The good: the original lobby is charming, and the Menger Bar retains its turn-of-the-last-century appeal. The central atrium is very pretty. There are some interesting shops and historical artifacts to look at throughout. The location is ideal, a few steps from the Alamo and the Riverwalk.

The bad: The main lobby suffers from some unfortunate modernizing, and lacks character. We booked a Travelocity "Good Buy" room for $89.00. We got what we paid for: a very small room with one double bed. It was saved from being totally claustrophobic by a 5' x 6' desk alcove. Although we requested a king room on Travelocity's website, they don't guarantee it, and when we checked in, we were told none was available.

The ugly: We arrived on a busy holiday weekend, and when we pulled into the valet area, we were told that there were no parking spaces in the garage left for paying guests. On top of that, the valets could not direct us to an alternate garage, and did not help my husband unload his bags. However, they did park the car behind us. (?) My husband circled around for 30 minutes before finding a spot in the mall garage several blocks away, which luckily was only $8 for 24 hours. Our room had no coffeemaker, no full-length mirror, no soap and only one towel. We called housekeeping, and they brought the soap and towels promptly. The next day when we were walking out to get our car, we heard guests in the valet area complaining that they were still waiting after 40 minutes to have their car brought down.

I staged a conference at the Menger in November 2004, and could not have been more pleased. I had rave reviews from my attendees, and no complaints. They gave our group a great rate. The hotel public spaces are a delight including the bar, the old lobby (with a great bronze of Travis), the new lobby, the garden, the pool, and the meeting spaces. The quality of the AV equipment and the Av service is much betther than that of other hotels I've experienced. The banquet food is well above average and the service of the banquet staff, both management and labor, is extremely helpful and friendly and professional. Indeed, in a decade of hosting conferences, I have not experienced so friendly a staff.

The location is excellent, but even better is the history and stories that make the Menger the truly unique hotel that it is.
The breakfast is excellent and the Sunday Brunch is even better.
Have the mango ice-cream and the bread pudding.

My 11-year-old son loved hunting for ghosts! (And whoever wrote that the Menger isn't kid-friendly is wrong. The Staff were all very friendly to my son. The place isn't a McDonalds, or a Holiday Inn, but thank goodness!)

I would definitely return.

Oh--I do have one complaint: a bar of the Menger's quality really should have tap beer (and a decent Texas microbrew, at that). Frankly, it's a scandal that they only serve bottled beer! I think Teddy Roosevelt would be very unhappy to learn that the former recruiting office of the Rough Riders didn't have a good local amber or pale ale on tap. Heavens! The place used to be a brewery. In fact, the Menger management could probably contract a local brewer to brew a "Menger Amber" or something like that.

Spent two fine nights here in early November. Here are my Do's and Dont's for the Menger:
Do: spend a little extra to get an upgraded room. The "historic rooms" are small but charming (and allegedly haunted) and the "luxury suite" that we stayed in had period furnishings with a wonderful balcony overlooking Alamo Plaza. Free, high-speed internet was also a plus.
Do: have breakfast at the hotel's awesome buffet and eat in the tropical courtyard (if weather permits).
Do: park in one of the nearby lots to avoid a pricey and sometimes overworked valet. You really don't need a rental car due to its central location and good public transit.
Don't: book the Menger if you want a "waterfront" experience. However, it's only a short walk to the Riverwalk from the hotel.
Don't: bring kids -- it's an adult vibe at this classy establishment.
Don't: forget some nice clothes. I felt a bit underdressed in a golf shirt, shorts and sandals. Have fun enjoying one of America's treasures. We did!

I really connected with this hotel and its rich history. The courtyard garden was in bloom and was very relaxing. The room was pleasant, clean and quiet. The staff was friendly, responsive and informative. I ate dinner at the hotel restaurant and loved the atmosphere and the food. The waiter was friendly, informative and attentive. The food was quite good and average in price for the type and quality. My room was in a newer section and overlooked the Alamo. The river walk, plenty of shopping, restaurants, fast food and entertainment were all within a few minutes walk.