5 San Antonio River Walk Hotels Guests Rave About

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The San Antonio River Walk is a 15-mile waterfront pathway that blends sightseeing, history, culture, and dining. Although some critics call it a tourist trap, visitors rank it among the best attractions in Texas. In fact, four out of the 12 attractions on that list are in San Antonio, which is the city with the most free things to do in America.

The heart of the River Walk is the Downtown Reach, a lively 2.5-mile loop packed with restaurants, shops, nightlife, and landmarks, including the Alamo and the Arneson River Theatre. River cruises, bike paths, and live entertainment make this stretch one of the city's most energetic gathering places. To the north, the Museum Reach section offers a more artistic vibe, with public art installations like "F.I.S.H." (25 seven-foot fiberglass sunfish that are illuminated nightly) and cultural institutions such as the San Antonio Museum of Art and the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. South of downtown, the Mission Reach is a peaceful natural corridor. Here, visitors can walk or bike miles of trails, paddle the calm waters, explore four UNESCO-listed Spanish colonial missions, and see the Espada Aqueduct. Together, these three sections create a dynamic ribbon that's part urban promenade, part cultural district, and part nature trail. 

Given how much this area has going for it — along with its close proximity to San Antonio International Airport – it makes sense for travelers to look for places to stay along the water. Among the many options available, here are the top five San Antonio River Walk hotels, according to guest reviews.

The InterContinental by IHG is one of the newest luxury additions to the River Walk. The hotel has its own river taxi landing and sits near the Henry B. González Convention Center. Sleek and modern, the 21-story property has 390 rooms that start at around 293 square feet. Options available here include rooms with River Walk views, lounge access, and spacious layouts such as the junior suite, one-bedroom suite, or the impressive 1,641-square-foot Presidential Suite. Club InterContinental adds a layer of exclusivity with a private lounge showcasing river views and all-day snacks and beverages. 

Dining is a highlight thanks to four on-site restaurants, including Cavalier, an American brasserie serving dishes such as strawberry Meyer salad, coq au vin, and prime New York strip. For unwinding, the hotels offer a heated indoor-outdoor rooftop pool perched 50 feet above the city, plus complimentary yoga, a fitness center, and massages. A Google reviewer wrote: "The staff is friendly and helpful, bordering on exceptional. Every interaction I had with a staff member was positive, from check-in to the bartender to the person answering my text messages for various things, to check-out." 

The hotel is pet-friendly, with a $75 fee, and valet parking is available for $60. The InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk holds a 4.7 rating based on 485 reviews, with nightly rates starting at about $143 as of this writing.

The Mokara Hotel & Spa is San Antonio's only Forbes Four-Star hotel, and it lives up to the acclaim with a serene, wellness-driven experience right on the River Walk. With 97 rooms and suites, the property feels intimate and refined, with accommodations featuring fine linens, marble bathrooms, and oversized soaking tubs. Many rooms include private balconies overlooking the river, and all guests have access to the spa's sauna, eucalyptus steam room, and whirlpool. The star of the property is the 17,000-square-foot Mokara Spa, widely regarded as one of the best in Texas. It features 18 treatment rooms, dedicated relaxation lounges, and an extensive menu of massages, facials, and body therapies. A heated rooftop pool and a 24-hour fitness center round out the hotel's amenities.

In a November 2025 Google review, a guest raved, "Everything was absolutely perfect! From the moment we entered the beautiful lobby, we were greeted by the wonderful, smiling staff ready to accommodate us in any way needed! Everyone called us by name and even wished me a hbd throughout our entire stay!"

Dining is another highlight, led by Ostra, a romantic AAA Four Diamond restaurant known for its oyster bar, fresh seafood tower, tequila selection, and refined riverfront setting. Four Brothers blends Southern, South Texas, Latin, and French influences in dishes like quail on a stick and smoked dino ribs, while the Rooftop Café offers light bites with skyline views. More than 1,000 guest reviews collectively give Mokara Hotel & Spa a 4.7-star rating, with nightly rates starting at about $199 as of this writing.

For a strong-value stay in the heart of the city, the Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk is a popular choice. House in a beautifully restored former bank building with soaring 50-foot ceilings, travertine floors, and stained glass, the property combines historic character with modern conveniences. Guests favor its riverfront location just steps from many of the River Walk's main attractions. Rooms begin on the fifth floor and come with microwaves, refrigerators, Wi-Fi, and plenty of space, whether you choose a king, two queens, a suite with a separate living area, or a specialty room with a terrace.

