San with a Plan: It’s as Fun a Time as Ever to visit San Antonio

San with a Plan: It’s as Fun a Time as Ever to visit San Antonio

The adjoining AC by Marriott and Element by Westin hotels, a block from the River Walk

A VIBRANT DESTINATION any time of the year, San Antonio is especially exciting in October, leading up to weekend-long Dia de Los Muertos celebrations all over town. A river parade and special events in the La Villita Historic Village are among the festivities Oct. 27-29. Walkability is key, as ever — and two new Marriott properties have just opened in the heart of the River Walk, ensuring an easy trip for all.


The adjoining hotels, AC by Marriott and Element by Westin, are located on Soledad at Commerce; each offers a tasty breakfast buffet, and there’s a rooftop bar with bites, brunch and unbeatable skyline views.

The River Walk itself offers plenty of tourist-trappy fun (especially for families), but hop over to Hemisfair for more park and garden spaces, plus trendy eats like Box St. All Day. Farther east, find a more sophisticated take on the city’s mariachi-and-margaritas vibe at still-new Carriqui, with South Texas-inspired fare.

People + Places

FORREST GUMP FAMOUSLY said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” And this was very much our sentiment after popping into Winfield’s Chocolate Bar in River Oaks for the first time. Molly Voorhees, president of The Chocolate Bar, Beck’s Prime and Agnes Café & Provisions, rebranded it to Winfield’s about a year ago to tie the business more closely to her family name. Currently, she’s in the process of opening a second Winfield’s in the Tanglewood/Galleria area.

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THE FORMER TONY Mandola's building on Waugh, which for the last year has been home to Gatsby's Prime Seafood, will soon have yet another seafood-savvy iteration: Ocean 12.

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