When I was invited to TripAdvisor’s top-rated luxury hotel in the U.S., I immediately began wondering which major airport to mentally prepare myself for. JFK? LAX? MIA? I soon found out it was none of these, and was actually clean, pleasant, and easily navigable SAT—the International Airport in San Antonio, Texas.
I wasn’t sure what to expect for my first time in San Antonio. I’d never even been to Texas before, outside of the sprawling DFW airport, and have definitely forgotten everything I learned in school about the Alamo. However, Hotel Emma in San Antonio is, and I’m not sure how else to put this, the most downright charismatic property I’ve had the pleasure of staying at. There are lots of ways to gauge what makes a great luxury hotel; from the service to the amenities to the decor, there are endless available metrics that invariably boil down to personal perception and preference. However, I believe the best way to judge a great hotel is both simple and hard to define: it’s a space you just don’t want to leave. It’s somewhere that makes sightseeing take a backseat, somewhere where just being there is a vacation on its own. Whatever this X factor is, the ratings don’t lie: clearly, travelers are in agreement that Hotel Emma has it in spades.
I browsed pictures online before going, noting the unfinished walls, the towering ceilings, and the antique machinery, all evidence of the property’s past life as a 19th-century brewery. At the time, I thought that the aesthetic was a bit industrial; I was happily mistaken. Upon entering the lobby, the space was warm, elegant, and truly beautiful. The 19th-century character is both preserved and re-imagined, with unfinished surfaces complemented by rich tapestries, warm wood contrasting with cool and colorful tile, and bright, soaring ceilings balanced with antique leather furniture in shades of green and red. There’s an old-world charm to the space, the combination of organic textures with ornate decorative flares and airy architecture with cozy decor reminiscent of a Spanish castle. If I had to sum up the interiors in five words or less, it would be “Hearst Castle meets Texan Brewery,” followed by, “Trust me–it works.”
Upon check-in, guests are treated to a delicious welcome cocktail served in the guest-only library, a grand yet cozy space brimming with leatherbound perfection. (The 3,700 books within are actually the personal collection of local literary legend Sherry Kafka Wagner.) My favorite cocktail was the Three Emmas, named for the salacious backstory of the brewery, a Dynasty-esque tale of business, sex, and Texas justice. Former brewery president Otto Koehler had a wife named Emma who was injured in an automobile accident in 1910. Otto hired her a live-in nurse, also named Emma, with whom he started an affair. This Emma introduced Otto to her tall, blonde nurse friend named—you guessed it—Emma, with whom Otto began yet another affair. One day the two nurses invited Otto to their home; no one knows for sure what happened, but later that day, the police arrived to find Otto shot dead and blonde Emma saying she was sorry, but she “had to kill him.” Despite being charged with murder, blonde Emma managed to skip town and work as an army nurse during WW1 before returning to San Antonio to stand trial. She was swiftly acquitted by the all-male jury (and married the jury foreman).
As for the first Emma? She inherited the brewery from the dearly departed Otto and turned it into the biggest beer producer in Texas. It’s this Emma that the hotel is named for.
I had come to Hotel Emma specifically to experience a pop-up by facialist extraordinaire Joanna Czech, who I dined with that evening at Supper, the hotel’s exceptional restaurant that introduced me to the beauty of fried burrata with melted onions and tart cherries. We also had drinks at the hotel’s Sternewirth bar, a stately and handsome space featuring cozy VIP tables set in repurposed old tanks from the property’s brewery days.
As lovely as these spaces were, it was the rooms themselves that made me want to spend my entire visit confined to my chambers like some wayward medieval maiden. The furnishings are decadent but tasteful, antique wood pieces mixed with buttery-leathered upholstery and luxe linens. There are expansive views over the San Antonio River and the tree-filled Pearl District, and the Ice Box is chock-full of treats like craft beer and local farmers’ market provisions. The bathroom is the best part, a Victorian dream of ornate brass fixtures, gorgeous floor-to-ceiling tile, and the deepest old-fashioned clawfoot tub. I spent most nights on my trip doing my best impression of Kirsten Dunst in Marie Antoinette, aka luxuriating in the tub, while gorging myself on the delectable fresh-baked macarons that appeared in my suite every evening.
Once I finally managed to pull myself away from my lodgings, I had a wonderful time in San Antonio itself. Hotel Emma is located in the Pearl District, a revitalized neighborhood built up on the 23-acre site of the former brewery. The walkable district is chock-full of restaurants, markets, and activities, with public spaces that feel like Texan piazzas, perfect for strolling and people-watching on warm summer nights. I especially enjoyed the Pullman Market, designed by actual chefs as their dream grocery store and brimming with seasonal produce, artisan breads, and the most amazing, fresh flour tortillas to grace my palette. The market also contains multiple eateries, including the gorgeous and delicious Mezquite (don’t you dare skip dessert!). I even attended a concert at the beautiful new Stable Hall and a sushi-making class at the nearby Culinary Institute of America, one of only three CIA campuses in the country. I eventually succeeded in venturing outside the Pearl District, taking a riverboat trip through the immensely charming River Walk (where I saw one of my favorite pieces of film history, the quaint outdoor theater where the famous “April 25th” scene from Miss Congeniality was filmed).
A highlight of the trip was not just the facial with Czech, but Czech herself, who was doing a multi-day residency at the hotel. With a personality as big as her esthetic talent, it’s no mystery how she maintains a roster of impressive celebrity clientele, from top models to Anna Wintor to Mr. and Mrs. Bieber. Over gruyere popovers at Supper, we chatted about her esthetician training in Poland and her vast knowledge of chemistry and biosciences, admirable topics that soon devolved into discussions of astrology, dirty jokes, and Met Gala gown analyses. My expectations for the facial itself were obviously high, but I was still amazed by the results. For context, my skin is usually obliterated after air travel; I took four flights the week after seeing Czech—two of which were transatlantic—and my skin still never looked better. I was also lucky enough to sample her skincare products, which blew me away (and were purchasable at the hotel’s expertly-curated onsite shop). If Czech is an indication of the services available at Hotel Emma, consider me officially dying to try the usual offerings at their full-service Hiatus Spa.
By the end of my stay at Hotel Emma, I was relaxed, pampered, fattened like a sacrificial calf, and devastated to be leaving. In other words, I am happy to report my conclusion that Hotel Emma has absolutely earned the distinction of being the top luxury hotel in the country. If you aren’t convinced yet, just ask Cher, who once tweeted that Hotel Emma was one of the most beautiful and unique hotels she’s ever stayed at (even giving her credentials as someone who has stayed at the most amazing properties in the world and her opinion that Hotel Emma “might take the [cake emoji]”). The clear celebrity favorite in San Antonio, I got there when Drake had apparently just left, and the current guest of interest was none other than HRH Stevie Nicks. Not that it’s only celebrities that get VIP treatment at Hotel Emma; from the moment I arrived until the moment I departed, the staff was nothing but helpful, solicitous, and genuinely kind. To every guest, Hotel Emma provides one of the most special types of luxury experience: a space that simultaneously feels like home and is so, so much better.