The Emily Morgan Hotel – a DoubleTree by Hilton

I stayed at this hotel for three days in December of 2014. I loved the view. The bathtub was a one of a kind, and it was huge. Great location and within walking distance to several bars and restaurants. I’m pretty sure this hotel is haunted though. I can’t remember which floor I stayed on, but I kept hearing crazy things throughout the night, and my room stayed freezing cold… even with the air completely off.
The restaurant/​bar had pork nachos mmmmmmm. And, I got drunk on Moscato.
The pork nachos and friendly people at the front desk made up for the obvious poltergeist in my room, and the fact the elevator kept taking me straight down to the basement every time I tried to go to the lobby. Or, maybe I was just drunk, and I didn’t care. (Making a scared face). Muuuhahahaaaa!

We had a wonderful time! The beautiful building has an old feel but very clean. The staff was friendly and helpful. The rooms were a tad small but we didn’t spend much time hanging out in the room. We swam in the heated outdoor pool and used the 24 hr gym. Parking was a bit expensive but well worth it considering the location. It is in an ideal spot for exploring downtown without having to hike too far. We will absolutely be staying again.

I’m a mixed bag on this hotel
First the positives
— Location– Stellar! Literally right next to the Alamo.
— The staff– Top notch. Super friendly and helpful
— The décor– modern and sleek.
— A library with sofas and comfy chairs and a tv and book and games (Extra awesome.)
The Negatives
$ 30 Valet parking per night. I know this is «standard» for the area, but incredibly expensive. (We parked overnight on the street instead.)
The size of the hotel room– While our room was decorated beautifully and has big open windows it was SO tiny. We didnt even have room to put our suitcases on the floor without tripping over them at night. I know from these reviews that the size of the room varies greatly, wish we had been given a more spacious option.
Overall– a good experience.

I hate writing this review because I had such high hopes for this hotel. Hindsight has reminded me I should have checked Unilocal first before booking.
I booked my room on
assuming it would create the least amount of confusion or issues. Not so.
Our first experience with this hotel was getting there at 4 and our room wasn’t ready. We were in town for the evening and expected that we would be able to check-​in after 3pm as stated on their website. However, rather than give us a heads up beforehand they checked us in, ran our card and then informed us the room wasn’t ready and they didn’t know when it would be. Okay? So we decided to go ahead and get a bite to eat in their restaurant but we were informed by a rude bartender that it was not only closed but we weren’t allowed to sit at the bar because we had our children. I look to the right and two young boys are sitting at the bar. I inquired about the seemingly double standards and he blew me off. He was rude enough that I informed the front desk. They appeared concerned considering we have started our stay on a very bad note. The receptionist was very kind but had little resolve except apologies and an offered us 4 tickets to a show that was 21 and over. Mind you, my two young daughters are standing right there looking at her and I’ve already informed her we were in town meaning; we don’t have a babysitter. It seemed like a poor judgment call to remedy the situation since we obviously weren’t going to accept the offer.
We ended up finding a place to eat and wait because they were going to call us when the room was ready. We eat, we wait, and wait but there is no call. At this point it’s almost 6pm. We are tired and ready to get to our room so we can begin our evening. The whole purpose of this trip was to show our daughters a good time. At this point they’re not having fun and confused as to what was happening.
Tired of waiting we call the hotel to check on our room. After a wait on hold we are informed the room is finally ready. We return to the hotel to get our room key. The front desk refer to us as ‘those people’ right in front of us. I’m convinced at this point they’re running under the name Hilton but are not living up to the standards most Hilton hotels abide by. I’ve stayed at some very upscale hotels but this one has the feel but the service is comparable to a LaQuinta.
We finally get our room and I paid a LOT extra to have a room overlooking the Alamo. I chose this hotel for that reason and the fact I thought I was booking a luxury hotel room. Not so. The only extra amenity our room had was a very large whirlpool tub which was great until my daughters were in there and we received a call from a not so friendly maintenance guy who asked what WE were doing because the people below had water leaking from their ceiling. I go into the bathroom, the tub is about ¼ and there’s no water on the floor. There was no visible water leaking. After that we assumed that the tub was out of order for us and we are out of luck if we want to shower in the morning.
The parking situation is awful but it’s expected when a hotel is downtown. At midnight my husband went down to pay the meter. As he walked back up and was waiting for the elevator the maintenance guys and the front desk speaking to each other said ‘Is that him?’ What was that supposed to mean? Was using the whirlpool bathtub we paid a extra for a problem? This really had me fuming considering all the other problems we have had.
The walls here are not soundproof, in fact I heard entire conversations of our neighbors until about 3am when I finally cranked up the volume of the TV to drown out the sound of the party happening on the other side of the wall. I understand it’s new years but at 3am if you want to party go to a club.
They gave us a complimentary voucher for breakfast, which seemed like a nice gesture. Our server totally messed up our drink order which was 2 coffees and 2 OJs. Seems simple but we received one OJ and 2 coffees. As someone who spent time working in the food industry it’s unacceptable to not bring a child what they need. It creates a situation for the parents and upsets the child. She seemed unphased by her error. The buffet food was okay. The real issue was when my husband got halfway through his coffee he realized the cup she gave him was dirty! There was a ring of brown goo in his cup! I informed her and she still seemed to not really care. I asked for a new cup but ended up just leaving when she didn’t return.
I would not ever stay here again.
I didn’t bring this up with the front desk because I felt as if they thought I was trying to get a freebie and I was NOT. I simply wanted what I paid for already and I wanted it when I paid for it. This hotel is a complete disappointment for the Hilton chain.

