When looking for somewhere to stay in San Antonio, we decided on a place by the riverwalk and seeing a Westin there, were happy to go with one of our favourite brands, safe in the knowledge that we'd be comfortable. Sure enough, that heavenly bed was just what was needed after a long transatlantic flight and lengthy connections - but arriving at almost 1am, jetlagged and thirsty, our social skills were challenged when the desk clerk wanted to chit chat about emigrating to Europe (bless her)

We were disappointed with this Westin, however, and like a previous reviewer, felt that it was the housekeeping service that let it down. Not only were things not replenished (coffee, tea, bathroom amenities) the armchair was broken and the shower sounded like the Queen Mary coming into port! Heaven help the people next door who were woken by our showering at 6am - I can only hope they complained as loudly as we did.

My complaints/comments were dealt with seriously and with authority by a great reception clerk, who addressed each of my quibbles and offered compensation in the form of vouchers and a reduction on our bill. What we really wanted, however, was for these issues to be resolved - we were staying for 4 nights and really did hope for that quiet shower and some early morning coffee!

It was not to be however. Clearly the housekeeping standards are not as rigorously maintained as we expect and sadly, this Westin will always be "that one which never got it right" for us. As we checked out, we spoke to the same member of staff who had dealt with our niggles a couple of days earlier. Once again, she addressed the issues, offered money off, points on our frequent flier account etc. but agreed with us - what we really wanted was the service we'd booked and paid for, and that simply wasn't there.

Incidentally, as another reviewer has pointed out the location of this hotel is great - it's on the quieter stretch of the Riverwalk, only a short walk away from the noisy, party atmosphere if that's what you're after, but for the rest of us, ideal! The public rooms are comfortable and airy and it appears that access to the Riverwalk and the downstairs restaurant and coffee shop is being revamped - the current steps/small lift situation is inadequate in my opinion.

Took the family for a vacation to San Antonio. We had a two night stay at the hotel. The first impression was great - valet and the front desk staff were very friendly. The bellhop took our stuff to the room, and that's when the fun started. Being completely new to San Antonio, we asked for recommendations for a Mexican restaurant on the Riverwalk. He gave us a name of a spot in the Farmers Market, four blocks away from the Riverwalk. My daughter then used the bathroom and the toilet overflowed. We called the front desk and reported the incident, and they said they would have someone up to fix it. We waited 20 minutes, no one showed up, so we left for dinner. When we got back (we found somewhere else on the Riverwalk) the toilet had not been fixed, and the water was still all over the floor. We went down to the front desk, and the wait staff gladly moved us to another room and provided us with complimentary breakfast. We didn't get any explination why it didn't get fixed in the first place.

That was pretty much the tone of the stay - TV's that don't work and no clean headphones in the otherwise nice fitness center, no keys for the in-room bar or the safe in our room, staff that was either really good or clueless.

The property is overall very nice, and the location couldn't be better. For an average hotel, one would be happy with the stay. For a class of hotel like the Westin, the experience should be better than it was. At the rates my family paid, I would seek other alternatives.

Stayed here for 4 nights. We hosted out top salespeople at a "mini-conference". Picked San Antonio for its "middle-of-the-country" location since we had folks flying in from all over. The hotel staff are great- they went out of their way to make us feel welcome & kept the meeting rooms clean and stocked. We had excellent hotel-provided lunches and a dinner on arrival night. Did a tex-mex theme. Some of the best chili I've ever had. The Riverwalk is right outside - but it's the quiet end. Only a 5 minute walk to the restaurants. Very large flat screen TV in room and "Heavenly" bed. Gym had headphones, personal TV's, only one cross trainer and several treadmills and bikes, some newer model weight machines and a small selection of free weights. I would definitely say the location and the "public places" in the hotel (verandas, lobbies, meeting rooms , restaurants inside and out) - make this hotel special. The staff makes it great. Small outdoor pool and sunning area that really didn't get the sun until after 11 AM.

We stayed 4 nights in late May/early June. The location is primo. The property is just a little bit away from the most busy part of the Riverwalk, but you walk only five minutes along the water to reach the heart of it. Perfect for getting away from the crowds and enjoying the sculpted, landscaped pathways.

Because they had availability, we were upgraded upon check-in to a riverfront room, though from the 9th floor the view was more onto the top of a parking deck across the water (the river is very narrow). Check-in was pleasant, and the lobby has inviting places to sit inside and out and enjoy the afternoon refreshments. A pleasant pool (modestly sized) is on the rooftop of part of the building.

There is an attractive restaurant on the Riverwalk itself, though we did not partake. There is also a bakery counter, an exercise room, a large bar, and hotel-wide wireless internet.

Because this is a Westin, of course the beds and showers are "heavenly" (registered trademark!). The decor in the room is contemporary but bland.

But because this is a Westin, I would have hoped for better, more organized housekeeping. We returned to our room to find bottles of bathroom cleaner on the counter. No replacement toilet paper. The neighbors' room service breakfast leftovers in the hall until late bedtime. And the carpet in our room had various big, black stains.

So I'd say that while we enjoyed the hotel, for this price I will consider shopping around among other properties when we return to San Antonio.