When it opened in 1962, The El Tropicano was the first hotel on San Antonio’s famed Riverwalk. Hip and fashionable from the start, the “El Trop” was inspired by the popularity and casual glamour of Acapulco beach resorts. The hotel quickly gained a reputation with movie stars, rock legends and at least one U.S. president from Texas, who all loved the hotel for its unique, tropical appeal.