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When I proposed an impromptu road trip to my husband at 9:30 the night before, all I knew was that I was dying to see the San Antonio River Walk. This is where I wanted to stay: Omni La Manción del Rio.
I came across this awesome San Antonio hotel website again and again when searching for places to stay on the San Antonio River Walk, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to stay there.
My husband said he was leaving on an 8-hour road trip the next morning, so we booked a room, and at 5 a.m. we headed south for our San Antonio vacation.
The first thing we noticed when we pulled up to the entrance of the Omni La Mansión del Rio was how beautiful this historic San Antonio hotel was, with its black wrought-iron balconies and cream-colored stucco walls.
![San Antonio Riverwalk, with stone walkways and historic hotels along the river](https://twodrifters.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/shutterstock_2322126973.jpg)
![Two beds in La Mansion del Rio Bravo hotel room in San Antonio with exposed beams and natural light](https://twodrifters.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_90701-scaled.jpg)
PS: The bed is a bit of a mess. The first thing we all did upon arrival was flop down on the bed before I insisted we get up so we could take at least one photo of the room our family of four was in!
Acquired by the Omni brand in the early 2000s, the aesthetic of this historic hotel has modern luxury touches throughout, from rooms with exposed beams (perhaps not as architectural, but oh-so-gorgeous!) to the courtyard with a swimming pool. Spanish Colonial Revival style. And Spanish fountains, and more.
![Pool and courtyard at one of San Antonio's most popular hotels on the River Walk](https://twodrifters.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_91161-scaled.jpg)
Oh, and the pool also has hot water. I'm sure it's my kids' favorite amenity at Omni La Mansión del Rio! Personally, I liked the generous amenities provided in the room, such as the Nest New York skincare items that I fell in love with. Sicilian Tangerine is my new favorite scent!
Beautifully located right next to the river, it's all on our list of best places to stay on the San Antonio River Walk. Not only was it conveniently located to the River Walk and Alamo, two of the attractions we most wanted to see in San Antonio, but it was literally a fixture in this popular tourist area.
Personally, I think this is one of the coolest buildings you'll see on a Riverwalk cruise, and I'm sure I'm not alone here.
We walked up and down the River Walk as late afternoon turned into early evening, taking in the sights of the dreamy waterway and cute shops and restaurants around it. There was live music too!
From our vantage point in the El Paso desert, we would have been on a nature walk, meandering next to the river and ducking beneath the falling leaves of the trees.
In fact, the River Walk is a fascinating part of this historic district in San Antonio.
We foolishly imagined we could walk into a restaurant along the San Antonio Riverwalk and get a table, but we had to wait at least two hours everywhere. Lessons learned there, until next time!
But this was not a problem because Omni La Mansión del Rio has several restaurants and we found the perfect solution. My husband took the kids to the heated pool for a fun night swim and I ordered takeaway from the Four bar. sibling.
As an added bonus, we were able to enjoy some lovely craft cocktails while waiting for our food.
Basically, I would say it turned out very well for all of us. Whenever I have fresh herbs at the bar, I'll have to see what they can make!
![Cocktail glasses and adult beverages with fresh basil at one of the most popular San Antonio Riverwalk hotels](https://twodrifters.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_9110-rotated.jpg)
We had dinner poolside in the gorgeous Omni La Mansión del Rio courtyard. A quietly burning fire pit just a few feet away made late night dinners even more cozy.
Dinner was delicious, but of course expensive. I mean, it's a hotel restaurant and it's a very good restaurant. For convenience and quality, it was worth it for us that evening!
My husband couldn't stop raving about Four Brothers' Texas Food & Wine Burger. If you know my husband, you know this is really highly regarded.
![A child warms himself by a fire pit in the courtyard of one of San Antonio's most popular hotels.](https://twodrifters.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_9111-rotated.jpg)
After dinner, it was time to settle down for the night in the spacious queen size bed. (After taking a very luxurious shower under a rainfall shower head… fantastic!)
