Menger Hotel (San Antonio, Texas) & Travel Technology

I've been back from Texas for about 5 days and I am finally recovered. I was SO exhausted when I got back. There is only a one-hour time difference, but I guess all the constant on-the-go and staying up late just caught up with me. If you are just catching up on my trip, be sure to check out these other posts about my trip to San Antonio!

• Ostra and Chart House Restaurant
• Gluttony in San Antonio
• Boudro's on the Riverwalk

Today I want to tell you a little bit about our hotel, The Menger Hotel.

When I was looking at hotels for this trip, I was drawn to the Menger because I just thought it looked and sounded interesting. Some people even say it is haunted! We never saw any ghosts, but we did have a mysterious event one night. More on that in a minute. ;)

 

The hotel was founded in 1859! It has hosted people such as Teddy Roosevelt, Oscar Wilde, and O. Henry, just to name a few! There have been a few additions and improvements, but the original lobby is still part of the hotel!

(Original Victorian Lobby)

 

(Newer Lobby)

 

In 1887, the Menger Bar was built, and it was designed to be an exact replica of the House of Lords in London. According to the literature provided by the hotel, it was in the Menger Bar that Teddy Roosevelt recruited many of his Rough Riders, the volunteers for the first American volunteer cavalry that fought in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

 

There is a great swimming pool area- which we spent almost no time in... But still, it was a really nice area!

 

Our room was small, but nice.

 

Directly outside our window was the side wall of the Alamo!

The bathroom was very small- probably the smallest hotel bathroom I have ever seen. However, that didn't bother me too much.

 

So... Pros of staying at the Menger:

• Location! It's close to the Alamo and the Riverwalk, and it is attached to a mall with a movie theater, too! Also convenient to the Convention Center
• History/Character
• Mystery (Is is haunted? Decide for yourself!)
• Nice swimming pool!
• Housekeeping- our room was cleaned well each day and when we made requests (more coffee, additional towels), the requests were honored.

Cons:

• I had requested a refrigerator but they could not accommodate my request. Since we were staying for 5 nights, I really would have liked to have a fridge so that I could have brought in snacks and breakfast/lunch items.
• Air conditioning- there was air, but we could not get our air down as low as we wanted. It's hot in Texas, y'all!
• Breakfast service- we put out the card requesting breakfast the first night we were there, requesting delivery between 8-8:15. When I got up, I checked our door handle to be sure the card had been picked up that evening. It had never been picked up, so we had to make alternate arrangements for breakfast.
• Lack of electrical outlets- there were only 2 accessible outlets, which made it difficult for us to charge all our devices. Between the two of us, we had 2 iPhones, 2 iPads, a laptop, and an additional tablet. (Before you make fun of us, remember that we were attending a technology conference! Lol.) We also had a coffee pot, but because of the outlet situation, the only place we could plug it in was on the floor.

So, bottom line. Would I stay at the Menger again? I would probably stay there for a 1-2 night stay during the not-so-hot months. However, I don't think I would stay here for a five night stay again, unless I could be sure of having a fridge.

 

So now, I know you are wondering- IS IT HAUNTED??? Well, as I said, we never saw any ghosts... But one night the fire alarm did go off around 3 a.m. I know what you a thinking...fire alarm...not that unusual. However, when we got dressed and went downstairs, the security guard assured us that there was no fire. He said that the signal was coming from the pool area... Which was locked at 9 pm! Hmmmmm...you can decide for yourself what you think!

Also...here is a video that was posted on YouTube... Spooky! What do you think?

http://youtu.be/hJPTKcX5pGY

 

Coming soon: Techie Travel Tools! Some apps and websites to enhance your travel experiences!

 

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