The room was nice and clean. Guest services reps were super friendly. Bartender mixed a mean Manhattan. When you stay at the Emily Morgan you are just a stone’s throw from the Alamo. We found out about the supposed haunting after we checked out. We stayed in the 14^th floor, home of the former crematorium– but no hauntings were noticed. My only complaint is that I could not regulate the temperature very well. I was overly warm the entire stay.

Very beautiful hotel! Prime location but It’s 5:25pm and my room isn’t ready by check in which was at 3… No explanations… No apologies… No empathy… When we finally begged to have any room just so my Mom with a medical condition can rest the front desk rep was trying to give us a guilt trip by saying we should just be grateful that we got a room with a discount. So apparently that warrants bad service when you get a discounted room.

Greeted with a warm cookie was definitely a plus.
The location is great as you are very close to EVERYTHING but not too close. You can escape the raucous.
The hotel has definite beauty but its a little dank and run down. My boyfriend looked under the bed and he honestly looked sick afterward and would not take off his socks on the floor.
Sad to report no paranormal experiences but all in all, this was a decent stay and we got a good deal. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay again if the price were right but I would want to explore better options.

A five-​night stay in October 2015.
What a great hotel! First, the staff — everyone was just outstanding, friendly, accommodating, pleasant, cheerful. Even after I left, when I needed some additional receipts, Ms. Moore from accounting emailed them to me within one day! Literally everyone I encountered there looked and acted like they are in a dream job — which is something for me personally to emulate!
The room was lovely, windows in two walls at 90 degrees to each other — and very good «blackout» shades that kept both the light and the heat out. The room was clean and comfy. My «test» item for hotels is how well the bathtub/​shower drains (sorry, nothing else matters if I have to stand ankle-​deep in dirty shower water) — and I am pleased to report that the drain worked perfectly! :)
The location is great — steps away from the Alamo, and a few blocks away from the convention center.
Highly recommend, and will stay at the Emily again when I am in SA!

You’ll never know this is a Hilton hotel except by the exceptional Customer service by every single person working here. The building is just plain cool.
This hotel is clean, close enough to the River Walk, museums, and Market Square, as well as consistently excellent.
I stay here once or twice a year and I have enjoyed each stay.

I think they deserve more stars, Very respectful, friendly staff.
They would go extra level for their guest’s comfort. Thank you Angela, Julie you all are awesome!

We enjoyed our stay at the Emily Morgan! The fact that the Alamo and Riverwalk are in walking distance are a huge plus.

I loved my stay here during Fiesta. Not that I would limit my visit to only then :) Thanks Heather S.
The location is in walking distance to everything. The alamo is right across the street. The riverwalk is just a few blocks away. Market square is about 10 blocks. There’s a liquor store close by as well as a few drug stores.
All the staff treated us me very well. The chicks at reception, valet, bell hops, waiters and bar tender all have huge smiles and will get you whatever you need. The restaurant has a tasty buffet breakfast spread. The bartender pours some stout shots!
Our room was gorgeous. My bed was so comfy. I love to sleep in a cold room and the one we stayed in got down to meat locker status. The bathroom is newly updated with beautiful tile and a cute port style mirror hanging. The tub is huge and the water pressure from the shower head is great. There’s nothing worse than bad pressure. The blackout curtain let you sleep in past sunrise if you had a bit too much fun the night before!
If and when I’m back in San Antonio I’ll be staying here :)

