Alamo city’s hidden haven

No one needs an excuse to visit San Antonio in Texas. You just need to know where to stay. Perched at the edge of the Riverwalk, the Hotel Valencia offers a blissful balance of local flavor, stellar service and some swanky amenities. What’s more, because of its location, you can ignore the noisy touristy distractions of the Riverwalk and enjoy enough subtle sophistication to host elegant business meetings, a wedding or a lover’s getaway.

One of things I love most about the Hotel Valencia is that it’s super close to great dining and shopping but far enough away for a good night’s sleep. If you’re a walker like me, you won’t mind the short stroll to a smorgasbord of restaurants – but one of the best (in our opinion) is located directly below the hotel: Acenar.

Welcome to your ever-so-luxurious new home at Valencia

Step off bustling East Houston street and into the two-story lobby – complete with a softly flowing waterfall and their signature scent, SEVILLA. PR folks from hotel describe it as “andalusian citrus trees, ripe with the brightest oranges, fragrancing the air with sweet nectar and neroli blossom, while notes of lavender and bergamot flourish in the background of a 16th century courtyard.” Simply put, it’s delish!

At this point, you’ll do a double check that you’re still in San Antonio. Elegant, chic, mellow – everything you’d expect from an elegant boutique hotel. Courteous, friendly staff, smoke-free facilities and an outdoor patio overlooking the Riverwalk that literally begs you to ditch everything else and just relax. What more could you want?

In a nutshell, the Hotel Valencia is a sublime 213 room boutique hotel that features signature designs by Dodd Mitchell of Los Angeles, custom-made, luxurious beds with Egyptian cotton linens, 18-foot ebony solid wood credenza and plantation shutters. For three glorious nights, we occupied a room above Citrus restaurant patio, sipping coffee on our balcony at dawn (lounging in robes) and champagne at sunset. Bliss.

If you’re hungry for a respite from the Riverwalk, retreat to the courtyard with a multi-story waterfall greenery that surrounds intimately arranged seating. We saw guests retreating there at different times of day, in pairs and groups, but a wedding one evening lit the courtyard in glorious splendor.

Don’t take our word for the loveliness of this hotel though. It’s received more than its fair share of awards including: AAA Four Diamond, Condé Nast Traveler readers' choice, USA Today best hotel, Travel & Leisure.You might even bump into a celebrity like American Idol's Ryan Seacrest, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell.

Dining at Citrus – it’s not like anything else on the Riverwalk

If you're looking for an all-you-can-eat buffet, Citrus isn't for you. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, it offers unique and smart dining propositions to business and leisure travelers alike. The menu features local flavors and focuses on distinctive and eclectic fusions.

Returning to the hotel après-walk along the river, the sophisticated Vbar serves light appetizers late into the night in an elegant and intimate setting. It’s open from 2 pm until late every night and on Mondays you can relax with $5 martinis. From US Travel News, “The Vbar and the Citrus restaurant set the chic tone of the property, as beautiful people in beautiful clothes sip beautiful cocktails.”

Want to know more about the Hotel Valencia? Read what other travelers have to say about them on TripAdvisor, like Donna: “Loved my room. Loved the people that work there. Loved the location. No pool but other than that it was a great 2 night stay. I would definitely go back. Bought one of their candles my house smells wonderful.” You can also find them on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

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To comply with the long list of regulating bodies, possibly even Geneva Conventions, our Valencia experience was facilitated by San Antonio CVB and sponsored by the hotel. Commentary and perspectives are those of GoGirlfriend.