We had a room (2nd floor) looking out over the river and just steps away from a screened in porch area and a nice outdoor area in which we sat and drank our morning coffee. With the awesome design of the hotel I kept feeling like I was back in the 50's or early 60's and kept picturing Pres. Johnson with his family along with some of the famous movie stars that had stayed there.
The breakfast was above what most others offer and the staff helpful and friendly.
My 26 yr old daughter and I truly LOVED the hotel and our weekend stay there. The pool area is wonderful and nice for families. I would recomend the El Tropicano to anyone and hope that many others experience a great stay as we did!

Room Tip: If you are unable to do a lot of walking, I would sugest a room in the highrise part that you can ge...
See more room tips
  • Stayed October 2012, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask gretagrac about El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Gold Canyon, Arizona
Senior Contributor
38 reviews 38 reviews
16 hotel reviews
Reviews in 25 cities Reviews in 25 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
“Good location ...”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed October 24, 2012

Spent 5 nights at the El Tropicano for a reunion. Staff was friendly, but firm on the check in time, do not arrive early. The hotel being on the Riverwalk was a great asset with having outdoor seating/patio area for guests to visit at the reunion. The rooms were clean, building older, but maintained character of the area and location. There is a parking lot fee. Most guests used the riverwalk boats or walked to town and grabbed a trolley back to the hotel. The breakfast came with our room price but noted there was a charge otherwise. They served eggs, potatoes, and bacon/sausages. The eggs were always cold and on the runny side. Enjoyed the fresh fruit. A very nice pool area on the second floor.

  • Stayed October 2012, traveled with friends
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask CactusCaro about El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Top Contributor
78 reviews 78 reviews
13 hotel reviews
Reviews in 27 cities Reviews in 27 cities
31 helpful votes 31 helpful votes
“Not up to par”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed October 22, 2012

We stayed here two nights and each day our opinions of the place declined. The first night's room had an air conditioner that was so noisy we had a difficult time sleeping. The WiFi was unreachable. Parking was $18.00 per day (it was $5.00 per day across the street). The location is at the very end of the River walk and the water taxi turns around outside the hotel and goes back downstream. A typical breakfast buffet will run you $11.00.

After complaining the next morning we were able to move to a room where the air conditioner worked just fine. The next time we go to San Antonio we will stay elsewhere.

  • Stayed October 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Ask SouthwestNomad about El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
HotelManager3, General Manager at El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel, responded to this review
October 23, 2012
Thank you for your review, I apologize for the problems with the noise from the air conditioner the first night and am glad that we were able to move you the next day although that is not our ideal solution as you should not have encountered that problem from the beginning.

I hope on your next visit to San Antonio we will have an opportunity to ensure you a problem free stay.

Best Regards, Tim
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Fort Worth, Texas
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
6 hotel reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“where is the rivewalk”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed October 20, 2012

this place is a hotel hell,the rooms are so little and the rest room had mildew on the soap dish,we are still looking for the riverwake and we are back in DFW! the only view was a crane working acrose the street.when we ask for another room was told they was full..full at this place!! i don't think so.any eay this place should be named hotel hell...also we left this place and went to the wyndham and it cost less and was so much better..

Room Tip: if this the only hotel that has a room. stay home.
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  • Stayed October 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
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Ask dempsv6 about El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
HotelManager3, General Manager at El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel, responded to this review
October 23, 2012
I apologize that this was not the hotel for you, when booking through blind bidding sites you sometimes end up with a property that does not fit your travel needs. My records indicate you were assigned to room 817 which has a balcony and overlooks our pool area and although the new Performing Arts Center is being renovated into a state of the art center across from us we have had zero noise complaints and although the crane is an eyesore it is not visible from the pool side of the hotel.

I think if you had stayed the night you certainly would have enjoyed our unique hotel as well as the Museum Reach section of the Riverwalk which offers a completely different experience from the main channel area including the uniquely developed Pearl Brewery area. I hope your overall stay in San Antonio was enjoyable and I thank you for visiting our city.

Best regards, Tim
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Additional Information about El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel

Also Known As:
Holiday Inn San Antonio
El Tropicano Riverwalk
San Antonio Holiday Inn
Address: 110 Lexington Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78205
Region: United States > Texas > San Antonio
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge Business Center Fitness Center Free High-Speed Internet Restaurant Room Service Shuttle Bus service Swimming Pool Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
Ranked #151 of 343 hotels in San Antonio
Price Range: $
Hotel Class:3 star (3*)
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
Premier hotel on the San Antonio Riverwalk boasts premium amenities. Indulge yourself at the Holiday Inn El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel in downtown San Antonio. Our tropical hotel is conveniently located near many downtown entertainment and business destinations. As your family arrives at this downtown San Antonio hotel, you will be welcomed by a gleaming mosaic of over 300,000 gorgeous glass tiles, as well as beautiful Mexican art. Situated at the start of the Museum Reach of the San Antonio Riverwalk, our hotel is convenient to local attractions including the Alamo, Tower of the Americas, Market Square, San Antonio Zoo and the Alamodome. You can catch the trolley from our hotel to your destination. Corporate travelers can appreciate the convenience of our San Antonio Riverwalk accommodations with easy access to the San Antonio International Airport, Henry B. Gonzales Center and companies such as Bank of America, AT & T, American Payroll, USAA, Valero Energy and Kinetic Concepts. We also provide business services including faxing, copying, printing and free high-speed Internet access. While lodging at our hotel in downtown San Antonio, see toucans in our aviary, visit our on-call massage therapist, exercise in the 3,000 square foot STRIVE Fitness Studio, swim in the out door heated pool or dine at our full-service restaurant and bar, where kids eat for free. ... more   less 
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