El Tropicano Hotel on San Antonio River Walk Scheduled for Transformation and Reopening in Fall 2026

Trestle Studio has announced plans to reopen the El Tropicano property on San Antonio’s River Walk as Sítio El Tropicano in Fall 2026 following a renovation.

Trestle Studio will renovate and reopen the 1960s-era El Tropicano hotel on San Antonio’s River Walk as Sítio El Tropicano in Fall 2026. The company has partnered with Michael Hsu Office of Architecture to lead the design, marking their first collaboration in San Antonio after previously working together on The Line Hotel in Austin.

The original El Tropicano opened in 1962 and was developed by R.E. Dumas Miller. The hotel featured amenities such as a tropical pool deck, Flamingo Garden, and an on-site retail mall. Over the years, it included restaurants, salons, creative businesses, a convention center, and a private club.

The renovated Sítio El Tropicano will feature 315 rooms, San Antonio’s largest pool deck, three culinary and cocktail venues in collaboration with a local restaurant group to be announced next year, 16,000 square feet of meetings and events space, and a 5,000-square-foot spa and wellness retreat. The hotel will have more than 400 feet of River Walk frontage.

Art throughout the hotel will highlight Southwestern and Latin artists, drawing on influences such as Joan Miró, the Bauhaus, and Giorgio Morandi. A private membership program is also planned for the property.

The design will be inspired by the philosophies of Brazilian landscape modernist Roberto Burle Marx, with an emphasis on integrating nature throughout the property. The project is scheduled for completion and reopening in Fall 2026.