We stayed here due to it’s prime location. You’re across from the Alamo and within walking distance of the majority of the tourist sites downtown.
We walked all over and it was nice not to have to consider parking. However, it was nice to have a car when we needed to see some other parts of San Antonio.
The check-​in process was pretty smooth and we were offered the delicious cookies, which were warm and indeed delicious.
The room was nice, king size bed, large bathroom with plenty of toiletries. Our view was pretty decent. The AC wasn’t that great. The thermostat didn’t seem to be working, when we arrived in the room it was cold so we turned it up to 75 but it just stayed cold. We did call the front desk, they had a maintenance guy up there, so now it was just cool to warm. Adjust the temp to 65 and it’s still cool to warm. We settled for the cool to warm rather than cold.
Room service was good and the food was excellent, we had dinner on two separate occasions and the food took about 20 minutes to prepare and bring to our rooms.
The service overall was good, could use some improvement on the valet guys. Some opened the hotel door but there enthusiasm (smile, etc.) was lacking.
Parking was $ 30 a night but that’s the breaks.
We’d stay here again for sure.

For as much as we paid a night, I was expecting something totally different. I guess we just got stuck in a not so great room. The carpet looked worn down, the A/​C didn’t feel like it was working, the bathroom didn’t look anything like the photos.
The staff was great. They were ALL extremely nice… And very helpful. More importantly the Valet — which I address farther down. I wished I could remember their names but the young man who worked the midnight shift on ³⁄₁₄ and the supervisor and the guy working with him on the morning of ³⁄₁₅ were awesome guys — I wished I could give them gold stars and let them know how they helped calm us.
But Oro was AWFUL. Paid A LOT for food that tasted like it came from a convenience store. The Cheddar and Goat Cheese brioche came on extremely lightly toasted WHITE BREAD. Not brioche! Seriously, Oro is NOT all that it is cracked up to be! I truly wished we could have gotten our money back on this and went some where else.
BUT to add insult to injury of how expensive this place was for a single night… Somebody hit our brand new less than a few months old expensive car that was parked in Valet AND LEFT. Yea, a hit and run in VALET! The guys who work the valet are amazing guys. They were able to keep us calm and are going to take care of all the insurance process for us. BUT — Since it was so busy this past weekend, the valet had to use an over flow that the public had access to. So, FYI there…
I am still half and half on suggesting others to stay at the Emily Morgan. Beautiful architecture, great history and the location is superb. But if you get a King size room, you are most definitely getting a BASIC room. I just expected $ 300 a night for a King, it would have been a tad more grand. Don’t waste your time eating at Oro and good luck at other people around your car in the over flow Valet!

The Emily Morgan Hotel is actually part of the Doubletree Family of hotels. I’ve always loved staying at Doubletree Hotels. This hotel is also known as the official hotel of the Alamo, which is right across the street (pretty cool since the back entrance is right there on Houston Street!). I always enjoy a beautiful old building because they just don’t make them like they used to, and this one is nearly 100 years old! You would never really notice other then the little quirks that all old buildings have… so I have a Goldilocks story with a little bit of Cinderella and here it goes…
When we arrived at the hotel on Ave E, we didn’t see any parking for the hotel. There was a small open lot next to the hotel entrance. This lots prices change every 2 – 4 hours, so beware. We checked in, and were told the Valet parking was on Houston Street for $ 30 a night with in/​out privileges. Houston Street is a one-​way street, so you have to go around to get to the valet. In doing so, you do spot a row of lighted horse drawn Cinderella carriages which circle the Alamo! For evening rides, blankets included!
Our first room was on the top floor. Oohhh, fancy! As soon as we opened the door, a rush of cold air hits us, and it was like we were walking into a meat locker! I hate being cold. We start to settle into the beyond gorgeous room, spacious with rich colors, a view of the city, and pitched high ceilings. We crank on the heat, and after 15 – 20 minutes of checking to see if the heater was going to warm up, nothing, it was blowing cold air. We called for maintenance and they checked everything out. The heater was broken, and they could only provide us with space heaters if we wanted to stay in the room. (Old building problems…)They were not able to offer us another room on the 14^th floor and offered us a couple of other rooms for us to stay in.
For our second room, we were given two options. Option 1 was a double queen suite or Option 2 an extra cozy (small) King room. We took a look at the larger room, which had two queen sized beds and overlooked the Alamo. This room was beautiful as well, with lots of room, and a very high ceiling… but two smaller beds. We made the decision to stay in the larger room. When we got ready for bed, we realized the beds were not actually queens, and possibly full sized beds.
The next morning as we left for the day, we stopped by front desk to let them know that the beds were not actually queens and were quite short (my bf is over 6 ft tall). They apologized, and offered us another room to stay that evening. When we got back to hotel that evening, our third room was upgraded to a suite! Located on the 7^th floor, the heater worked, the room was spacious, two walls of windows, the bed was a King, and there was a jet tub!
So after 3 rooms, it was just right… this girl was a Happy Camper!
This hotel is extremely pet friendly. I met so many furbabies each time we were in and out of the hotel, I loved it! I even got to see a beautiful well mannered kitty checking in. I got to enjoy a Cinderella carriage ride that was also able to pull up into the valet area and drop us off at the doorstep!
Even though it took several attempts for us to have a nice room, the customer service was excellent. Front Desk Manager Chris took very good care of us from the very beginning and throughout our stay. Thank you Chris for making our stay comfortable and going above and beyond in making us feel like appreciated guests!

