I spent a night at the Hilton Palacio del Rio while I was in San Antonio on business. Overall, I was disappointed with my stay. First the good: the hotel is in a very good location, on the Riverwalk, right next to La Vallita, the centuries-old section of town that is now filled with arts and crafts shops, while the Alamo is only a couple of blocks away. Each room has a refrigerator, a patio and a nice granite sink. Finally, the staff was friendly and competent. Unfortunately, the bad list is much longer: (1) parking is expensive--$15 to self-park at a garage two blocks away, or $29 for valet parking; (2) the entire hotel is in serious need of a major renovation. The hotel was built in 1968, and feels rather dreary due to the low ceilings, dim lighting and cramped lobby; (3) the bed was OK, with lots of pillows and a nice comforter, but not up to "heavenly bed" standards; (4) the TV was a standard 27" tube with a modest 26 channels and limited news selection (no Fox or MSNBC); (5) half the rooms have no view (except of concrete buildings and San Antonio traffic). If you want a view, pay extra; (6) The rooms seemed very tired and the furniture somewhat cheap. Except for the new sink and the new Hilton radio, it does not appear as though much money has been spent on the room. At regular rates of $200+, I consider this hotel a very poor value. If you want a very nice hotel on the Riverwalk, I would stick with the Westin. For a good value, look elsewhere.
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