I recently completed a three-night stay at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, located north of Alamo Street in the still-underdeveloped northern part of downtown. I was in town on business for the first time in seven years.
Sheraton hotels have mixed reputations in the U.S. Perhaps my standards were a bit high, since the Sheraton in Salzburg, Austria is a five-star property and the stay was fantastic.
I saw some mixed reviews on Travelocity, so my expectations were somewhat low. After a stay at a boutique hotel in Chicago that was less than satisfactory, I was expecting a similar experience. How wrong I was.
The Gunter staff was welcoming, quite professional, and even with a situation where a gift I left behind in my room was not found by housekeeping (they claimed I gave them the wrong room number), the manager went up to my room and found it for me.
Meanwhile, the concierge secured a precious ticket to Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals that included coach transportation from the Hyatt and a return ride to the Sheraton. A fellow attendee of the business meeting I attended also went to the Spurs game and a Sheraton concierge staffer actually walked over to the Hyatt with him to make sure he arrived at the right location. Now THIS is first-class service.
Now about the room and other accomodations: No complaints. OK, picky travelers will likely complain that the bathroom amentities are a bit cheap - low-quality standard-issue towels and Hampton Inn-level soaps and shampoos are given here, rather than the great stuff I took home with me from the Sheraton in Salzburg.
But what are the three main rules when it comes to travel? 1) Quiet 2) Comfort 3) Safety
The walls were somewhat thin, as I heard a neighbor's hair dryer in the morning and some Spanish-speaking housekeeping staff early in the AM. But overall the noise was minimal and there was NO city noise whatsoever. The beds were comfortable. I was not sneezing from the pillows. The TV channels were numerous and I could watch all four Spanish-language television networks - a nice plus that is rare with hotels.
The Speakman 2000 shower head is like the one in my old apartment - fantastic. The overall safety of the hotel is good too.
There is a pool in the hotel that I did not use. There is a gym, I think, but wait ... guests have complimentary use of the Spectrum Club right next door. Sweet!
Lastly, I needed to buy my mom a birthday gift. The gift shop in the hotel had what I wanted. I wanted a quick bite for lunch. The Mexican restaurant a block north was just fine. Riverwalk is easily accessible and it's quite safe. I was able to meet friends and see the sights just fine.
And when it came time to file my story for my newspaper I work for and the computer center (very expensive - one negative here, at $35 an hour!) had only one computer that was being used by another guest, I went down to the front desk and explained my predicament: I needed a computer, and I was on deadline.
The front-desk staffer made up a key card and instructed me to go to the 12th floor, as I was a Starwood club member. I got to use the club level suite, with free high-speed computer access.
A-plus.
On a side note: I used public computers at the South Beach Swanky Hotel Valencia across the street and over a block, and another public computer at the Drury Inn down the street on St. Marys. Now I believe I am the victim of phishing as my Yahoo! e-mail password does not work and I am working hard with them to restore access and ensure that my personal information is not being used illegally. As an identity theft victim, I fear a new worry has cropped up for those who don't wish to lug their laptops with them for three hours of use on a four-day trip: there may be a way for thieves to electronically detect your password on a public computer. I'd hate to think that is what happened to me, but this is a warning.
Thank you San Antonio and the Gunter staff for a great trip!
hotel reviews