Fantastic staff. Amazing views. Pet friendly. Valet parking $ 28. What more is there to say? The location is right next-​door to the Alamo, so it’s incredibly and conveniently located next to all of San Antonio’s prime tourist sites. Everything is acessible within walking distance. It’s a boutique hotel, but you’re definitely getting what you’re paying for.
They have a pet policy of a non-​refundable $ 50 pet policy for the entire room, so you’re not paying per dog — You’re paying per room. They state that they have a 50-​lb weight limit on the dog… but…they don’t weigh your dogs at check-in…soooooooo…I’ll just leave it at that. I brought my two dogs, and the staff was incredibly friendly, even the valet came over and cooed over them since his family raised the same breed growing up.
When you’re checking in, it’s not entirely clear where you initially park. We ended up parking for a few minutes in the Charge Lot right next door, but since we were only there for a few minutes to orient ourselves and check-​in, we got out of the parking lot quickly to make sure we didn’t get towed or ticketed. We ended up opting for the valet parking. I’m not sure if you really have any other options to be honest, besides using that Pay Lot next door.
Our room was amazing. We had one of the corner rooms of the building, so we had a stunning nearly 270 degree view out of our windows that curved around the corner of the building. The room was clean, bright, and had nice amenities. My pictures of the room don’t do it justice.
Overall, service was genuine and peppy. We were always greeted by a staff member with a bright smile no matter the hour or location.

This is one of my new found favorite hotels to stay at while visiting San Antonio. THE EMILY MORGAN HOTEL A DOUBLETREE BY HILTON. It is a historical federal building. Way cool– that explains the floor layout. See photos. They are PET FRIENDLY! Say what? PET FRIENDLY– WHOOP WHOOP! Wait for it… Dogs up to 50 pounds allowed, and only a $ 50 non refundable deposit. Just be sure to let the front desk know upon arrival. SWEET DEAL–
S/​O to Ms. Linda and Ms. Dawn for A1 customer service. Ms. Linda born and raised right here in San Antonio, Texas. If you bring your fur baby tell Ms. Linda before she enters your room. She is terrified of dogs. Bless her heart! She had a traumatic experience as a child, and still has the scare to prove it. She’s genuinely kind, and y’all know I’m big on customer service. Lovely– Lovely– Lovely women.
They have a pricey restaurant w/​limited selections, but they offer ALL DAY DINING (Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner). BTY their pancakes and black beans are D’Lish! They also have a full bar. ORO Bar Happy Hour 5 – 7 everyday. ORO Bar Hours: 5−11pm, Sunday-​Thursday * 4−12am. They wine by the glass or bottle. A glass of wine will vary from $ 7 to $ 10, and a bottle $ 22 to $ 300 Dom Perignon, Champagne, France. Awesome selection of wine. See photo. Beer lovers too: DOMESTIC– LOCAL– IMPORTS
Upon check-​in you receive a warm complimentary D’Lish cookie: bottled water is also complimentary, but you have to ask for it. The good stuff you have to ask for. SMH. YEP I’m a water bottle drinking water lover. Alright peeps gotta go. My son wants pool action NOW. }:{

What a gorgeous hotel and next door to the Alamo!
The staff was super nice and helpful, the room was very nice and modern. I was only there less than 8 hrs for my trip, but I would definitely stay again. The only drawback was a prank caller who was very disgusting and rude… so that sucked. But the rest was great!

So this is really just about the bar.
Bar = good. There, thats my review!
Seriously though, its another top people watching spot, right off of Alamo square. They have a great selection of premium liquor and specialty drinks. If you get hungry you can order from the restaurant menu.
This is a good place to start the evening being centrally located. There are a lot of activites within walking distance.

Stayed here in April for one night. It couldnt have been a more perfect location. Right on top of the Alamo and a short walk to The Riverwalk.
YES we got cookies upon arrival. Hotel is gorgeous! Room was spacious, modern and comfortable.
I would definitely recommend this hotel if you plan to partake in all the touristy stuff. Price was comparable to other hotels such as Hotel Valencia (another modern funky hotel) however, Emily Morgan is closer in walking distance to the «action».