Report on the Wyndham Riverside Suites

*We’ve been at the Wyndham Riverside Suites for several days now. It’s a funky old place, but kinda fun. It’s at 218 College Street, near Pressa, just a few steps from the River Walk, one of San Antonio’s more famous landmarks, along with the Menger Hotel and the Alamo. The brochures say it’s a nine-minute walk to the Alamo, and it’s about three miles to Mission Concepcion, America’s oldest unrestored stone church. The units feature Southwestern décor, but aren’t fanatical about it, and have free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and DVD players, plus kitchenettes. The 1- and 2-bedroom suites add separate living rooms. Some include whirlpool tubs and balconies. There’s a business center and a kid’s playground, video rentals and a deck featuring city views.

The building is almost 100 years old, and was last remodeled at the turn of the century (It feels odd to write that, but it’s accurate.) We, along with our daughter, are in a two bedroom unit of unusual design: One bedroom and bathroom is on the same floor with the rather small lounging area and the very compact kitchen, and another, with bath, is up two flights of very narrow stairs.  The arrangement isn’t too comfortable, but it does have some charm going for it. The unit has all of the basic stuff, a full-sized refrigerator, a microwave, a coffee pot and a two-burner stove. There is no oven. The “European-style” washers have a four-hour cycle and no dryer function…the clothes come out damp. That’s sorta weird.  Some of the units have hot tubs on the balconies. The sofa in the living area is ready for replacement, as is the upstairs bedroom’s bed. The parking area to unload /unload is almost non-existent, so be prepared to move fast and dodge cars. Luckily, traffic on the street is minimal. There is a public parking garage a half block away, where parking costs $15 per day, but handicapped parking is free there and at all of the city-operated lots.

To repeat myself, the location of the place is outstanding. There is a plethora of restaurants and bars and museums and the River Walk just outside the door. There is a shuttle that’s free for the time you’re there if you take a Wyndham’s “owner’s information” pitch, which isn’t too much of a hard sell, but took a couple of hours before we could get free. If you go, hold out for the $100 American Express gift card as an emolument. That’s what we did. The shuttle will take you to the area of the Alamo Plaza, home to the Alamo and the Menger Hotel and more bars and T-shirt shops than you can count.

Today, we went to shop and have lunch at Market Square, a collection of shops and restaurants that's been there since the 1820s. "Explore over 100 locally owned shops in a festive indoor mall filled with authentic Talavera pottery, exotic curios, handcrafted figures, and colorful ethnic clothing." That's what the handout says, and it's all true. They've got many shops and tons of goods and it's all just like what I've seen in Mexico on my several trips there. Today it was raining, so instead of our photos, learn more here: Market Square

In summary, this is an interesting resort in which to stay, but not the most comfortable I can recall. It has a good location in town and easy access to the two or three places ( the Alamo, the Menger Hotel and maybe the historic Market Square), that I wanted to see here. I'd suggest a three- or four-day stay would be adequate to see those things.

* This is adapted from a write-up I did for a timeshare owners group.