Planners Meet in San Antonio
Texas Hill Country is a beautiful backdrop for al-fresco meetings and events. There's just one problem: the weather. That's why the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio decided to renovate its Rogers-Wiseman Pavilion, a tented meeting space that previously was used only as a backup venue for outdoor events.
"With the warm summers and frequent rain showers our area sees during the spring and fall season, the pavilion is the perfect fit for planners who are looking for all of the comforts of hosting an indoor event while being immersed in the Texas Hill Country -- especially now with its newly-renovated design," said John Hernstat, the resort's director of sales and marketing.
Named for the family that owned and operated a cattle ranch for more than a century on the land where the resort now sits, the Rogers-Wiseman Pavilion was created in 2010 as a temporary outdoor event venue. In 2014, the 8,800-square-foot pavilion was turned into a permanent structure with the addition of heating, air-conditioning and a sprinkler system. Even then, however, it was only used as a "plan B" space, giving refuge to outdoor groups during inclement weather.
Completed earlier this year, the pavilion's renovation has turned it for the first time into a full-use signature meeting and event space with the addition of upgraded flooring -- luxury vinyl tile that reflects the property's rustic feel -- and floor-to-ceiling windows, which showcase the resort's outdoor scenery on three sides of the venue.
"After using the Rogers-Wiseman Pavilion as a backup venue for several years, we started to notice that more and more groups were looking to book their events outdoors and surrounded by nature," Hernstat explained. "With more groups expressing interest in the venue as their primary function space, we decided to renovate and update the tent to provide a truly unique and distinctive space that would showcase our beautiful Hill Country scenery while still providing full protection from the outdoor elements."
Four More Stunning San Antonio Venues
Thanks to venues like the Rogers-Wiseman Pavilion, the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa is one of San Antonio's most picturesque meeting venues. A rash of hotel openings and renovations across the city, however, has given meeting planners more choices in San Antonio than ever before. Here are four of the most beautiful options:
• Mokara Hotel & Spa: Mokara Hotel & Spa is located in a historic building that once was home to L. Frank Saddlery Co., a saddle and harness business that dates back to the 19th century. Adjacent to the city's famed River Walk, the hotel has 99 guest rooms, a 17,000-square-foot spa and 4,500 square feet of meeting space that has just been renovated along with the hotel's lobby. The renovated meeting spaces pay homage to the hotel's roots by utilizing indigenous materials, such as leather sofas and cowhide throw pillows, as well as custom carpets made with rope, saddle and stirrups. Also new are a custom-commissioned metal 3D sculpture of an open-framed saddle, located in the hotel's ballroom, and the Tejas Boardroom, a new, 222-square-foot space for meetings inspired by San Antonio's Spanish history.
• Grand Hyatt San Antonio: In honor of its 10th anniversary, the Grand Hyatt San Antonio in March completed a $19 million renovation encompassing its 1,003 guest rooms and 115,000 square feet of meeting space, including 13 flexible indoor and outdoor venues that have been updated with new interiors and technology, as well as 29 smaller boardrooms and breakout rooms. Located along the San Antonio River Walk, the property also boasts a heated rooftop pool with morning yoga classes; a 24-hour gym with cardio machines and free weights; a bar and lounge; three restaurants, including a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse; and a direct connection via foot bridge to the Alamodome.
• Hotel Emma: The industrial Hotel Emma is easily San Antonio's hippest hotel. Opened in 2016, it's located on the banks of the San Antonio River in the city's historic Pearl District. Housed in a 19th-century brewery, it has 146 guest rooms, a library with more than 3,700 books, a private terrace with fireplaces, a rooftop pool, Electra bikes for guest use, a restaurant, a bar and an onsite grocery store specializing in gourmet provisions. As for meetings, the property has 6,160 square feet of indoor meeting space and 1,500 square feet of outdoor space.
• The St. Anthony, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Antonio: Part of Marriott's The Luxury Collection, The St. Anthony is located in downtown San Antonio, where it overlooks Travis Park. A National Historic Landmark, the hotel was built in 1909 as the first luxury hotel in Texas. It reopened in 2015 after a massive, two-year renovation project that simultaneously restored the hotel and updated it for a new generation. The revived property -- which is infused throughout with pops of its signature color: "St. Anthony green" -- includes an elegant lobby, a library, a sculpture garden and 277 fully remodeled guest rooms, not to mention a signature restaurant and two bars, including the historic St. Anthony Club, which opened in 1959 as San Antonio's first private members-only club but is now open to the public. According to the hotel, the club was the birthplace of Southwest Airlines -- first drawn on a napkin at the bar there. Finally, there's a rooftop pool and over 31,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.