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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
Fort Worth, Texas
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Wonderful hotel! Although it is a ways away from the heart of the riverwalk.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 17, 2013

I can here for a "mom getaway", the first time on the Riverwalk and my first trip away from my daughter (who is 2) so I had high expectations. They were met. I pulled up to the hotel and was skeptical, it did not look like what I had in mind when booking but I went to check in and the lobby was beautiful, the guy at the front desk was friendly and helpful and checking in was a breeze. We had booked a poolside room in the winter because one of my friends is a smoker and it was amazing. You step out onto the patio and there is a patio chair and table and you are only a few feet away from the beautiful pool area. Lovely trees and lights made it a very nice view (I plan to go back in the summer to take advantage of that). I did not use the gym but I did go look at it during our walk around the hotel and it was huge, and had lots of equipment. Our room was a tad on the small side but very nice. As soon as we walked in the front desk called to make sure everything was alright. The room did have a tiny bit of dust on the side table but was otherwise clean, and smelled great. The tv is an older box tx but I didnt go there to watch tv so it did not bother me. The bathroom was small but clean and shiny. The beds were comfortable and the staff was extremely helpful. I had to get some extra supplies from the maid, who was friendly and polite, even the guy vacuuming the carpet outside my room was cheerful and polite. I had never been to the Riverwalk before and did not know exactly what to expect, the hotel is closer to the Museum side then the nightlife side but the River Taxi can get you around during the day and a cab from downtown is only 5.64$.If you are going with children or a large family this may not be the best hotel simply because of the size of the room and things that are per person like the river cab can get expensive but a romantic getaway or a friends trip is perfect. I would stay here again despite the location because I had such a nice experience with the hotel. It is not the Ritz, it is an older hotel and has the typical cosmetic issues that are expected with an older hotel but everywhere we went was clean and had fresh paint. I do not work there and am in no other way affiliated with them as previous reviews suggest, I had a wonderful experience here and do plan on staying there again and have recommended it to several family and friends.

Room Tip: Poolside is the way to go!!! There is a small patio area with tables and chairs and you are a few fe...
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  • Stayed January 2013, traveled with friends
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Dirty....”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed January 8, 2013

Booked this on Priceline..big mistake..bad location, dirty room, dust, stains, hair on bathroom floor, along with stains on the wallpaper next to the toilet. Had a Maid come in, she attemped to quick clean, Very disappointed for the rating it recieved, does anyone ever go check out these properties?

  • Stayed January 2013, traveled with family
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

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“I was in Tears! Will never Return”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed January 3, 2013 via mobile

I reserved room for New Year's Eve. Paid a little bit more than I normally would pay because I wanted it to be special for my Fiancé and I. Lobby was beautiful. As we got off elevator, scenery changed. Stains on carpet. We got into our room and it was freezing. We tried turning on heat ( as it was a cold night). Remote did not work. And AC would not turn off. We tried to move vent up and it fell off. Carpet in room had stains. Restroom was very small. Toilet is too close to wall. There was calcium build up and a patched up hole in the tub. TV was old and dusty. And it is way too far from the downtown Riverwalk area. The pictures on the Internet are deceiving. We checked out after 20 min. It is equivalent to a $60 motel room. I do not understand how they can charge $200 a night. So NOT worth the cost. We found a room at a Comfort Inn for that night. Now for that room I would have paid $200! I paid $84....look elsewhere before you think of booking with " El Tropicano"!! As for all the positive reviews here, I find it hard to believe they are legit. Must be employees filling out these great reviews...

  • Stayed December 2012
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Franklin, Texas USA
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
“Would definitely stay there again”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed January 3, 2013

Kathryn M

Stayed Dec 28th through 31st, 2012. Made reservations directly with hotel; day before realized we had not asked for a handicap accessible room and sent an email. Room was ready when we arrived and was very nice; very clean, fridge and microwave, large walk in shower and very comfortable bed. We especially liked the European style air conditioning as with asthma needed cold temps. We heard no noise from our room and was not far from the elevators.

The staff was very helpful with helping us get around San Antonio and the best thing was the trolley stopped across the street and dropped directly in front of the hotel. Day pass was well worth the four dollars.

Complimentary breakfast was good and the staff was extremely helpful in all departments, front desk, bar, coffee bar and breakfast area. We did all the tourist things, and it was easy to get to the riverwalk, market square, Rivercenter Mall, trolley narrated tours and trolley system. We were able to park on the lower ground level all days even though the hotel had two large private events one evening and $18.00 a day was cheap compared to the other hotels. We had a free shuttle from the hotel to take us to two homemade from scratch Italian and Mexican restaurants and bring us back to the hotel. Very nice.

Since everyone was so helpful and friendly, even though there was the Oregon State/University of Texas football game in town, we do not understand the negative reviews--perhaps impatient people. We would definitely stay at this hotel again.

Room Tip: Explain your needs when making the reservations and don't make the reservations through a third...
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  • Stayed December 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Victoria, Texas
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
6 hotel reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Mayan Experience”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed December 31, 2012

It was a very, very long day of travel on December 20,2012 and I was traveling in from Canada and joining my husband in Houston to drive to our "Favorite" Hotel in the U.S. which is "El Tropicano". We staggled in at 4;00 in the morning and was greetd by a cold front outside but a warm smile inside. It sure was a sight for sore eyes after a long and arduous trip we were ever so delighted to arrive!!. We had our room ready for us and after we unpacked we were ready to greet the Mayan Experience the next Day. Well, we did experience it in the form of utmost professionalism, attentiveness, care and courteous customer service at "El Tropicano". So I hope this review will provide some insight to your travel's

Room Tip: if you want to sleep in ask for room's in the inner side of the hotel because the sun won't...
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  • Stayed December 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
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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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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