Hotel Valencia – Review & Giveaway

Brian and I have date nights on a pretty regular basis… if sitting at home, cuddled up on the couch counts as a date. But a real date night out? It’s been a while. Getting to review the Hotel Valencia provided us with the opportunity for just that.

The hotel is located along the San Antonio Riverwalk, which, if you haven’t been, is a great getaway location with a lot to do.

The attention to service is apparent from the moment you walk in the door – or really, as you walk up. Bob rushed over to grab the door for us, greeting us with a smile. At check in, Lisa was pleasant and efficient, pointing out features of the hotel and where they were located. Within an hour of check in, I received an email from Robert, the Director of Operations, thanking us for choosing their hotel and letting me know I could email him or call the front desk if I had any problems. This level of service is not something I’ve encountered often at a hotel, and it made an impression.

In walking up to our room, we noticed that the halls were quiet, the lighting was low, and soft music was playing in the background. After entering the room, we walked down a short hallway, then turned the corner for the big reveal of the room – a big, open, airy space with high ceilings. A credenza lined one wall, serving as desk space at one end. A large, chunky-framed mirror was propped against the wall next to a modern leather armchair. The headboard was upholstered in leather, and two low nightstands flanked the sides of the bed. All around the room, unique modern lighting fixtures provided a warm glow – no two were alike.

I am in love with this chair. I told Brian that one day we have to own one. It is modern and yet so comfortable that you just sink right into it.

Here’s a short video Brian shot to give you even more of an idea of what the space was like:

I think I’ve mentioned before that I really appreciate attention to detail, and Brian is the same way. We noticed a lot of the small things some people might not, but all of those small things add up to create the overall mood of the room – the uplighting on a plant in the corner; the dark carpet runner inlaid into tile in the entry hallway; a concrete column in the corner that felt like it belonged in a New York loft and added yet another modern element to the room.

The bathroom felt like I’d stepped into a spa. Where the room felt warm and cozy, the bathroom felt bright. The floors and lower portion of the walls were white marble, and the upper portion of the walls was covered in a brown grasscloth wallpaper. The choices of hardware were modern and minimalistic. Even the toiletries provided felt like they belonged in this room. The recessed light in the actual shower space made it feel huge, and the towels were huge – and very plush. The only thing I would wish for would be an adjustable massaging shower head. It was definitely one of the nicest bathrooms I’ve seen.

When we were out wandering around the hotel we came across a display of what looks like hand-blown glass oranges (Valencia oranges, I suppose!) with signatures on them. Upon closer inspection we realized these were all signatures of celebrities that had stayed at the hotel. It was a lot of fun reading through the signatures – there were quite a variety, from Foreigner to the Offspring, to the Dixie Chicks, to the American Idol judges, to – control yourselves, any teenage readers that may be out there – the Jonas Brothers. You can see for yourself just how many oranges were on display – the shelves were floor-to-ceiling:

Check out some of the other parts of the hotel we couldn’t resist taking photos of, too.

Brian used an iPhone app to take some more photos around our hotel room that I thought would be fun to include, too – see how pretty that sink is?

I went into this hotel stay acutely aware of everything, wanting to make sure I could share a full experience with you, both the good and bad points. It was difficult to find a negative.  I will say this is not a kid-friendly hotel, and it’s not intended to be. It is a great option for a weekend getaway, as it definitely sets a romantic tone. This hotel doesn’t break the bank, either. If you look at their website, you can reserve a room with a King-sized bed for less than $200. This hotel feels like the rooms should be twice that price – Brian honestly thought I was mistaken when I told him the rate I had found. And, if you’re in Texas, like I know many of my readers are, it’s just a quick drive in the car down to San Antonio. Brian and I will definitely plan to go back to this hotel for an anniversary or other special occasion in the future.

Guess what? You might get to experience the Hotel Valencia for yourself – for free. They have provided me with one night’s stay to use as a giveaway!

One entrant will win a one night stay at the Hotel Valencia Riverwalk (for use Sunday-Thursday only). This contest will run through midnight CST Thursday, July 15. A winner will be selected with random.org.

Mandatory Entry: “Like” the Hotel Valencia Riverwalk on Facebook, write “Visiting from the Frugal Novice!” on their wall, and comment letting me know you’ve done so.

(Only valid after the required entry has been completed)

Please leave a comment for each extra entry – if you blog about this giveaway and get 3 entries, for example, comment 3 times.

• Follow the Hotel Valencia Riverwalk on Twitter {1 extra entry}
• Follow me on Google Friend Connect {1 extra entry}
• Subscribe to my RSS feed {1 extra entry}
• Blog about this giveaway and link it back here {3 extra entries}
• Follow me on Twitter {1 extra entry}
• “Like” Frugal Novice on Facebook {1 extra entry}
• Tweet about this giveaway {1 extra entry per tweet; up to 3 tweets – not back to back – per day}
• Grab my button and put it on your blog {2 extra entries}

Note: This was not a paid post. The Hotel Valencia provided us with a room to review and one for the giveaway, but all opinions provided are honest and are our own. We were not compensated monetarily.

Be sure and check back tomorrow to read about our experience dining at Citrus, Hotel Valencia’s in-house restaurant!