Welcome to San Antonio - lugar vacacional por excelencia - TA: vacational place par excellence

Hispanic Times Magazine, August-Sept, 1998

Convention facilities expansions, additional hotel properties and nonstop air service to Mexico continue to enhance San Antonio's appeal for those planning conventions and meetings in the 21st century.

Expansion of the downtown Gonsalez Convention Center will be finished next summer at the same time renovation begins on the $187 million convention complex improvements program. Its excellent downtown location is just steps from the Alamo, HemisFair Park, Institute of Texan Culture and posh hotels, to further entrench "San Antonio" at the top spot in Texas for conventions.

More than 4,000 hotel rooms opened since the beginning of 1995, and more are under construction in the planning. San Antonio's famous RiverWalk will have aesthetic improvements, including scenic plazas and creative features such as fountains and waterfalls.

In downtown San Antonio, one can walk to almost everything. The coffee colored brick streets lead to Malls, hotels, the RiverWalk and countless restaurants. A must-see is the Museum of the Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art. San Antonio enters the 21st Century as a world-class convention and tourist destination. And even more significant than the wonderful new buildings, museums, and art exhibits is the friendly, hospitable attitude of the people who live and work in this famous Texas town.

OWNING A SMALL LUXURY HOTEL IS HER DREAM COME TRUE!

What began as an elegant residence in the year 1914 was now being offered for sale. Long since neglected and boarded up, it had once been designated a historic building.

Theresa Greer, a single parent of two children, saw the advertisement in the newspaper, and late at night with a friend and a flashlight, she visited the deserted hotel -- hoping this might be the location to fulfill her dream of creating a beautiful new Bed and Breakfast Inn.

The setting -- on the Riverwalk in San Antonio -- appealed to her, and she bought the property and launched the ambitious project to fulfill her dream. Transforming this long-neglected building into a chic boutique hotel was an enormous project.

Greer renovated every room, and installed all new bath fixtures. She located furniture of the original era, and the "new" Hotel Havana was finally completed and opened for business. Rooms are fairly priced, starting at $110 to $140. Corporate business rates are available, and a popular two-tiered bridal suite is priced at $700.

Hotel Havana is not only a dream-come-true for its owner; it is considered among the finest hotels in San Antonio.

DELIGHTFUL DINING AWAITS TRAVELERS TO SAN ANTONIO

The San Antonio Tejano Conjunto Festival Media tour brought together media representatives from throughout the USA and Canada. I traveled to San Antonio from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, via Continental Airlines.

The gourmet dining experience was outstanding. Dinner at Las Canarias dining room, located at La Mansion del Rio Hotel, was accompanied by a superb view of the lights along the San Antonio River. Menu specialties were prepared by Eric Nelson, Chef de Cuisine, and Scott Cohen, Executive Chef.

Maitre d'Rudy Souberbielle oversees the ultimate dining experience -- on a level with New York City's finest and Beverly Hills' best.

Breakfast the next morning was served on the terrace of the Havana Inn -- service and food were excellent. Sightseeing and a visit to the Blue Star Brewing Company followed, where we were honored with a marvelous luncheon break.

Evening found us at Rio Rio, a Mexican Restaurant, and terrace dining overlooking the San Antonio River. Fine dining once again, accompanied by a band playing on the Riverwalk made the experience seem like a special holiday.

Cannot neglect mentioning Rosarios terrific Mexican Café and Cantina. It was an 18-year-old Lisa Wong, whose parents funded her dream of being a restaurateur. Today Lisa is 33, and owns Rosario's as well as Lisa's Mexican Restaurant. Her superb cooking makes her success evident.

A perfect place for a before-theatre dinner is the Houston Street Bistro, situated between the Majestic and Empire Theatres. Houston's walls display colorful murals of Hollywood's Golden Era, so diners enjoy exquisite food while amidst life-size images of Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, or perhaps other by-gone-days entertainers Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Marilyn Monroe.

The history of San Antonio is everywhere for sightseers to enjoy. Among the highlights is the landmark Guenther House. It was back in 1848 when Carl Hilmar Guenther came from Germany to the U.S. and founded the Pioneer Flour Mills. He chose the San Antonio area for its dependable water source. His remarkable mansion, Guenther House, stands today on the San Antonio River, and is quite remarkable.

FAMED MUSEUMS ENTER INTO HISTORIC PACT

The Smithsonian of Washington D.C. has finalized an agreement with San Antonio's Centro Alameda.

J. Dennis O'Conner, the Smithsonian Provost, told a group of international scholars and religious experts and artists who were gathered together at the Centro do Artes in Market, news about this historic agreement.