Travelers consistently praise the hotel's standout extras. The free hot breakfast is generous and fresh, featuring eggs, biscuits and gravy, fruit, oatmeal, sausage, and more. In the evenings, the popular 5:30 Kickback adds further value with complimentary hot food, along with beer, wine, mixed drinks, and soft drinks. Free popcorn and soda are also served nightly in the lobby, adding a fun, family-friendly touch and another value point. Amenities include a rooftop pool with two whirlpools and city views, an additional indoor pool and whirlpool, a 24-hour fitness center, business center, and the lobby's cozy Teller's Bar for cocktails and casual bites. Valet parking is available on-site for a fee.

A Google reviewer wrote in November 2025: "...This hotel is absolutely AMAZING!!! The hospitality was AWESOME!!!...We'll never stay anywhere else." More than 4,700 reviewers gave Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk a 4.6-star rating. Rates here begin at $113 per night.

With easy access to both the River Walk and the Alamo, the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk offers one of the city's most walkable locations, with renovated rooms showcasing views through floor-to-ceiling windows. The hotel has 630 rooms, including 28 suites. Travelers seeking extra space can opt for the Regency Suite or the Entertainer Suite, which features a pool table, a dartboard, and sweeping River Walk views. Amenities include a rooftop pool with temperature control in cooler months and year-round views. In an August 2025 Google review, a guest penned, "We truly loved this hotel. The staff was super friendly and helpful especially the front desk and the valet. The location was perfect, and the facilities were clean and modern."

Eco-minded travelers may also appreciate the property's environmental sustainability initiatives. The hotel reduces energy use through optimized heating and cooling, offers linen changes every third day, provides biodegradable corn-husk straws, supports paperless meetings, and uses sustainably sourced ingredients like cage-free eggs, local beef, responsible seafood, and seasonal produce. Dining is a highlight, with multiple on-site restaurants and bars and mobile delivery that make in-room dining effortless. Q Kitchen serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and features live music on weekends. Its menu includes items such as barbecue duck tostadas and ancho-braised beef short rib with serrano chimichurri and cotija cheese. MKT. PLACE offers healthy grab-and-go items and casual café meals, while On the Bend Oyster Bar & Lounge specializes in seafood and cocktails on a breezy two-tiered patio. Just beneath the hotel, the well-named Mad Dogs has a lively British pub atmosphere. More than 7,000 guest reviews give the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk a 4.5-star rating, with nightly rates starting at about $169.

With nearly 5,000 guest reviews and a 4.5-star rating,  the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk has more than 1,000 guest rooms and 46 suites, with nightly rates starting at about $177 as of this writing. Marketed as a luxury, family-friendly property, this Hyatt hotel features an outdoor heated rooftop pool next to an arcade with games and a claw machine. A fifth-floor outdoor space called Terrace on 5th is another option to take kids, perhaps for a picnic, for a change of scenery within the hotel. Suites provide lots of space, and some include special family-friendly amenities. For example, the 1,038-square-foot Entertainer Suite comes with a billiard table, while the 1,055-square-foot Gamer Suite might be hard for kids to leave, as it has a 75-inch TV connected to a PlayStation 4, a gaming chair, two arcade machines, and foosball.

Dining covers all the bases from a grab-and-go coffee at Spoonful Provisions to a serious sit-down steak dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House. The Italian restaurant Moda Fare serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while Tejas Lounge draws inspiration from its Texas roots and is known for its craft cocktails and light fare in a mid-century modern setting. A Google reviewer in October 2025 was impressed by the design, musing: "It was my first time back here since the remodeling about 5 months ago, and wow—the transformation is amazing! Mid-century modern seems to be trending, but this hotel takes it to another level." Another guest remarked: "Hotel and staff were amazing! They made my stay very memorable and accommodated every request whether it was 8 am or midnight."

To identify the top San Antonio River Walk hotels,  Google search results were filtered to the highest-rated four- and five-star properties. The top two results each held a 4.7 rating, followed by a third at 4.6 stars. Several hotels tied at 4.5 stars. To select the final entries, we considered review volume and selected the hotels that received the most entries. The Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk ranked highest with more than 7,000 guest reviews at a 4.5-star rating, while the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk followed with nearly 5,000 guest reviews and the same 4.5-star rating average.