Hotel Snapshot
A temple of artistic ingenuity, clever detailing, lavish opulence, and curated whimsy, all sustainably built into the architectural bones of a 19th-century brewery, Hotel Emma sparks joy for travelers with a penchant for the quixotic. The heartbeat of Pearl, San Antonio’s one-of-a-kind entertainment district, which spreads out across the old brewery’s grounds in various refurbished buildings, Hotel Emma embodies San Antonio’s freethinking spirit. On the banks of San Antonio’s storied river with its miles of sidewalks, the hotel tucks into the verges of downtown. Hotel Emma sports a canny bar, top chef-run restaurant and rooftop pool. Its two-level library with some 4,000 vintage and priceless tomes makes the heart flutter—and it stands out as the perfect place to toast the location with a complimentary check-in margarita, made from the founder’s personal recipe.
Design and Character
Adorned and bedecked with repurposed objects and industrial artifacts from the brewery and its era, the hotel summons the old west, the city’s multi-cultural past, and its wealthy oil baron and cattle king days with plush textures—animal skins, velvet, dark woods, tooled antique leathers. Look for special flourishes that invoke the city’s deep ties to Mexico and Mexican Texas, such as elaborate Day of the Dead altars, embroidered fabrics, tile wor,k and heavy, hand-carved, common area furniture. Throughout, interior designers Roman and Williams invoked the brewery’s history and arcane architectural elements. Its myriad treasures tell a story and hum an artistic song. Don’t miss the original beer vat room, creatively hewed into a ballroom and a chandelier built from bottle labels.
The Rooms
Sumptuous, oversized, with high ceilings, 146 rooms, including 7 suites, spread across the former brewhouse and an adjacent tower. Leather furniture, king-sized poster beds, clawfoot bath tubs, and local items in the mini-bar make for a cosseting stay.
Food & Drink
Hotel Emma, the flagship of the Pearl culinary community, lies steps from scores (15 or more) of top-notch eateries. Within the hotel, Supper, its all-day restaurant, is an atmospheric hotspot with a patio that makes diners feel they’re in Pearl District’s veritable living room. Chef Geronimo Lopez helms Supper, his menu drawn from seasonal ingredients and strong relationships with local farms. Order up the decadent caviar kit for an appetizer, followed by fried quail, served with fried okra and compressed Texas peaches. Posh, with industrial punk vibes and sexy overtones, Sternewirth Bar, a den of creative cocktails and cozy drinking nooks, formed from the brewery’s original beer tanks. Larder, a gourmet grocery, set in what once served as the brewery’s fermenting cellars, vends wine, sandwiches, and housemade grab-and-go snacks.
Amenities
You’ll swoon over the complimentary, house-made La Babia Margarita served in the library at check-in. In the morning, wake up with included Merit Roasting Co. coffee in a silver pot. (We like to order ours via room service.) Robes are custom-made Guayabera style from one of Pearl’s top boutiques, Dos Carolinas. The two-tiered library, cruiser bikes, a house car, the mini bar with Texan products, and hand-etched margarita glasses made from recycled glass define Emma’s proclivity to delight in the details. There’s a rooftop pool and a 24/7 state-of-the-art fitness center. For treatments, Hotel Emma collaborates with Hiatus Day Spa & Med Spa at Pearl. Loaner bikes are first-come, first-served.
Location & Neighborhood Recs
Hotel Emma, at Pearl, occupies the banks of the Museum Reach portion of the River Walk on the San Antonio River. It lies about a mile from the Alamo. Near most of the city’s top sites and restaurants, the hotel can arrange dining reservations through its Culinary Concierge, as well as VIP museum tickets at top-tier museums like the McNay Art Museum, the Witte Museum, and the San Antonio Museum of Art. Visit the historic King William District, renowned for its architectural marvels, or pedal along pathways to some of the city’s three-centuries-old missions that comprise the UNESCO-listed San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
Fast Facts
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Rating: 5 stars
Room Count: 146 rooms with seven commodious suites.
Pricing: Starts at $600+
Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: That’s like choosing between children, but it’s the small flourishes, artful historic elements, and treasure-like details that set this hotel apart. Hotel Emma has storybook elan.
Dining: All day Supper for epicurean meals, Larder for a glass of wine or a sandwich, and The Sternewirth for cocktails in cozy cubbies.
Amenities: Complimentary margarita at check in, complimentary coffee in the morning, Guayabera robes, Texan items in mini bar, bikes for guests use, and Frette linens—among others.
Airport: San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
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