Emily Morgan Hotel: The Yellow Rose of Texas Never Smelled so Sweet
Written: Mar 30 '03
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Prime location, excellent service, classy and comfortable decor and furnishings
Cons: No gift shop on premises for sundries and snacks
The Bottom Line: A classy and comfortable place to rest one's head deep in the heart of Texas.
|
|
|
| AshleyA's Full Review: Ramada Emily Morgan Hotel |
If you would ever care to test the caliber of a hotel, I would invite you to travel with my grandparents. On a recent trip to San Antonio with my diabetic grandfather and partially disabled grandmother, we had the privilege of staying at the historic Emily Morgan Hotel directly adjacent to the Alamo. For the three nights we were there, the events that transpired kept the staff on their toes.
The hotel was originally built in Gothic Revival style as a medical arts facility in 1924. Sixty one years later, it was renovated and opened as the beautiful 177-room Emily Morgan Hotel.
The hotel's name honors a significant figure in Texas history. Emily Morgan, also known as the "Yellow Rose of Texas" (according to historical records citing the famous song's original title as "Emily, the Maid of Morgan's Point), is remembered as having played a significant role in helping General Sam Houston defeat Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna during the Battle of San Jacinto in April 1836. According to legend, Santa Anna found himself quite the ladies man. Although he was married to a woman in Mexico, and had recently remarried one of his teenage servants, he seemed quite lonely as it had been two weeks since he'd been with his newest bride.
Upon approaching the spot where he would make his encampment in order to achieve a strategic position to attack nearby Texas rebels, he met Emily and was astounded by her beauty. Santa Anna felt she would be a suitable replacement for the lack of female company he'd been experiencing. Despite much opposition from his colonels as to the location of his latest camp, he went against their advisement and set it up anyway. Emily kept Santa Anna occupied while General Houston was able to successfully locate him through critical information received from a "yellow boy" informant (who was informed by Emily herself). On the morning of April 21, 1836, Houston literally caught Santa Anna with his pants down in a surprise attack. Emily survived the battle and was lauded as a hero for her efforts.
As visitors pull up to the front of the hotel, they are greeted by friendly, casually dressed valets. Once inside, an elegant lobby welcomes them with smooth, granite floors, a modern bar illuminated with tea lights in the evenings, comfortable chairs spaced throughout and a fireplace. Our check-in was quick and efficient, and we were assisted by friendly front desk personnel.
Rooms
Despite a quirky elevator that took us up 11 floors before letting us off at the third floor, we were happy to make it to our room (this continued for the duration of our stay). Having made full use of the valet and bell service, there was absolutely no wait for our bags once we entered the room. The room was very comfortable and very tastefully decorated. When immediately entering the room, there was a half-moon built-in table with a granite top that served as a small "drop zone" for keys and odds and ends. We had a beautiful traditional mahogany wardrobe for our hanging items, which was placed next to a mahogany chest of drawers atop which sat the television. There were also two double beds with nicely kept bedspreads with a light sateen finish and mahogany headboards. The nightstand, bathroom counter, and table all had granite tops, which I felt added a touch of class. Other amenities included an iron and ironing board, a little refrigerated minibar, a two-way speakerphone and data port, a coffee maker with Starbucks Coffee and Tazo Teas, and a hair dryer. Executive rooms have additional amenities such as fold out sofas, desks, and feather top beds.
The bathroom was in a class of its own. Sliding double doors with textured glass panes decorated with frosted designs separated the bathroom from the bedroom. Our room had a whirlpool bath, which I am not fully sure is standard, tiled floors, beautiful mahogany cabinetry, and a toilet in its own closet. We were supplied with Aveda hair and body products.
The room was clean, and it was able to accommodate the electrical sleep apnea apparatus required by my grandfather. Although we had a total of four people staying in the same room, not once did we feel crowded. There was plenty of square footage for us to move around without bumping into each other. We had a full wall of windows that gave us an excellent view of one side of the Alamo. We never heard our neighbors, and noises from the hall were not disturbing to us. The only "complaint" about the room that was voiced by my very particular grandmother was that the beds were full-sized instead of queen sized.
Service
Having worked in the hospitality industry, it doesn't matter how beautiful hotel itself is, there is no hospitality without attentive and courteous customer service, and we took full advantage of that.
For starters, after the first night's sleep, the toilet in our room provided us with a very ineffective and lackluster flush. According to my cousin, my grandfather was responsible for clogging it in the middle of the night. That morning, I called maintenance, and they were very quick to respond in plunging our toilet to get the water to at least drain. Unfortunately, we had to continually call maintenance several more times, including once in the middle of the night, to unclog the toilet. While it was frustrating that it was never fully fixed, it was a relief to have our cries for help tended to in a very timely and friendly manner. Having four guests in one room is very taxing on a toilet!
During the middle of the second night of our stay, my grandfather awoke us all by the crinkling of a foil wrapper as he struggled to unwrap a glucose tablet. Having absent-mindedly hit the road with no food to curtail any sugar issues faced by my grandfather, he came very close to going into a diabetic coma. In a panic, my grandmother called guest services at 1:30 a.m. and made a desperate plea for fruit or some sort of simple food that my grandfather could eat in order to bring his levels closer to normal. Less than 10 minutes later, a plate arrived at our door full of freshly cut fruit. The room service gentleman also made another trip up to our room with a tray of three generously sized cookies and a glass of milk. In the end, we were charged for none of this on our final bill. We were saved a trip to the ER, and won over as guests.
The housekeeping staff was also very accommodating honoring our requests for an extra handful of chocolates during the turndown service in the evenings, extra rolls of toilet paper and extra sets of towels.
Other Information
The Emily Morgan Hotel has other on-site amenities worth mentioning.
A 24-hour workout facility with a sauna, a whirlpool, and a heated pool sit on the second floor. The heater in the pool was out of service while we were there, and the hot tub was too hot for even my feet to stand, but it was a nicely maintained area complete with dressing rooms, a scale, and extra towels. The pool is shaped so that it can successfully accommodate lap swimmers.
On the first floor is Oro a somewhat upscale Italian restaurant. Prices range from $17-$35 for an entree. While I personally did not eat in the restaurant, my family did. Reviews from them were lukewarm at best.
Around the corner from the check-in counter is the library where guests can sit by the fire, watch television or check out a number of books or cd's. There are many tables spaced throughout with data ports available as well as an upright piano for anyone who feels inclined to express their musical side.
The Emily Morgan Hotel is 1.5 blocks from the Riverwalk and 1 block from a Trolley stop offering service to Market Square and other locations in town. The closest shop for purchasing snacks and sundries is 1.5 blocks away. While a few snacks and toiletries are available in and on top of the refrigerator bar in the room, they are very pricey.
Parking is $16 a day and is situated in an open lot directly behind the hotel. Rack rates for the rooms are approximately $210/night. Our rate was $129.
Overall, our stay was completely comfortable and enjoyable. We were very impressed by everything and given the opportunity to stay there again, I know we would not have second thoughts about doing so.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
AshleyA
|
|
Member: Ashley
Location: Austin, Texas
Reviews written: 59
Trusted by: 49 members
About Me:
Livin' the good life in Texas.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.