If you’re searching for the newly opened The Monarch San Antonio, look for the larger-than-life butterfly wings.
The three curved stained-glass structures form an outdoor pavilion behind the hotel, which opened last month. The wings catch light during the day but really come alive at night, when they glow orange, yellow and black thanks to three miles of integrated LED lighting. The $2 million sculpture, La Mariposa, honors the monarch butterflies that migrate through San Antonio each year. The graceful creatures inspire the rest of the Curio Collection by Hilton hotel, from its name to subtle design touches.
The Location
Close to the city’s biggest attractions, the Alamo (a five-minute walk) and the River Walk (two minutes), The Monarch anchors a much-anticipated sports and entertainment district in the Hemisfair neighborhood, the site of the 1968 World’s Fair. The San Antonio Spurs will build a new arena here. A new live events venue is in the works. Across from the hotel, the convention center will undergo an expansion. And all of it will be connected to Hemisfair Civic Park directly outside the property.
The Design
Inside the curved building (from San Antonio-based firm Overland Partners), the Gettys Group design tells the story of the butterfly’s metamorphosis. The airy first floor represents the emergence from the cocoon — the columns resemble trees with their long wooden branches stretching across the white ceiling. Lights shaped like chrysalises dangle from the tree column at the lobby bar. Then, on the top floor, illuminated butterflies take flight on the rooftop restaurant’s terrace canopy.
The butterfly theme surfaces in subtler ways, too. Bedrooms have sinuous headboards that look like close-ups of the veins in the insect’s wings, and mirrored elevators feature colorful butterfly panels.
Beyond the butterfly motifs, the spaces embrace natural materials and organic forms. In the lobby, cutouts of uneven shapes hold regionally made ceramics. Overhead, an installation of white translucent pieces hangs like a cloud over a snake-shaped sofa and oblong check-in desk.
Over in Oak & Amber, tall arches lead to the wood-fire stove, and semicircular booths add warmth to the herringbone-wood-floored dining room.
The Rooms
The 200 guest rooms have a consistent aesthetic with wood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows that let in ample light and stone bathrooms. Perks include fragrant lavender-and-mint toiletries from Dallas-based Niven Morgan, Nespresso coffee makers, 400-thread-count Sferra linens and blackout curtains that glide open or shut with a subtle tug. Business travelers will appreciate the desks and ergonomic chairs.
And on each floor, a water machine customizes flavored still or sparkling (our favorite was the classic cucumber).
The Food and Drink
Among executive chef Jae H. Lee’s restaurants, Aleteo, which means “flutter” in Spanish, is the draw. Sitting atop the 17th-story building, the restaurant pairs sweeping vistas of the city with a Yucatan-influenced menu (opt to dine on the terrace for views of La Mariposa and the Tower of the Americas).
It’s worth a visit just for the skirt steak, luscious strips with an addictive black garlic dipping sauce. But you will also be tempted by the baby-back ribs al pastor slathered with a pineapple chili glaze and yellowfin tuna with barrel-aged shoyu, yuzu and garlic crisps. For a satisfying finish, get the tres leches cake with strawberries. Or try one of the agave-focused cocktails, like the Oaxaca Old Fashioned with añejo tequila, mezcal, agave, chocolate bitters and a large ice cube imprinted with a butterfly silhouette, or the off-menu carajillo with espresso.
On the lobby level, Oak & Amber offers a cozy-chic Texas steakhouse with a mesquite-and-oak hearth. The menu features everything from an A5 Japanese wagyu to a filet mignon. For some pomp, order the prime rib trolley and have the 28-day dry-aged Texas ribeye carved tableside.
In addition, you’ll see Gulf seafood like the decadent Monarch oysters with caviar, quail egg yolk and ponzu, as well as seared scallops on a bed of risotto topped with trout roe. While the protein gets the top billing, our table could not get enough of the rigatoni alla vodka, which was reminiscent of Carbone’s famed spicy version but piled with creamy stracciatella. Afterward, savor comforting classics like carrot cake layered with cream cheese frosting and the gooey sticky toffee pudding.
Stop at the sage-hued Nectarie Café to fuel up on caffeinated drinks like La Monarca Matcha (with vanilla syrup, milk and lavender cold foam), cold-pressed juices (like Texas-based Stoke’s lemon, turmeric, honey and ginger shot) and quick bites like the Nutella cruffin and the smoked jalapeño and cheddar kolache (the savory pastry is a Texas staple). A nice detail: room-temperature and chilled still and sparkling water are on a self-serve tap here.
The Wellness
Head to the third floor for wellness. A 550-square-foot gym has Reaxing neuroactive training equipment (said to help physical and mindful movement), Precor machines and Peloton bikes. Alfresco mat Pilates and vinyasa flow classes take place under the shaded wings of La Mariposa.
While the spa wasn’t fully open during our stay, we did get an early peek. Filled with dark gray tones and wood, the four-treatment-room spa feels intimate and tranquil. Botanical therapies will be a focus, but you can also expect cutting-edge offerings, like the AI Concierge Skincare Scan, which takes less than a minute to pinpoint your skin’s needs and suggest a regimen and products, and advanced light therapy for your skin: red boosts collagen production, blue clears the bacteria that cause acne and green reduces hyperpigmentation and redness. We tried the Vitamin D Recovery massage, a 50-minute restorative, stress-busting service that included vitamin D3-infused aromatherapy oils (we chose “Breathe,” an invigorating eucalyptus-and-spearmint blend).
Tucked aside the spa, a pool with in-water loungers provides a reprieve from the San Antonio sun, as do the six cabanas and poolside bar.
The Excursions
Les Clefs d’Or is the preeminent society for hotel concierges, and its members, recognizable with their golden key lapel pins, are among the most connected people in a given city. There are five in San Antonio, two of whom work at The Monarch (a third will soon take the required test). They can do everything from booking a rooftop stargazing session with an astronomer/cosmologist (his powerful telescope allowed us to see Jupiter) to securing courtside access to a Spurs warm-up, followed by watching Victor Wembanyama and crew from a luxury box suite.
One of the standout excursions is a helicopter ride to Texas Hill Country, the state’s wine region. From nearby Million Air airport, the helicopter sends you on a 20-minute countryside ride over the Guadalupe River and Lyndon B. Johnson’s ranch (now a national historical park), landing on the grounds of William Chris Vineyards. We were greeted with a glass of sparkling — the winery’s first production — in the open-air tasting room. After a tour, we sat down with the winemakers in the barrel room to sample flights from the winery’s three brands: William Chris (the 2023 Enchanté, a Hill Country-style bordeaux was a highlight), La Valentia (meaning “courage” in Spanish, La Valentia puts a quote from a fearless woman on its labels, and it’s led by female winemaker Rae Wilson) and Uplift (the 2024 Lou Adah white is fresh and creamy, like lemon meringue pie).
Alongside the pours, the winery served delicious bites like cow’s milk cheese with garlic and herbs coated in crispy panko breadcrumbs (they resembled chicken nuggets) and a heaving charcuterie board.
That’s the thing about a property with two Les Clefs d’Or concierges: the hotel is just the start of your experience.
