By: Adele Chapin | From: BizBash
Here's a closer look at Houston/San Antonio's newest eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms, and other spaces available for events this fall. The new and renovated Houston and San Antonio venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fundraisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, team-building activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk
InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk opened in August, located just 1 mile from the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and within steps of the city’s most famous attraction, the River Walk. There's even easy access to a water taxi landing zone for another way to tour San Antonio. Owned by Trailbreak Partners in conjunction with Scarlett Hotel Group, the 390-room hotel was designed by Leo A Daly and the internal IHG design team. Midcentury modern-inspired architecture is set off by finishes like brass, marble, dark wood, cognac leather, and glass. The more than 18,000 square feet of event space includes the 8,200-square-foot Pecan Ballroom, with soaring 18-foot ceilings and room for 901 guests. Ten other meeting rooms all feature panoramic views of San Antonio, as well as built-in food and beverage stations. The hotel is also home to four different restaurants and bars, from rooftop bar High Praise to coffee shop Rosebelly Coffee; lobby bar Deco Bar; and Cavalier, an American brasserie.
Kimpton Santo
Old meets new at Kimpton Santo, the first Kimpton property to open in San Antonio. The 347-room hotel opened in August on the border of downtown and Southtown, blending modern design with Spanish-style decor and historic details. The property incorporates several 19th century German-English schoolhouse buildings, which White Lodging and Kimpton Santo preserved and turned into eight guest suites and the home of the hotel's signature restaurant, Dean's Steak & Seafood. The 207-seat steakhouse features a two-level dining room, an oyster bar, and a specially curated private wine room, with design details like double-height, exposed-wood vaulted ceilings; dramatic lighting; and original limestone walls. Drinking dens within the hotel include The Bar at Dean’s and The Study at Dean’s, while upstairs is Tenfold Rooftop (pictured), touted as the tallest rooftop bar in the city. The year-round, open-air rooftop serves small plates and drinks, with an emphasis on tequila and mezcal. Another outdoor event space is the 1,926-square-foot historic courtyard studded with century-old oak trees, which can accommodate 193 guests for receptions or 150 seated at round tables. Kimpton Santo is equipped with more than 13,000 square feet of flexible event and meeting space, located both indoors and outdoors. The 5,019-square-foot San Juan Ballroom can accommodate 500 for receptions or 410 seated in rounds, while the 2,484-square-foot Espada Ballroom can accommodate 248 for receptions or 210 guests seated in rounds.
Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa
In September, San Antonio's Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa debuted a new indoor-outdoor lobby bar that extends onto the resort's spacious patio. The addition of the Woodbine Bar is part of a multiphase project that included a $50 million renovation to the resort's guest rooms and meeting spaces in 2023. Now, the Woodbine Bar in the lobby near the front entrance includes cozy seating inside and a walk-up window outside for alfresco dining. The menu offers cocktails, beers on draft, seltzers and ciders, and a lengthy wine list along with light bites. Snacks range from a Gulf shrimp cocktail or Texas artisanal cheeses with local cured meats to quail knots with a citrus achiote brine. The Woodbine Bar boasts 102 seats inside and out, and the space can hold groups of up to 250 seated and standing guests. Combine the bar with the connecting Aunt Mary’s Lawn for even more overflow space.