Why Canopy By Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk Is A Smart Stay For Fiesta San Antonio 2024

10.03.2024 - 12:25 / forbes.com

Spring is associated with new beginnings and warmer weather. Meaning: it’s also an opportune time to gather outdoors to celebrate—namely, with outdoor festivals. Washington, D.C. has the National Cherry Blossom Festival, while Austin hosts SXSW. As for San Antonio, America’s seventh-largest city? It’s home to Fiesta.

Taking place from April 18 to April 28, the annual celebration that started as a one-day parade honoring those who lost their lives during the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto has since spawned into ten days filled with dozens of cultural events, including the Battle of Flowers® Parade, the only one in the U.S. produced solely by women. As Fiesta draws in an estimated 2.5 million visitors from all over the country, it’s best to book a hotel sooner than later. And if you need a recommendation, there’s one that has it all: reasonable rates, a welcoming design, and a prime address directly on the San Antonio River Walk.

Opened in 2021, Canopy By Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk by developer and restaurateur Chris Hill is a vibrant lifestyle hotel that’s well-suited for all kinds of travelers—whether you’re in town for work, pleasure, or a mix of both. The 195 rooms and suites—which are situated on the fifth through seventh floors, and come with private balconies for unbeatable views of the River Walk—bridge the old and new with raw concrete flooring, custom black-and-white bathroom tiles depicting San Antonio’s official logo, barbed quatrefoils, and original works by local artists Cruz Ortiz and Ethel Shipton. They’ve been smartly configured to let you sleep, work, and simply unwind from one convenient space. And since one of Canopy’s pillars is sustainablity, you’ll also find a refillable glass bottle in your room and a purified water station on every floor.

Despite Canopy’s relatively small size, the property boasts 2,300 square feet of light-filled meeting space overlooking the River Walk. On top of that, there’s an inviting second-floor lounge that serves as a flexible daytime space with plenty of seating, a foosball table, an office center, and a well-stocked gym.

But it’s the hotel’s food and beverage outlets that have captured the hearts of locals and out-of-towners. Otro, the outdoor terrace bar, is a breezy affair of agave-based cocktails and Mexican small plates—the tuna tostada is exceptionally fresh, yet filling.

Occupying what used to be the San Antonio Fish Market and named after its owner, Domingo the all-day restaurant offers a breathtaking backdrop with its position along the River Walk, meticulously-preserved historic elements such as a nineteenth-century cistern and original limestone walls, and made-from-scratch traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes with a twist. Among