The Emily Morgan San Antonio - a DoubleTree by Hilton

The room, comfy bed, and easy access to other food spots made this a five-star stay for me. The Emily Morgan Doubletree Hilton is right across from the Alamo, with the Riverwalk, shops, and good restaurants within walking distance. The restaurant was the one bad part. I ate there once and that was enough. Skip breakfast at the hotel and don’t eat at Oro. There are plenty of nearby choices, from Chick fil a and Subway to IHOP, Alamo Biscuit Company, and other places for lunch or dinner. The free cookie helps make up for the lousy dinner.

Thanksgiving was a great time to stay here. Everyone we ran into was friendly and accommodating, including a front desk agent I chatted with through the Hilton app before arriving. I think her name was Teresa, and she was so helpful and nice. The location worked perfectly for the Riverwalk, the mall, and the Alamo. We got some great pictures, checked out every floor, and liked how quiet the hotel was.

The hotel’s location is perfect, and the outside has a sense of grandeur, but inside it feels very worn. The entry rug by the bar and the seating were stained, there was a not-so-clean smell, and the elevators had fingerprints and dirt all over them. A few small improvements, especially to cleanliness, would make a difference. We booked in a rush after an Airbnb fiasco, but I was disappointed. I’d spend my money at one of the cleaner hotels nearby.

The place was spotless, and they gave us warm cookies at check-in. I stayed on the 14th floor, where the hallway smelled like a hospital. None of the other floors had that smell. At night, the emergency exit door opened by itself and the hallway turned really cold. Spooky, but a fun place to stay too, haha.