The Menger Hotel, San Antonio

I suffer from arthritis and the cold room made my condition worse. I asked for heat in my room and was told that the hotel runs on a single pipeline and that I had to put up with the room temperature. The hotel manager also told me that it had to get down to 40 degrees outside before the heat in the hotel would be turned on! I have never heard of such a thing where guests are required to put up with a cold room. I will never return to this hotel and advise others with medical conditions to stay away from this place.

I was very excited to stay in this hotel with some colleagues, and when you walk into the lobby it's like walking into the 1920s. However, it was a different story once we made it to our rooms. My friend ordered a refigerator to be brought up when we got there, but we did not get it until 6 hours later and 3 phone calls to the front desk. Food that we purchased to put in the fridge had ruined. The bathroon floor was disgusting. There was a large pile of dried soap or shampoo on the floor. The wall had hair all over it. Things were rusted. There was a used tissue on the floor and upon further investigation, there were very large dust bunnies. It looked like our room had not been cleaned sufficiently in a very long time. BUT, we were going to deal with that UNTIL my friend pulled back the sheets on the bed and a red thong fell out! Then we noticed hair on the sheets. When we called the front desk they didn't even seem concerned. So, we went down to the front desk with a list of everything wrong with our room. The person we talked to said that he would have to wait for a manager, but when we questioned how long that would be he went to the back and brought a manager out. So, was the manager trying to avoid us? Not sure, but it was weird. Anyway, we did get another room that was a little cleaner, but not great. In our new room, the shower curtain rod fell down and there was a leak somewhere in the bathroom because the bathroom floor was always wet. We had to keep putting towels down. Another thing that bothered me about this hotel is the pool and workout room closes at 9:00. And, if you weren't out by 9, a security guard told you to get out and stood there and stared at you until you left. Seriously, people come to San Antonio to have a good time and relax. To shut down at 9:00 seems a little ridiculous. One of the ladies with my group left her key card in her room and the man at the front desk was so rude to her. He said he didn't see her name in the computer, but when another person looked, he found it right away. However, when they finally gave her a key, they sent a security guard to her room to look at her ID. Overall, I was very disappointed with this hotel. It is very sad how run down the owner has let this hotel get. I do want to say, there was a very nice bell boy named Robert who helped us move our luggage to our new room, and Renee in the bar was also very nice.

It was very interesting to walk through. But not to stay at. It smelled bad because of the cigar bar. Also the bathroom was from 100 years ago. It needs serious updates for the rooms.

The history, view, service and convenience are all always wonderful at the Menger. It never gets old. We have stayed at this hotel at lease ten times over the past few years. Stayed over Thanksgiving weekend and it was great. As usual, the staff was very kind. Even the chamber maids are full of stories about the various ghosts that call the hotel home. the waitress in the restaurant is somewhat rude though and needs to find another line of work. We (wife and two daughters) love the special rooms from the (Richard) King Ranch room, the Mary Moody suite to the Roy Rogers room. Have stayed there so many times that I have actually lost count be every time it's always a fun occasion. The bar is also a special attraction with all the different pictures and historic items. My kids even were amazed and always have fun whenever we go here. It's also convenient to everything as well. I have many stories from our stays and all of them good...and a few of them scary but always enjoyable for all the family.

We were in town for the Texas Folklife Festival and it was so hot and humid we spent the afternoon in the hotel, just exploring. My favorite thing was the beautiful courtyard full of flowers, potted plants, palms and a bubbling fountain. There are rocking chairs on the veranda (in the shade) and a nice breeze. The pool is convenient and very large. The antique furnishings throughout the first floor and the old lobby were wonderful, along with the paintings. Be sure to visit the hotel bar, with many photos of Teddy Roosevelt from his days at the Menger.

This hotel is of course HISTORIC, so everyone should know what to expect when you stay here. The hotel is filled with charm, elegance as well as a friendly staff. For a traveler I have to say this was one of my favorites. I mean, yeah some of the rooms were small, BUT this hotel was built over 150 years ago!! Some of the comments on here are obsurd, some of you people must not stay at historic hotels much. I also recommend calling and booking with the hotel directly, they are very friendly and know everything about the hotel. I tried booking with hotels.com before i called the hotel and they didnt even know about the parking fee!! Then they told me my bed type was ONLY a request, thats unacceptable. That's why I called directly to the hotel and got the same rate with my bed type guaranteed. I also had the breakfast buffet which is so worth the price. The Menger Bar is AMAZING, drinks are a bit pricey but you should expect prices like those in the downtown area, just sitting in the same place Teddy Roosevelt recruited his men is worth it. Last but not least, the location! This has to be one of the best located hotels in the downtown area, whether your here for a meeting at the convention center or just for vacation. Who wouldn't want to be near the famous Alamo and just 1 block away from the river walk. Overall, my stay was TERRIFIC!! I WILL be coming back!!

My husband and i went there when He got home from Iraq and we were for some reason treated like a couple of second rate bums. We went to eat at the hotel resturaunt and they had lots of tables open, but for some reason had to wait about an hour before they would seat us. Upon being seated we had poor service from the waitress who herself looked like a gutter skank. We then had to pay almost a hundred dollars for Nasty Whine and some cold fliet mignon. Which was served in the tiniest portions. The bar is completely over priced. We did however have a nice room, but it was not what we wanted nor what we had booked. We then ordered a couple of shots of whiskey and a coke to our room inwhich we had to pay 40 dollars for. They didnt give our full deposit back only about 25% of it, Which was unfair considering we didn't destroy nor smoke in the room. The only thing good about this hotel is its location. You might have a different experience here if you are a snoody old rich person though.. they seemed to be getting the upmost treatment and respect from the hotel workers while my husband a returning combat veteran pretty much got looked past. Oh by the way for all you ghost hunters.. We did not see or hear anything out of the ordinary here. And you'd have better luck and better service by just staying in a days inn or something. Not the best that San Antonio has to offer.

By far the best hotel to go for a little relaxation. My husband and I stayed the weekend. The staff were very accomodating, room service was excellant, the size of the suite was spacious and roomy. The only dissappointment was that we didn't come across any ghost!!

The location is great. However our room was quite small and there was a step up to the extremely small bathroom. The front desk was not very willing to help when we inquired about directions. So we didn't bother to ask for a different room. The lobby is fabulous alot of historical display.

Our stay at The Menger Hotel was wonderful! The restaurant was superb and the staff was excellent. We will stay here every time we visit San Antonio.