A $100 Million Restoration To Revive San Antonio’s Original River Walk Hotel — A First Look Inside Sítio El Tropicano

For decades, the El Tropicano Motor Hotel was far more than a place to spend the night. It was the San Antonio address — the first hotel on the River Walk and a glamorous gathering place where presidents, Hollywood icons, rock legends, and generations of Texans checked in. Among its legendary guest list: Dolly Parton, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Julie Andrews. Former President Lyndon B. Johnson famously christened it “The White House of Texas,” even using the hotel as a presidential press headquarters during his administration.

More than six decades after opening in 1962, the landmark mid-century property is preparing for its most ambitious chapter yet, and it’s arriving with much more than a fresh coat of paint. Reimagined as Sítio El Tropicano, the storied hotel is undergoing a $100 million transformation that honors its colorful legacy while ushering in an entirely new era of River Walk hospitality.

Led by boutique development firm Trestle Studio, the project is equal parts restoration and reinvention, positioning Sítio as both a luxury destination hotel and one of San Antonio’s most exciting new social hubs. At the center of that vision is Sítio Club, a members program designed to rival the country’s most coveted private clubs and social houses.

During a recent preview, PaperCity had an early look at what’s to come, and one thing was immediately clear: Sítio El Tropicano never forgot how to throw a party. The preview featured artwork by artists Cruz and Olivia Ortiz, hors d’oeuvres from Texas favorite Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group, tequila tastings, and a DJ set courtesy of Topaz of Golden Dawn Arkestra. If the team can make an active construction site feel this chic, the finished revival of the hotel promises to be something special. 

At the heart of Sítio Club will be the Flamingo Bar, a cocktail lounge that pays tribute to perhaps the hotel’s most famous former residents: the flock of live flamingos that once wandered the grounds. Naturally, my first question for Trestle Studio founder Jake Lamstein was whether the flamingos were making a comeback. While the pink birds won’t be returning, the spirit lives on through the bar’s nostalgic nod to the property’s history.

Inspired by the philosophies of avant-garde Brazilian landscape modernist Roberto Burle Marx, the hotel will integrate nature into every facet. For the redesign, Trestle Studio partnered with Austin-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture for interiors and concept design, marking the firms’ first collaboration in San Antonio following their work together on Austin’s Line Hotel. Studio8 leads architecture.

“El Tropicano has long been part of San Antonio’s cultural rhythm, its mid-century character holding an optimism from another era,” says Hsu. “With Sítio, we’re building a dialogue with that history — preserving what’s meaningful while introducing richer textures, deeper landscape connections, and a lobby experience that welcomes guests as a true gathering place along the River Walk.”

The 315-room resort will have three restaurant concepts from Emmer & Rye Hospitality, the largest pool deck on the River Walk, a 5,000-square-foot spa, and more than 400 feet of coveted River Walk frontage designed for everything from meetings to post-Fiesta celebrations — and perhaps, a future Spurs championship parade. Sítio El Tropicano is now accepting reservations beginning in December 2026.

For more information on the upcoming debut, visit the hotel’s website.