If you’ve ever wanted to sip on an old-fashioned set afire by a master mixologist in the renovated venue of the 1992 NAFTA initialing ceremony, have I got a spot for you. A plaque commemorating the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was initialed by President George H.W. Bush, Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, is an unobtrusive centerpiece in the courtyard at the brand-new Kimpton Santo, in downtown San Antonio. The live oak–ensconced plaza is situated directly between the hotel’s steakhouse and its vibe-y, high-concept speakeasy, the Study at Dean’s.
The Kimpton Santo, the third Kimpton location in Texas (adding to the Pittman, in Dallas and the Harper, in Fort Worth), has been open for less than a month, but its restaurants and bars—which include rooftop hot spot Tenfold—have already become must-visits for San Antonio’s foodies and Insta influencers alike. That’s thanks in part to thoughtful design by Irvine, California–based firm KTGY. The design of the ten-story main building manages to bridge historic rootedness—fitting with the property’s adjacency to San Antonio’s La Villita historic district—with rich, modern elements that point to the city’s ongoing downtown development and long-term plans.
History bleeds through the property, which also makes use of four historic limestone German-English School buildings, built in the La Villita district by German immigrants starting in 1859. The buildings have been utilized in various ways over the years, including as offices by San Antonio ISD, as the HemisFair headquarters during the 1968 World’s Fair, and as a conference center for the NAFTA initialing. Sitting on the second-story balcony of one of the schoolhouse buildings turned lush hotel suites, with the fingers of a sprawling oak tree partially obstructing, yet enhancing, a view of the Tower of the Americas, you can feel at home amid that history.
Walking through Dean’s Steak & Seafood, property manager Lynn Snyder points to the wooden beams above the dining room. “Originally, the architect wanted to cover everything up,” she tells me. But the team at White Lodging (which also operates neighboring newcomer Plaza San Antonio) wanted to showcase the old schoolhouse’s character. Workers pulled out the layers of drywall, exposing original doorways. They restored the wooden beams and left the ceiling open. “We wanted to keep it how it was intended to be,” Snyder says. That intention carried through to the courtyard, where the team pulled up existing tiles only to clean them before laying them back down.
If you were to jump straight from the historic end of the property to the building’s rooftop pool and high-end restaurant, it might feel disorienting. But the walk from one to the other feels like a natural transition, as you’re stepping slowly through various gradations of stonework, Spanish tile, smoked-glass fixtures, and rich earth and jewel tones. By the time you reach Tenfold, the sprawling rooftop restaurant and bar overlooking the Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair, the journey to a “new” San Antonio is complete. The modern touches and the 10X Tour, a ten-course tasting menu (real food? at a San Antonio rooftop bar? available until midnight?!) make the location a standout—and a much-welcomed addition to downtown’s postshow offerings.
So much of San Antonio’s excellence is found in its history—it’s about ghost hunting at the Menger, grabbing a care package from Sanitary Tortilla Company, and catching treats with the kids from the sidelines of the King William Fair Parade during Fiesta. Projects such as the Kimpton are a reminder that history can infuse the new in beautiful ways.
The living room at the Kimpton Santo blends fabrics and textures of old and new.
Garrett Smith/Giant Noise Partners
Tip for whiskey lovers: Order Dean’s Smoked Manhattan at Dean’s Steak & Seafood.
Garrett Smith/Giant Noise Partners
Lush fabrics in guest rooms nod to San Antonio’s vibrant culture.
Courtesy of Kimpton Santo
Forest-green tiles line the showers in the Kimpton Santo’s guest rooms.
Courtesy of Kimpton Santo
Tenfold Rooftop, a high-end restaurant and bar, offers sweeping views of Hemisfair and Yanaguana Garden, as well as parts of downtown San Antonio.
Garrett Smith/Giant Noise Partners
A hotel guest can visit the lobby bar for a complimentary libation during the daily social hour.
Garrett Smith/Giant Noise Partners
At Dean’s Steak & Seafood, architects put original features of the German schoolhouse on display, such as wooden ceiling beams and doorways.
Garrett Smith/Giant Noise Partners
Dean’s also offers brunch, with entrées such as Fried Chicken & Cheddar Biscuit.
Garrett Smith/Giant Noise Partners
Guests can order beverages or snack poolside on the hotel’s rooftop while looking out at downtown San Antonio.
Whit Preston
For the name Kimpton Santo, White Lodging drew inspiration from the city’s patron saint, Saint Anthony of Padua. The bird on the side of the building is a visual extension of the name and a representation of new beginnings.
Garrett Smith/Giant Noise Partners
