If you’ve taken a stroll down the Museum Reach section of San Antonio’s River Walk, chances are you’ve seen Hotel Havana.
The 27-room historic property located on the southern bank of the San Antonio River at the Romano Street Bridge was restored by Austin-based hospitality company Bunkhouse in April 2010, but still has a tale or two left to tell — even from beyond the grave, if you dare to ask.
Throwing it back 110 years ago
The three-story hotel was built in 1914 by local grocer and German immigrant Edward Franz Melcher. The property features a Mediterranean Revival style popular in Cuba and nods to Spanish Colonial history. Some of its original characteristics included:
- Red pressed metal shingle roofs
- Two three-story towers
- Interior porches
- Cast stone balustrades
- A diagonally coffered ceiling in the lobby
The cypress, palm, and magnolia trees were planted by Melcher and can be found around the property today.
Fun fact: Melcher donated a portion of its deed to the Alamo City for River Walk development.
Today’s hotel
Hotel Havana was reopened under Bunkhouse Group in April 2010. Even though the hotel has changed hands several times, the urban legends were passed down by the staff. If you’re brave enough, ask the hotel staff about your room when you check in.
You can learn more about the hotel’s supernatural inhabitants at its Past and Present: A Haunted Tour Around Hotel Havana on Thursday, Oct. 24. Tickets start at $24.
