My wife, 7-year-old daughter and I just returned from a weekend in downtown San Antonio, where we stayed at The Fairmount. It's a great alternative to some of the more expensive hotels that are right on the Riverwalk. The Fairmount borders the south side of La Villita, which offers easy access to the river through the Arneson River Theater. The Fairmount is a charming, historic, remodeled hotel that was actually moved to its current site years ago from across downtown. We stayed in a Queen suite (about $200 a night, although we bought the stay at a silent auction that The Fairmount graciously donated to) that offered a bedroom, living room, and nice bath. It also featured television sets in the two rooms and nice antique furnishings and finishes. We stayed on the third floor (the top floor) overlooking Hemisfair Plaza on one side and La Villita and the Hilton Palacio del Rio on the other. The hotel has several charming quirks. The modern-feeling Luca restaurant has a wood-burning firepit, and you can smell the smoke throughout the hotel. We didn't eat at the restaurant, but we noticed the breakfast menu prices easily beat what you find on the Riverwalk. Luke, the hotel labrador, sleeps downstairs and is available to guests for walks around Hemisfair. The front desk people are great, and they serve as both the desk personnel and valets, so be prepared to wait a bit if you're trying to check in or get your car. Overall, great hotel, great experience, great value!

I had an excellent stay - This is a beautiful hotel!!! And, yes - don't kid yourself - it is an antique - so, the floors are crooked - and it does smell a bit musty - but - it is BEAUTIFUL!!!! And the staff was excellent. Don't expect people to be waiting on you, hand and foot - it is a small, boutique, hotel. If you want all of that hoopla - stay at a sterile marriott - or something similar. This is truly for the experience. Each room is unique - and beautiful. Just enjoy the ambiance.

We stayed here in May 2007 and were disappointed. Our singular memory of this hotel will forever be an unattended front desk. From the moment we arrived and, afterwards, almost every time we needed anything there was nobody available at the front desk. The reason is that the hotel is understaffed. During our stay, only one person covered the front desk on each shift. That person was expected to multitask and cover the responsibilities of a desk clerk, bellman, valet parking attendant, and concierge. It is too much to ask of any one person and guest service suffers as a result. If this were a Days Inn or a Motel 6, the poor service would be understandable and expected (after all you are not really paying for any extras). For a facility that claims to be upscale at a 4 diamond level, it was very disappointing. Positives: 1) Rooms are large, nicely appointed and furnished, and very comfortable. 2) Location is great. Close to the River Walk and just across the street from the HemisFare park and convention center. Negatives: 1) Guest service is poor. 2) Hotel claims to offer wireless internet. Truth is that their wireless network is too underpowered to cover the entire property. They have only one small router located on the third floor. Our room was on the second floor and we never received enough signal strength to connect. There is NO Ethernet cable to the rooms for backup and they do not offer a signal bridge to improve reception. 3) No Fitness Center. Their website says they have one but we were told it had been closed for 6 months with no firm date to reopen. 4) Their "Business Center" consists of one desk and one computer in the hallway on the third floor. The underpowered WIFI router is connected to this computer. 5) The restaurant attached to the hotel (Sage Ristorante) offered only average service. We arrived on time for a 6 PM reservation. The restaurant was not busy and they had plenty of staff about, but we still waited for about 10 minutes before being seated. After being seated, service continued to be slow throughout the dinner. The food (Italian), however, was very good. No children's menu. This hotel has a lot of potential but, for the most part, it comes up short - particularly considering its price range. Finally, despite the name similarity, do not confuse this "Fairmount" property with the well-established "Fairmont" hotel group. They are not a Fairmont hotel and their service level is nowhere near what you might expect from a genuine Fairmont.