SAN ANTONIO’S NEWEST HOTELS EARN RECOGNITION FOR RENOVATION, DESIGN, AND ADAPTIVE REUSE OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

White Lodging is pleased to share that two of its newest properties, the recently opened Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection and the Kimpton Santo Hotel, have both been awarded significant accolades in the category of renovation. Plaza San Antonio was chosen by Marriott to receive the Renovation Excellence Award for 2024 and Kimpton Santo was named the Preservation Project of the Year award winner by San Antonio’s Power of Preservation Foundation.

White Lodging led the major renovations and adaptive reuse projects for the hotels, both of which feature 19th century historic buildings that hold great importance to the city of San Antonio. Great care was taken to ensure that both hotels paid homage to the city’s history, while ushering in a new chapter for these landmarks.

Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection

Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa is the result of the reimagining of the original Four Seasons Plaza Nacional that opened in San Antonio in 1979. White Lodging chose to honor the former iterations of the hotel by keeping “Plaza” in its name. In addition to renovating the hotel’s rooms, dining offerings and event spaces, White Lodging also transformed three 19th century bungalows on the property. Two of the buildings are now home to the new Spa Plaza San Antonio. The third has been adapted into luxury guest accommodations, dubbed the Arciniega Suite, named for José Miguel de Arciniega, who was a former San Antonio alcalde (mayor), and the original owner of the bungalow.

The 253-room hotel features a lush garden oasis, scenic balcony overlooks and a sanctuary of connectivity with expansive meeting space, extraordinary cuisine, culture, creativity, and community. Guests can enjoy an onsite garden oasis bar, pool, spa, and a lively restaurant with honest food and drinks ranging from hearty to healthy. The Plaza San Antonio’s remodel design team was led by HKS Architects and Flick Mars.

Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa was chosen by Marriott as the winner of the 2024 Renovation Excellence Award, which recognizes significant investment and brand lifting hotel renovations that have implemented key brand programming. Recipients of the award have to show that they have repositioned the hotel in the destination via modern design and amenities, bringing the property up to brand standards. The award was presented to White Lodging at the 2024 Marriott International National Association & Full-Service Owners Conference in Orlando this past October.

Kimpton Santo Hotel

The Kimpton Santo Hotel was chosen by the Power of Preservation Foundation as the winner of this year’s Preservation Project of the Year. The Power of Preservation Foundation is San Antonio’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to preservation-based community rejuvenation. The hotel was chosen for its successful repurposing of the 19th century German English schoolhouse buildings, which now house eight luxury suites, an intimate cocktail bar, and a high-end steakhouse, Dean’s Steak & Seafood.

Kimpton Santo’s design team, led by HKS Architects and KTGY, were able to seamlessly combine the historic buildings with an all-new 10 story hotel build out. The hotel’s design is meant to celebrate the materials and textures of San Antonio’s cultural confluence by mixing

German, Hispanic and modernist roots into a unique modern hospitality destination. The result is a luxury property with tasteful nods to its history that feels like San Antonio.

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Both awards highlight White Lodging’s dedication to embracing the unique character of each city. Our hotel designs are thoughtfully crafted to reflect and preserve the essence of the local neighborhoods, ensuring that every guest experience is deeply connected to the surrounding community.

For more information about the hotels, visit the websites for Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa and Kimpton Santo.