Ranch Motel & Leisure Club

We stayed in San Antonio overnight for a work related event, and wanted to stay in a boutique hotel. We stay at a lot of boutique hotels as that is our preference to support small business and restoration of old hotels and buildings. This hotel comes really recommended and my hopes were high, many reviews calling it a relaxing oasis. One week after we booked the room we were notified that the pool would not be available from 4-9pm the day of check in because a private party had been scheduled. While disappointing, we still decided to keep our reservation. Upon pulling up to the location the street facing view was a little ominous, very overgrown and was difficult to see where to pull around to find parking. But, upon parking and walking in the hotel it did look like a relaxing oasis, the exterior of the buildings, landscaping, pickleball court and pool are gorgeous. Unfortunately, that is where the excitement and hopes of a nice stay ended. We soon discovered our room was a courtyard king which was located right in front of the pool that we could not use. This was okay, however we were soon found the private party had a DJ that was blasting music from 4-9pm. It was honestly was unbearable. We could not hear anything above the noise of the music in our room. This was not the only disappointment however, the room itself was dreary, dimly lite and sparse. The investment in this hotel was clearly on the exterior and not the interior. Very few amenities offered including no TV, or fridge. The scariest part though, was the peeling paint throughout the room and bathroom, holes in the walls around the outlets, flickering lights, and finding the smoke detector had been removed from the ceiling. I am all for keeping as much of the original building and decor as possible to preserve the essence of a building, but these issues are not safe. The shower itself was dirty and the towels had a strange odor. As well our ice bucket had not been changed over with used bag and melted ice in it and the cups on the bathroom sink were sitting in wet puddles on the shelf. I will say however, the bed and pillows were very comfortable and the linens were clean. The staff we found were not very friendly, and did not address our concerns very well. On check in we asked about the party and what to expect as far as noise level and the front desk staff simply said she did not know. The relieving front desk staff for the evening is one that addressed our concerns after check-in as far as the noise level and potentially moving our room or leaving. We were told there was no additional room availably ready except for one that was checked in but the guest had left and so they did not know if the room was ready. We were also told if we left (which we wanted to do) we would be charged for the room anyway (we had only been there 3 hours). In consolation they offered a bottle of wine, ugh. We had planned on eating on our room and working, but had to leave due to the noise level. Up

I wanted something different but really nice for our anniversary this weekend and had high hopes for this place. Some of these refurbished motels are GREAT. This one is good, but needs a bit more work to rate the price of a 4-star riverwalk hotel. I didn’t hate it, but I probably won’t be back. PROS: The bed, pillows, and linens are excellent. The location is within walking distance of Breckenridge Park. The courtyard and pool are truly lovely. The room’s retro decor was what I expected from the pics, clean and minimalist. CONS: The King Courtyard rooms, though more convenient to the pool and bar, get the noise from the pool and road. (RM does supply a noise machine in the room, which was a big help. We would not have been able to sleep without it.) Amenities that are listed, like the hair dryer and robes, were not in the room. We went to the office and asked for a hair dryer. We also had to go to the office for ice. Other fairly standard amenities are overlooked completely. No microwave in the room or lobby. No coffee maker in the room, though typical hotel coffee is served in the lobby from 7-11 am. The doors (room entry and bathroom) were very hard to open and close. Each time, we forced the door shut or open, there was a loud, echoing noise throughout the room. At night, that meant you couldn’t close the bathroom door fully without waking up the other person. The RM sells passes and memberships for the pool and pickleball court. That’s great for locals, and it is a cool space to hang out in, but it meant that both days we were there, the pool was packed with loud music & party guests all day long. The only time the pool wasn’t overcrowded was after dark. That was a bummer for me, because I had really hoped to spend some time in the sun relaxing poolside. Even if there were an empty chair, there was no relaxing. After the parties both days, empty glasses and wet towels stayed on the lounge chairs and pool sides for the rest of the evening. No one cleaned the area until the bar was closing. Keeping the space clean would have been a simple fix and would have made the space far more inviting for hotel guests who, like us, had waited all day to enjoy the pool. As it was, it felt like we were an afterthought. Rather than making pool towels available at the pool, nearby bar, or in the guest rooms, the towels were kept in the office, so I had to go ask for them as well. It’s a little, easily fixed thing, but the it’s one more inconvenience for the hotel guest. The grounds outside the hotel’s fence in front and back could use some work. The retro sign is cool, but it doesn’t make up for the sketchy feel we got driving up to the place. Mow, trim, plant some flowers, and put up some signage to let first-time guest know they are in the right place and probably won’t get mugged when they get out of the car. Locals may not worry about the older, off-the-beaten-path area, but when we drove up, I wasn’t sure I wanted to get out of the c

It was a short stay, room was clean and quiet. Nice vibe and atmosphere, slept very good and had a nice hot shower. Would like to come back to explore property. Came for a Spurs game and to see the lights downtown. Property is right in the middle of everything.

This motel is close to the botanical garden and an easy roll to downtown. The staff were friendly and helpful. The site is newly renovated. My only major issue was not figuring out the heat and ac the first night. I didn’t notice the remote in the desk. It was fine once I found the remote. Very clean and newly painted.

24/7 access to a heated pool is amazing

Absolutely love what they’ve done with the place! Clean, comfortable, and in a great location close to lots of really great bars, restaurants, and museums. Front office manager was awesome and provided exceptional service. Definitely will be coming back and making more use of the heated pool.