HOTEL CHECK-IN
Owners spill new details on El Tropicano hotel's San Antonio comeback
El Tropicano is set to reopen in the third quarter of 2026.
More details are coming into focus about the opening of downtown San Antonio’s landmark El Tropicano hotel at 110 Lexington Ave. Documents submitted to the city’s Historic and Design Review Commission show that the project is on track to open in the third quarter of 2026, bringing 315 renovated rooms and 15,834 square feet of restaurant and bar space to the River Walk.
Trestle Studio, the Chicago-based firm behind the restoration, submitted the documents while seeking historic tax certification for the property. The measure was unanimously approved at the commission’s February 4 meeting on consent.
After years of limbo, San Antonio’s first River Walk hotel was purchased by a consortium that includes Trestle, Sopris Capital, and The Town Lake Company in January 2024. At the time, the group did not disclose its plans for the prime property, located in one of Alamo City’s busiest tourist hubs.
Still, Town Lake’s project page does offer a glimpse into what travelers and locals can expect.
“The hotel is ready for a thorough renovation and reimagination that will convert it into an urban resort and swim club and fill a gap in the San Antonio market at price points at least 20% less than recent comps,” reads the summary. “The hotel will fully engage with the Riverwalk, offering three waterfront F&B [food and beverage] outlets, including a street-front café, a three-meal restaurant, and a pool bar/lounge. It will also offer 24,000 square feet of state-of-the-art events space, inclusive of a new 5,100 square foot Riverview Ballroom that will sit on the waters’ edge.”
In its heyday, El Tropicano was a destination for jetsetters like The Who, Dolly Parton, the Rolling Stones, and Julie Andrews. President Lyndon B. Johnson was so fond of it that it was dubbed the “Texas White House.” In more recent years, it became a popular event venue, hosting affairs like the now-defunct San Antonio Cocktail Conference.
Whether the hotel will continue to attract rock royalty is still to be seen. Although construction is underway, the owners have not released details about the room decor or hospitality concepts. But San Antonians might want to start shopping for Hawaiian shirts.
“The renovation will focus on integrating nature through honest moments of discovery in the built environment,” Landmark wrote. “All told, the lifestyle property will offer a resort-like destination experience that is unlike anything that exists in San Antonio.”
