Presidio Chapel of San Elizario — Attraction in San Elizario

Absolute Terrible Experience

Would give ZERO stars if possible.

We booked the Presidio Chapel of San Elizario for my in-laws' 40th wedding anniversary, and it turned out to be an utter nightmare. From start to finish, the experience was marred by incompetence, unprofessionalism, and a complete lack of basic amenities.

Sweltering Heat: Upon arrival at 6:30 pm, the interior was a stifling 91 degrees. Despite our rental starting at 6:00 pm, the AC was not turned on, and the thermostats were locked. It wasn't until 7:28 pm that someone from the church came to unlock the thermostats, and by then, the temperature had barely dropped to 87 degrees from us opening the doors. Throughout the night, the temperature never fell below 85 degrees, making it unbearable for everyone. Guests were drenched in sweat, dressed in formal wear, and desperately fanning themselves with foam plates. Dancing was out of the question due to the heat.

Unprofessional Attendant: The attendant assigned to our event was shockingly rude and unprofessional. She spent most of her time in the kitchen, standing in front of the only working AC, watching our hired caterers as if she were their manager. Her behavior made both our catering staff and our guests uncomfortable. When guests went to the kitchen area for drinks, she rudely told them that they needed papers to be in there. This inappropriate conduct was uncalled for and added to the overall discomfort of the event.

False Information and Negligence: The attendant informed us that the thermostats didn’t actually work and that the AC was controlled remotely. This infuriated us, especially when she admitted that several other parties had complained about the same issue, yet the church continued to charge full rate WITHOUT informing clients about the AC problems. This blatant negligence is unacceptable.

Health Hazards: Due to the unbearable heat, several guests, including those with young children and health conditions, had to leave early. It was more comfortable to be outside in the dirt lot than inside the hall. This ruined the evening for many of our family members and guests.

Filthy Restrooms: The restrooms were disgusting. Each restroom had only one toilet with a seat, and they were far from clean. There were no paper towels in the dispensers and not enough toilet paper. Guests were mortified by the state of the facilities, which did not meet any standard of decency.

Misleading Cleanup Instructions: Despite starting cleanup 50 minutes prior to our end time and having everything cleaned up by 11:00 pm, the attendant demanded that we put away their tables and chairs. This was odd since every other event hall we’ve used provides this service unless you bring your own. Exhausted from the heat and long day, we scrambled to put away all the tables and chairs, only to have the attendant complain that we needed to organize them. Thankfully, the staff arrived and thanked us for doing THEIR job.

Pest Infestation: As we were leaving, we saw a disturbing number of roaches running from the kitchen to the outside. The attendant was furiously spraying Raid all over the place while we were still there, even spraying it directly towards me as I was collecting the last item inside.

Management’s Indifference: When we brought up these issues to management, their response was, "Everything looked ok on our end." This blatant disregard for the terrible service and lack of professionalism was the final straw.

In conclusion, do NOT book your event at Presidio Chapel of San Elizario. The entire team is incompetent and lacks the remorse to make things right. Save yourself the trouble and find a venue that respects its clients, provides the basic amenities and service expected for any event, and...

Pretty church in a little town. I drove to it from I10 during morning rush hour and the two lane roads getting to it were packed. Church itself is clean, but surrounding area is dusty and busy. This is true of the other two missions along the mission route. If you're in the area and like such things, then drop by the three missions. However, I wouldn't make a special trip to see any of these missions. Aside from the mission buildings themselves, there isn't anything to experience - eg mountain backdrop, trees, unique...

I wasn't able to tour inside as there happened to be a funeral happening when I arrived. There is a park across the street with historical plaques and benches dedicated to various people. The bathroom is around the side of the church and open to public use as far as I could tell. Beautiful place recommend it highly and also check out the downtown nearby area lots of historical statues and...