Extraordinary courage
Even though I have long been a frequent visitor to San Antonio, I had not walked the few blocks from Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center to The Alamo until my most recent stay for MPI World Education Congress (WEC). First, let’s clarify that The Alamo is not a building, but a 4.2-acre campus, and the old stone building most people associate with the site didn’t have a roof or the signature bell-shaped parapet (campanulate) when the famous standoff occurred in 1836, leaving all 200 defenders dead.
The message for today’s travelers is that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance and that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary courage in the defense of freedom. Doing the right thing is always the right choice, even against impossible odds.
When I visited, the scenic courtyard was also ground zero for ESPN NBA Playoffs coverage. The Spurs played valiantly and, in the end, lived to shoot hoops another day.
Now, $700 million is going into restoring the 300-year-old buildings and adding a new visitor center and museum that will open in 2028. It will accompany the new 100,000-square-foot Texas Cavaliers Education Center and the Phil Collins Collection of Alamo artifacts.
New Again
From a $325-million renovation of the 1.6-million-square-foot convention center (with talk of another 150,000 to 200,000 sq. ft. expansion and a sports and entertainment district to come) to a $9 million renovation of the neighboring Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk, this is a city that embraces its roots while looking toward the future. As Visit San Antonio President and CEO Mario Bass said, “We are proud of our past but not stuck in it.” In addition to hospitality and military might, San Antonio boasts robust healthcare, cybersecurity and aerospace business.
Since Covid, 21 new hotels have opened, nine of them in the luxury category. I stayed at the sparkling-new, 200-guest-room luxury The Monarch San Antonio, Curio Collection by Hilton, where in March we hosted top meeting professionals at a magical dinner under the orange-and-black winged sculpture between the convention center and the hotel. A butterfly release along the greenspace was the capstone to our time in the Meridian Ballroom and on the rooftop for our wellness activations.
New in the historic Pearl District is Hotel Emma. The former brewhouse is now a 146-room riverfront hotel that feels residential and reminiscent of frontier elegance with warm brickwork, terraces and private dining areas.
Downtown, Hotel Valencia Riverwalk invested $10 million in a refresh of 213-room property with moody limestone, water features and elegant ironwork. The Spanish Colonial energy flows into Dorrego’s, where tapas and tequila for groups are a specialty.
Also new again, The Gunter Hotel, a 116-year-old downtown landmark, recently added the finishing touches to a $57 million renovation and reflagged as part of Marriott’s Tribute portfolio. The 311 guest rooms and chic marble lobby incorporate a recording studio and vinyl library along with a speakeasy.
The St. Anthony, part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, recently upgraded the F&B cred in the historic 1909 building. Chef Leo Davila’s Esencia sparkles with notes of his Mexican-Chinese roots and multicultural flare.
Float Culture
Also being expanded is San Antonio River Walk, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Texas, with more than 9 million visitors each year. WEC activated the space, which connects to the convention center at the ground level with literal floats buffered by food stations on either side.
Electric barges decorated to represent sponsors with waving representatives added a festive focal point to the reception. Throughout the conference, colorful quatrefoils stressed the importance of people, pride, promise and passion through words and deeds.
This article appears in the July/August 2026 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
