loved the Best Western Sunset Suites
by TripAdvisor Member kokanee
We loved this hotel The old world charm was very nice. Our room was very clean and with the mission furniture and tiffeny lamps it was very nice. The front desk people were very helpful and the breakfast for 3.19 was well worth it. The beauiful riverwalk is only about two blocks away and if you have trouble walking there is the trolly that stops right out the back door that takes you right to the riverwalk. We will be going back there again and have recommened it to everyone we talk to
Great room for a great price.
by TripAdvisor Member BostonComputerChic
My main goal in looking for a hotel was a nice room that was in San Antonio that I could fit myself, my husband, My mother in law and 2 sons (4 and 2 yrs) in comfortably. For this type of setup the Best Western Sunset Suites was ideal at a great price. 2 full beds and a sleeper sofa allowed us all to sleep in one room comfortably.
Good/Great things -
Great shower pressure.
Instructions printed on the tub on how to turn the shower on. (I had an issue in Vegas recently that suddenly makes this important to me.)
We called down for an extra pillow the first night and had one delivered within 5 minutes.
The breakfast was a great price, $12-$15 for all 5 of us BUT it was certainly not gourmet. Worth more than the money but there was one buffet of heat lamp eggs, biscuits, sausages, etc and another area with cereal, pastries and yogurt. Not complaining BUT don't expect to be wowed.
We like to walk and so it was easy walking distance (about 3 blocks) to the Alamo, Tower of the Americas, and the River Center Mall where you can pick up the river cruise. I did not find the walk scary or threatening and I had little kids with me.
Front desk was very helpful. Answered our questions and printed us directions quickly, accurately and politely.
Free parking. They give you a tag to stick in the windshield. The lot was small but they had an additional lot near by.
Minor bad things:
The dreaded Train whistle! Well. Yes it blew. Around 9 pm Saturday night, it blew and blew. And it was loud. About 15/30 minutes later it blew again. That's the last time I noticed it. I can't remember if it blew again or if it did it might have just been much quieter. We live near the trains at home so it's possible that I just tuned out the quiet ones. We were there both Saturday and Sunday night.
Party crowd - We were there during Fiesta and I don't know if everyone everywhere was partying but there was a noticeable college age crowd up and down the elevator and the mat in front of the ice machine was soaked with beer. One party girl was talking loudly on her cell phone in the hall at 3 a.m. but there was none of the same crowd in the lobby or really lingering in the halls at other times. My guess is they were either in their nice big rooms or out on the streets with the non bedtime at 7:30 for the kids crowd.
All in all, I am VERY happy with my choice in staying at this hotel.
OK Hotel, Close to Alamodome
by TripAdvisor Member txprepfan
OK hotel within walking distance of Alamodome (approx 3 blocks on lighted streets). Rooms are big and clean but rather dark. Beds are very comfy. Front desk staff seemed very indifferent, oblivious to customers waiting to check in. One other customer had to finally approach a desk clerk and ask if they could check in after waiting several minutes. It also took me longer than it should have to check in and then after getting my room key while brigging my bags into the hotel was told by desk clerk that they had checked in me into the wrong room and had to wait to get that resolved. Full breakfast was nice. Free parking but lot is not very big, get there early if you can, did see some hotel customer cars parked in the street the next morning. Train noise is noticeable but not terribly loud. Free trolley pass was available but did not use, nice perk if going to Riverwalk.
A little pricey but not bad when you consider the perks, customer service needs improvement.
The train is annoying, but still a good hotel.
by TripAdvisor Member KYtraveler1
We stayed here in May of '06 to see a concert at The Sunset Station. The rooms were a good size and very clean. The staff were fantastic and friendly, accomodating you however they could. I know some people on here are upset about having to pay for breakfast but it's like, $3.00 - get over it.
There are two drawbacks to staying here however. One, the train is fairly annoying considering it's not on a set schedule you don't know when to "prepare yourself" for it's noise. It really only bothered us the first night we were there. Two, walking under the overpass at night is a little scary but it's a short trip so if it really bothers you, you could always take a taxi.
Overall, I would stay there again. Forget paying the ridiculous prices they charge to stay directly on the Riverwalk. In a short, 2-block walk from this hotel you're there. We walked everywhere, only taking the shuttle twice for an entire week and we were fine even in the heat of May.
Very nice hotel for the price
by TripAdvisor Member Tim&Bill
This is a great hotel for the price. The rooms (suites) are very large and attractively decorated with stained glass lamps and mission style furniture. The staff is very accomodating.
The hotel is a short walk from the riverwalk area, and other sites. Free parking is provided on site.
The hotel buys monthly trolley passes that you can use for $2.00 per day per person. This allows you to travel to all the sites and is good on both the Via San Antonio trolleys and the city buses.
The $2.99 breakfast is a real bargin. It is a country buffet breakfast. I dare you to find this amount of good food for this price. The eggs are real scrambled eggs, not the preformed patties served in many places that include breakfast.
For the nonsense about the trains. We only heard them once during our stay. And the underpass is lighted in a kalidescope fashion. It really is unique and a pleasure to watch the colors change.
We highly recommend this hotel to anyone who wants a great place at a very reasonable price.
Tim & Bill
Davenport, IA
Best value near Riverwalk area
by TripAdvisor Member hpn
We stayed at Best Western Suites on Commerce Street, San Antonio, for 3 nights in March 2007.
We like this hotel most for its reasonable price, and convenient proximity to the Riverwalk area.
We have only 2 negative comments about this hotel.
First, there is no safe in the room. However, we understand there is a safe at the front desk.
For light sleepers, the biggest drawback would be the loud train whistles throughout the day and night. The freight trains run nearby the hotel, around the clock, and blow their whistles repeatedly as they go by.
It was impossible to sleep at first. At our request, the hotel moved us to another room, a little further away from the train tracks. However, it was impossible to get away from the train whistles. As we became worn out each day from exploring the Riverwalk area, we got used to the trains and slept better.
Breakfast, including hot foods, is $2.99 plus tax per person. I can't comment on the breakfast, since we didn't eat at the hotel.
The gym has a weight machine, treadmill, stationary bike, and eliptical machine. Nothing fancy, but adequate.
Each room comes with wireless internet. For those without their lap tops and need internet access, they can use the computer in the Business Room downstairs. We also used it to print out our boarding pass prior to departure.
We found the front desk staff to be friendly and helpful, and were happy with the cleanliness of our room.
Come with ear plugs to deal with the train noise, and lock your valuables in your suitcase.