As pretty as it looked, the bed was comfortable, allowing me to get a good night's sleep the next day for our family vacation to San Antonio.
When we woke up the next morning, the only thing on my girls' minds was the pool, so we got dressed and headed out again!
The courtyard of this beautiful San Antonio Riverwalk hotel is a very peaceful place to lounge and relax. So I didn't set foot in the water, but I had a very enjoyable time by the pool.
With my adventure in San Antonio approaching and check-out time approaching, I went to the front desk to inquire about options and was met with amazing customer service.
In fact, every employee we encountered at Omni La Mansión del Rio, from valet parking to housekeeping and everyone in between, was pleasant and customer service oriented. But the front desk staff that morning was really great. Thank you, Ms Carrie Wright!
We looked into one of the on-site restaurants, El Colegio, to buy some muffins to fill us until lunch and the banana nut taste was enough to convince me that I'll have to try more of this place next time.
We continued our spur-of-the-moment family vacation in San Antonio with one of the popular Go Rio San Antonio River Cruises and learned more about San Antonio's history.
They also offer night river cruises, which are already on my list for next time!
After working up an appetite while waiting in the long line for the river cruise, it was time for lunch!
This was a very happy realization for us as the wait for lunch wasn't as long as the wait for dinner the night before! Of course, since we had kids, we enjoyed lunch at the River Walk Rainforest Cafe.
If you have children, you probably already know that animatronic animals and jungle themes are really hard to appeal to a younger crowd.
just joke. I was pretty excited to visit Rainforest Cafe because I have very close and dear memories of this quaint restaurant from when I was a kid! Let me just say that food changed in 1995. I swear I did.
The final must-visit item for this short San Antonio getaway was the Alamo, located just around the corner across the street from the Omni La Mansión del Rio.
I knew I couldn't leave without seeing this historic landmark, and I'm glad I visited in March, when the South Texas sun was unbearable enough to make exploring this wonderful place difficult.
![The old stone building of The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas under a deep blue sky](https://twodrifters.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_9192-rotated.jpg)
We all thought it was interesting, and several re-enactors were also on hand to tell interesting stories and show off their historical props.
Sometimes kids don't find historical content like this as fascinating as adults, but my kids loved this! They enjoyed asking many questions and getting great answers from knowledgeable Alamo historians.
They recommended two must-visit restaurants nearby, but unfortunately I couldn't go to either of them, Voodoo Donuts & Alfredo's Pizza, on this trip.
Voodoo Donuts had an hour wait just to get in the door, and due to lack of time/stomach space I could have gone to this place or Alfredo's Pizza, but I've heard on good authority that if you don't order tiramisu during opening hours, you'll be fine. If you've been to Alfredo's, you're doing it wrong.
This was a quick overnight trip for our family, but our list of places to see and things to do during our next San Antonio vacation is growing and we're wondering where to stay?
I can't imagine staying anywhere else but the gorgeous Omni La Mansión del Rio, and I'll make sure I have time on my next visit and try Voodoo Doughnuts, Alfredo's Pizza, and Enjoy a treatment or two at The River Mansion's beautiful spa.
Writing this La Mansión del Rio review has solidified how impressed I am with this beautiful River Walk gem, a member of Historic Hotels of America. From check-in to check-out, this River Walk hotel gets a 10 out of 10 from us.
And what about San Antonio, Texas? You weren't that bad either. See you again soon!
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Kendra Paulson is the author of Has Baggage, Still Travels on IG and FB content, and creates personal growth content. She loves traveling and exploring new places with her husband and her two children. This is a good thing because military families move somewhere new every couple of years for new adventures! A mix of all the places she's lived, Kendra likes to think she brings a little bit of a taste of the plains of the Midwest, the Southeast Coast, the deserts of the Southwest, and the lush Hawaiian Islands to everything she works on.