Hotel Contessa On The Riverwalk – Should You Stay Here?

By Kelsey Kennedy | July 14, 2025

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I recently booked an overnight staycation at Hotel Contessa to check it out. I love nothing more than a luxurious hotel getaway, and I (not-so-secretly) adore the riverwalk. Sure, it's touristy, but there are portions of the "Venice of Texas" that are breathtaking. Hello 2 nights at the gorgeous Hotel Contessa!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelsey Kennedy is a local Texas author, photographer, blogger, and native Texan who is fully obsessed with all things local San Antonio. She has written on her travel sites for more than 12 million readers across 38 countries who are looking for cool things to do in the hottest cities in Texas.

Hotel Contessa: Quick Facts

Location: on the San Antonio River Walk // This is one of the hotels that is literally built on the river's edge. Valet parking is available from Market Street in downtown San Antonio, but you can enter/exit from the river's edge, which feels luxurious.

Best part about Hotel Contessa? It's all suites // Not gonna lie - the big suites are sooooo wonderful. Each booking includes a suite that has a living area with a sofa, tv, and workspace, a bar, a large full bathroom, and a separate bedroom with a door that closes. Great river walk hotel for families!

Rooftop pool // Yes, although it doesn't have a view of the river walk.

24 hour gym // Yes, and I was happy to find a few Peloton bikes in there!

Restaurant on site? // Ambler Texas Kitchen is Hotel Contessa's in-house restaurant. It's located on the ground floor, so you can dine outside overlooking the water or get a drink at the swanky bar.

Photos Of My Hotel Contessa Suite

I booked a river view room on the 11th floor, which means it had a Juliet balcony. It was a cool(ish) summer day so I could open the sliding door and see the water way down below.

The spaciousness of this room was phenomenal! I used this hotel stay as a work/play sort of getaway. I loved the work station in the living, which enabled me to get out my laptop and complete a few focused hours of work.

The king bed was comfy, the bathroom was clean and spacious, and the spa-like bathrobes were a nice touch.

All-in-all, Hotel Contessa has a bit more of a "corporate" or professional/business feel to it than some of my other favorite San Antonio hotels like the Kimpton Santo or Hotel Emma. I prefer more of a boutique feel, but you definitely can't beat the location and space that you get with these suites at Hotel Contessa.

Ambler: Hotel Contessa's Restaurant

The ground-floor restaurant at Hotel Contessa is called Ambler. It's a Texas kitchen with craft cocktails, and since it's a hotel restaurant they serve breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and dinner. All of it is available for room service delivery if you don't want to meander downstairs. (But you should! The restaurant is really pretty and it has riverside dining!)

Happy hour is an insanely good deal. Whether you're staying at Hotel Contessa or not, this is one of the BEST deals on the riverwalk! Sun-Thur, 3-6 with discounted craft cocktails, wine and beer, and plenty of bar bites.

ALSO SEE: BEST HAPPY HOURS IN SAN ANTONIO

My dinner steak was scrumptious. Cooked perfectly rosy pink medium rare like I requested, and my server recommended the housemate chimichurri sauce - huge win!

I got a yogurt bowl for breakfast one day as room service, and it was fine! I mean, it was yogurt and granola bowl so it didn't change my life by any means, but it was delivered quickly and it hit the spot.

If you're just going to eat ONE meal at Ambler, I recommend stopping by for a few happy hour drinks + bites at the bar, or enjoying a steak or burger dinner with wine.

Things To Do Near Hotel Contessa

One of the best parts about Hotel Contessa is its location. You're literally right on the riverwalk, so you can walk to all the popular San Antonio tourist destinations.

Here's my guide to the best things to do in San Antonio - start by reading that! Here are a few of the best things to do near Hotel Contessa:

Take a Go Rio river cruise // These are fun and educational, and they're a great way to explore the river without having to walk a bunch. Great for escaping tourist crowds and summer heat, and the tour guides are awesome.

Visit the Briscoe Wester Art Museum // Hotel Contessa is just a few steps away from this world-class museum in San Antonio.

Walk to La Villita Historic Village // San Antonio's "first neighborhood" is a 5 minute walk from San Antonio. Shop, eat, or just wander through the adorable village.

Dine at some cool San Antonio restaurants // There are actually some excellent riverwalk restaurants (they're not all tourist traps!). Biga on the Banks is one of our top choices, and it's literally a 3 minute walk from Hotel Contessa.

Hotel Contessa Amenities

24-Hour Gymn

Heated rooftop pool

Luxury spa

Flat-screen TVs in the living room and bedroom

Pillow-top mattresses

Premium bedding

Floor-to-ceiling windows with blackout drapes

Spacious bathroom

Premium bath amenities

Hair dryer

Laptop-compatible personal safe

Refrigerator

Coffee/tea maker

Iron and ironing board

Views of Downtown San Antonio or the River Walk

In Room Dining

Should You Book A Suite At Hotel Contessa?

I loved my stay at Hotel Contessa and I'll definitely be staying again soon!

It's perfect for families who want plenty of space. When you're ready to head back to your room and relax, the kids can watch tv in the living room while you watch a separate tv in the bedroom...everyone wins!

The heated rooftop pool is also REALLY great for families. There aren't many cold days in San Antonio, but Hotel Contessa makes sure that you're able to enjoy the pool year-round, regardless of the weather.

And if you're looking for a river walk vacation and you really want to stay walking distance to the Alamo, Hemisfair, La Villita, and The River Walk, you can't beat this location!

One More Thing About La Contessa's Location

I've written about the river walk plenty of times on this website, but it's basically divided into three portions: downtown reach (the tourist zone!), museum reach (north) and mission reach (south).

The downtown reach is a loop, and I'll be honest: it can get reeeeaally touristy and annoying.

If you're going to stay on the River Walk in downtown reach, Hotel Contessa is in the best part of it. It's basically located at the least-annoying part of downtown reach. Haha.

There are some hotels that are a bit closer to teh Alamo, and they're located by tourist traps like Rainforest Cafe and awful Tex-Mex spots and horrible bars. Hotel Contessa is at a serene portion of downtown reach where there are large shady trees, no annoying bars, and just a few pretty river barges going by. It's an amazing location!