Marriott Plaza San Antonio

Description:

• Pheasants and peacocks stroll the beautifully landscaped grounds of this gracious hotel, located across from HemisFair Park, close to La Villita, and just north of the King William district. Four 19th-century buildings that were saved from HemisFair's bulldozer in 1968 were later incorporated into the Plaza complex. Three are used for small conference centers -- the initialing ceremony for the North American Free Trade Agreement was held in one of them -- and the fourth houses a health club and spa. This is also one of the few hotels in town that has lit tennis courts -- not to mention a croquet lawn.

  The service is old-world, too. The staff is efficient and friendly, and you're pampered with such touches as a complimentary shoeshine and evening turndowns with bottled water and filled ice buckets. And while the old-world-style facilities had begun to look just plain old in recent years, a $6-million revamp of the public areas and rooms has more than made up for the ravages of time. All rooms are nonsmoking.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

CitySearch

•  Hotel Staff 2007 – Audience Winner
•  Luxury Hotel 2007 – Audience Winner
•  Pet-Friendly Hotel 2006 – Audience Winner
•  Pet-Friendly Hotel 2007 – Audience Winner
•  Romantic Hotel 2007 – Audience Winner
•  Tourist Hotel 2007 – Audience Winner

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010

Other features:

In-room amenities include coffeemakers, iron and ironing board, data ports, cable TV and radios. Children's cribs are available.