Kimpton Santo San Antonio - Riverwalk — Hotel in San Antonio

Here is how my 2-night stay through the Chase Sapphire The Edit program went:

Check-in was fast and smooth. I was not upgraded rooms despite there being better options available on their website, but it looked like they were pretty limited and I didn’t really mind the standard King. There wasn’t a lot of space, but the bed, shower, and everything else were very nice.

During check-in, failed to explain I would be charged an additional “destination fee” of $25 per day plus tax that was not included in the initial $134 worth of taxes and fees I had already paid when I booked the room (on Chase Travel, it states the room rate includes all taxes and fees). This credit includes $30 in room charges per day. Essentially, it is just a way for the hotel to force you to spend money there. However, because the clerk failed to explain this credit upon checkin, I wasted an hour on the phone with the hotel front desk and accounting trying to figure out how my credit card was charged almost $60 more than expected. There seems to be a disconnect between what the Chase Travel portal advertises and what the hotel actually charges.

Breakfast was very good both times we ate.

The hotel does a daily “social hour” from 5-6, nothing fancy, just free cheap wine and beer (coors light).

The pool is nice, and water temperature is perfect. The seating gets a bit crowded, mostly because they block off an entire side for reserved cabanas that were empty most of the time. Drink service was also a bit slow, it was about a 15 min wait for someone to take an order and another 15 min wait to receive it.

The fitness center is very nice, has a great view, and a good selection of equipment for a hotel its size. One thing that needs improvement is the treadmills belts need lubricant/maintenance, they were unusable for running (belt sticks very bad). The peloton bikes looked nice, but they are only expensive paperweights unless you go through the trouble of creating an account.

If you stay here over the weekend, the main restaurant only has brunch on the weekends in lieu of lunch. Their brunch menu is mostly breakfast options and oysters, so if you want actual lunch foods I would plan on eating elsewhere.

The hotel clerk said 4 PM late checkout was “subject to availability” but the Chase Travel portal said it was “guaranteed. Nevertheless, they gave me a 4 PM late checkout and I was glad they did so.

Overall, the stay was good but not great. I could have got a significantly lower rate if I booked directly through the hotel instead of through the Chase Travel Portal, so I would not book through Chase unless you are using the $250 “The Edit” credit. The $100 property credit is nice, but the prices here are so high that this will not get you far. If you choose park here, the ridiculous $60 a night for parking will eat this credit by itself (highly recommend parking in the St Mary’s garage and catching a short taxi if you don’t plan on using a car during your stay). However, the staff were very friendly, rooms were nice and comfortable, and the breakfast...

Subject: The suite wasn’t ready until over 2.5 hours after front desk stated it would be ready and two hours after check in time, employees were not truthful on a downgraded room they disguised as an upgrade, valet called us a vulgar word under his breath to my wife and I. ||My wife and I, newlyweds, were thrilled when our wedding party gifted us a stay in the Suite Hemisfair at the Kimpton Santo, a hotel we’d longed to experience since visiting its stunning rooftop bar overlooking Hemisfair Park. With its beautiful aesthetics and top-notch amenities, we’d eagerly anticipated this stay for weeks.|On the morning of check-in, we requested an early check-in. The front desk staff said the suite wasn’t ready but would be by 2:30 PM, which suited us as locals. ||We returned at 3:45 PM, hoping to relax by the pool before our dinner reservations. Instead, a front desk employee explained that the Suite Hemisfair required a special housekeeping inspection, which seemed odd. After a wait, they returned, saying the suite wouldn’t be ready “for a while” and offered an “upgrade” to another room. When pressed, they admitted it was a standard room without a living room—a clear downgrade, not an upgrade. This deceptive framing was frustrating.||By 4:30 PM, our plans to unwind from our hectic wedding weekend were fading. The staff then estimated the suite might be ready by 5:00 PM, citing a “priority guest” who hadn’t vacated until 2:30 PM, making us feel like lesser priorities. For the next half-hour, we waited in our car near the loading area, expecting to unload our luggage soon.||At 5:00 PM, the suite still wasn’t ready. The employee offered a $50 food and drink voucher, which I took and returned to the car. There, a valet approached my wife, asking us to move our vehicle. When I mentioned we were still waiting for our room, he muttered a curse under his breath at us. That was the final straw.||Furious, I returned inside, handed back the voucher, and canceled our reservation. Another guest at the desk was also waiting for a room past 5:00 PM, suggesting systemic issues. ||The unprofessionalism, deceptive “upgrade,” and lack of transparency were unacceptable. It is heartbreaking honestly, as we love our city and wanted to experience another seemingly incredible destination to add to the pride we have for San Antonio. I rarely write reviews, but I must warn others: at the Kimpton Santo, don’t expect to be treated...

Subject: The suite wasn’t ready until over 2.5 hours after front desk stated it would be ready and two hours after check in time, employees were not truthful on a downgraded room they disguised as an upgrade, valet called us a vulgar word under his breath to my wife and I.

My wife and I, newlyweds, were thrilled when our wedding party gifted us a stay in the Suite Hemisfair at the Kimpton Santo, a hotel we’d longed to experience since visiting its stunning rooftop bar overlooking Hemisfair Park. With its beautiful aesthetics and top-notch amenities, we’d eagerly anticipated this stay for weeks.

On the morning of check-in, we requested an early check-in. The front desk staff said the suite wasn’t ready but would be by 2:30 PM, which suited us as locals.

We returned at 3:45 PM, hoping to relax by the pool before our dinner reservations. Instead, a front desk employee explained that the Suite Hemisfair required a special housekeeping inspection, which seemed odd. After a wait, they returned, saying the suite wouldn’t be ready “for a while” and offered an “upgrade” to another room. When pressed, they admitted it was a standard room without a living room—a clear downgrade, not an upgrade. This deceptive framing was frustrating.

By 4:30 PM, our plans to unwind from our hectic wedding weekend were fading. The staff then estimated the suite might be ready by 5:00 PM, citing a “priority guest” who hadn’t vacated until 2:30 PM, making us feel like lesser priorities. For the next half-hour, we waited in our car near the loading area, expecting to unload our luggage soon.

At 5:00 PM, the suite still wasn’t ready. The employee offered a $50 food and drink voucher, which I took and returned to the car.

There, a valet approached my wife, asking us to move our vehicle. When I mentioned we were still waiting for our room, he muttered a curse under his breath at us. That was the final straw.

Furious, I returned inside, handed back the voucher, and canceled our reservation. Another guest at the desk was also waiting for a room past 5:00 PM, suggesting systemic issues.

The unprofessionalism, deceptive “upgrade,” and lack of transparency were unacceptable. It is heartbreaking honestly, as we love our city and wanted to experience another seemingly incredible destination to add to the pride we have for San Antonio. I rarely write reviews, but I must warn others: at the Kimpton Santo, don’t expect to be treated...