Hotel Emma

OUR ARTICLE

Located in the original Brew House of the Pearl Brewery, Hotel Emma offers a sophisticated stay with a stylish approach. The hotel has been part of the foundation that has helped reinvigorate the newly popular neighborhood of San Antonio. The trendy accommodations are named after Emma Koehler, who is widely known as the conductor of the old brewery. Mrs. Koehler not only guided her team out of the dark ages of prohibition, but also helped catapult them to being at one time the largest brew house in Texas.

Reminiscent of a monument, the hotel is a piece of artwork proudly presenting itself in the heart of the Pearl. Upon your entrance, the incredibly designed industrial lobby will have you asking the front desk if it’s possible to pull up a roll-away, snag a pillow, and just crash there for the night. While it may be captivating, we assure you that the rooms don’t disappoint.

You’d better hurry and grab that card before the plastic inside your leather wallet burns a hole straight through your jeans.

The quarters are a handsome blend of timeless beauty, where concrete and exposed brick walls meet the likes of steel beams. With margarita mix in every room, they understand that for whatever reason you’re in San Antonio, you’ve escaped the chains of your castle for at least a night. So, make a cold batch, throw some salt on the rim, and relax.

When nighttime rolls around and you’re ready to make the switch from margaritas to whiskey, head downstairs to the Sternewirth. With 25-foot vaulted ceilings and cast-iron fermentation tanks that have been tunneled out for social seating, it headlines our CYTIES San Antonio bar selection.

The hotel itself is hard to escape. Every time you leave, you feel like you’re walking out of a movie right before the climax. But if you have to get out for a bit, you won’t have to go far. The San Antonio River runs alongside the Hotel with a clear path to downtown. We recommend day beers at The Luxury and dinner and dancing at Jazz TX, both within walking distance.

If all the reasons above haven’t convinced you to pull out your credit card and book, we will leave you with this: The hotel was designed by Roman and Williams, meaning that this once-prominent beer brewery was converted into a hotel by the genius eyes of the team who also created the eminent Ace Hotel. You’d better hurry and grab that card before the plastic inside your leather wallet burns a hole straight through your jeans.