While some destinations struggle to offer groups a “complete package” of well-equipped meeting facilities, unique venues, eateries, attractions and affordability, San Antonio does it effortlessly.
San Antonio has what most meeting planners and their attendees want for business productivity and down time, starting with a facilities portfolio that includes its riverside convention center of 600,000 square feet; 43,000 guest rooms throughout the metro area; and attractions like the world-famous River Walk.
Throw in a central U.S. geographic location and an ever-absorbing cultural and historical profile, and it’s easy to see why this city is so often a repeat choice for meetings, which these days often include corporate, medical and military groups, in addition to state and national associations.
Downtown Lures
Anchoring the meetings scene downtown, along with the iconic River Walk, is the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, which is in the process of completing over $40 million in upgrades to its 600,000 square feet of function space. The center’s notable features include lots of natural lighting throughout the public spaces and generous views of the San Antonio River.
Connected to the convention center is the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, with 115,000 square feet of event space and 1,003 guest rooms and suites, and across the street is the Hilton Palacio del Rio, which is undergoing a $25 million renovation that includes all 482 guest rooms.
Many intimate, historic lodging choices fill the downtown core, including the Omni La Mansion del Rio, the Hotel Valencia River Walk and the Historic Menger Hotel next to The Alamo.
“Our overall hotel inventory has grown in the past few years,” says Steve Clanton, vice president of sales and services for the San Antonio CVB. “We are now among two or three destinations right behind Vegas and Orlando for inventory. In our entire city, we have 43,000 guest rooms, with 10,000 committable downtown rooms.”
Attendees can use river taxis and trolley cars for transportation between downtown facilities, including the convention center, hotels, restaurants and clubs near the River Walk. Or they may walk a bit around the attractive and stimulating compact downtown corridor, where there is always something to do and see.
Visitors also find the vibrant downtown food and club scene very enticing. Of course, there are the traditional Tex-Mex options, along with barbecue, steaks and sophisticated fare offered by renowned chef-owned establishments. The Institute of Culinary Arts’ new San Antonio location in the historic Pearl Brewery campus has raised the culinary bar even higher for San Antonio, so the food innovations continue. Nightlife includes wine bars, lively dance halls, famous watering holes and dueling piano bars.
The city’s River Walk is currently undergoing a $358.3 million extension from three to 15 miles. Upon completion, it will connect downtown with museums, missions, cultural districts and the historic Pearl Brewery. The Museum Reach debuted in 2009, and The Mission Reach will be finished in 2013, joining the original River Walk to four of the city’s Spanish Colonial missions on the south side.
Centering the three-centuries-old historic and cultural scene in the city’s core is The Alamo. Few visitors leave the city without making a call on this enduring site. Additional historic attractions include the La Villita district and Houston Street, with its hotels, theaters and clubs that reside in restored historic buildings. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Art Museum is just one of many cultural institutions that showcase the heritage and artistic traditions of the South Texas region.
While San Antonio continues to be a popular choice for larger meetings and trade shows, Clanton says about 85 percent of the city’s meetings are for roughly 200 room nights on peak. To better serve both its large and small groups, the bureau has recently divided responsibilities.
“We now have eight people on staff who concentrate on smaller meetings, and this includes two who handle boutique-sized meetings,” he says. “One of our strong points is that we have the larger, full-service hotel properties and resorts, but we also offer the charming, intimate boutique choices favored by many who choose the city.”
Resort Alternatives
Along with its vibrant downtown district, San Antonio offers groups several resort alternatives within a half-hour drive of the city center. These are places to enjoy natural beauty, golf and spas, along with full-service meeting facilities and services.
The region’s newest resort star is the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country, with 1,000 guest rooms and suites and two 18-hole PGA championship courses on a nearly 3,000-acre site. The property has 265,000 square feet of function space, including a 40,000-square-foot ballroom and a 21,000-square-foot ballroom.
Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa has the ambience of a historic ranch resort and features 500 guest rooms and suites, plus 27,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa with 21 treatment rooms and 27 holes of golf.
Westin La Cantera Resort has 500 guest rooms and suites and 39,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space, including a 17,000-square-foot ballroom and 3,200-square-foot terraced event pavilion with panoramic views of the city from its hilltop location. Near the Westin are the Shops at La Cantera, a collection of 150 upscale stores, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
Also part of the local resort collection is Hilton San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, with 10,000 square feet of meeting space and more than 200 guest rooms and suites. The luxury Texas ranch-style ambience is complemented by soaring beamed ceilings, flagstone fireplaces and cozy furnishings. Located beneath centuries-old live oaks and indigenous plants, the Hilton resort is only 20 minutes’ drive from San Antonio International Airport.
Out and about, there are myriad activities and entertainment in the San Antonio region. Those keen on the Old West can test their rugged side on a dude ranch in Bandera, where rodeo shows and horseback riding are among the activity choices. There’s wining and dining in the vineyards of Fredericksburg and presidential history at the Lyndon B. Johnson boyhood home and nearby LBJ Ranch. Arts and crafts abound in the historic city of Gruene, where local artisans and craftspeople display their work.
Though San Antonio’s package for meetings and events seems complete for most any size meeting, Clanton says there are one or two things still on the city’s wish list.
“We’re going into development of our second new airport terminal, and we’d like to snare more flights,” he says. “We also think by 2015, we’ll need to enlarge our convention center space to include things like interactive areas where exhibitors can have private customer meetings. Trade shows are expanding and people are investing in them heavily with such things as two-story booths.”
About 50 percent of San Antonio’s group business is trade shows, so the city has its eye on what it can do to meet the needs of show managers and their exhibitors, and enhance what many already consider a complete package for both business and recreation.
