The Gunter Returns
Writer & Photographer: Nick Blevins
Featuring refreshed interiors, a renewed focus on music, and a delectable new cafe, the Gunter Hotel is positioning itself as the go-to spot in the heart of downtown — for travelers and San Antonians alike.
For over 100 years, the historic Gunter Hotel has sat at the corner of Houston and N St Mary’s street, deep in the heart of San Antonio. If you haven’t visited, you’ve probably driven past it before. Having been a part of the city’s tapestry for so long, the property has changed ownership a number of times, over the course of which it has developed a legacy and lore entirely its own. Once the tallest building in San Antonio, the storied hotel has hosted cattle ranchers and cowboys, actors and airmen, and individuals whose works have changed the face of entire industries. Included in the National Register of Historic Places, any blues fan will excitedly tell you it’s also the place where the King of the Delta Blues himself, Robert Johnson, laid down not just two very important tracks, but perhaps even the groundwork for American music overall.
Under the auspices of General Manager Austin VandeVate and team, the hotel has taken on a new luster. Part of Marriott’s “Tribute Portfolio,” the space was reimagined with the simultaneous purpose of celebrating the history and culture that informs the century-old legacy of the storied venue, while also bringing a renewed focus on music — and San Antonio’s place in that legacy, especially — to the fore.
Scene In SA got the run of the place, and boy did we run wild; from pastries and coffee to dinner, and from dinner to dozing, we checked out virtually every aspect of the refreshed hotel. We had the distinct pleasure of trying inspired dishes from Jots Restaurant, as well as an impressive variety of flavorful baked goods from the celebrated new cafe on site, Paris Baguette. We sauntered past the aesthetically-lit, tastefully stocked vinyl library — the contents of which are available to check out for every guest. A forthcoming recording studio is in the final stages of construction as of this writing, and a lovingly furnished listening room awaits ears aplenty. There’s a speakeasy bar with a hidden entrance on site; we checked that out too. We’re here to let you know, dear reader: the Gunter is good.
Vinyl Ambassador Gibby Diaz can provide listening recommendations from the 1,000-plus albums in stock.
Fresh Digs
There's comfortable seating and no shortage of interesting views throughout
As you turn off of downtown N. St Mary’s into the hotel’s shaded driveway, spirited parking attendants await to whisk your automobile away for safe keeping. Between the time it took to get out of my car and go to my trunk, a bellman’s cart seemingly manifested alongside me. My belongings were efficiently gathered, and I was ushered inside.
Stepping into the premises provides further balm to the senses. When the doors slide closed behind you, there’s a wondrous, transportive silence. I checked in on an early Friday evening, so the nighttime crowds hadn’t yet begun to stir; the Gunter was mine to explore, and I did. From that moment on — until the second your soles hit the pavement upon checkout — it’s clear that each choice of experience is yours.
Travelers are immediately greeted with a spacious, airy lobby, featuring generous seating throughout. I tested most of the seats there, and can attest to their plushness. Straight ahead from the entrance is the Keystone Club, an elegant, art deco-inspired bar ready to cater to any imminent cocktail needs. Adjacent to the bar is the hotel’s vinyl library, where guests can select albums to enjoy on the record players inside of every room. A “vinyl ambassador” on staff exists to not only curate the music heard in the lobby area, but also provide recommendations, music knowledge, and more; It’s also the merch area, featuring Gunter-branded apparel (and one or two pieces that I’d definitely wear). At the opposite end of the hotel, Jot’s restaurant looks out onto Houston street, and just a few steps along the sidewalk takes you to Paris Baguette.
Where lofty ceilings permit, custom chandeliers cast warm glows throughout the hotel. When verticality is in shorter supply, globe sconces peek, head-like, from the walls. And speaking of peeking, while the Gunter — along with a few other hotels downtown — has a haunted history all its own, nary an apparition was spotted during my stay. It’s clear that in renovating the space, a distinct focus was also paid to the preservation of its unique and original components. “The history is in the paint,” explains VandeVate.
There are 311 (start a musical reference counter) suites available on site. Originally comprising nine floors, the hotel now stands at 12. The top floor suites bear names that honor musicians of old, including pianist and conductor Henry Lange, and jazz pianist and band leader Alphonso Trent.
Bar 414
If you're setting foot inside the Gunter for the first time, there’s no reason you would know about the other bar, hidden as it is behind a painting. You read that right; in a move straight out of Scooby-Doo, a large, door-sized (in hindsight) piece of art opens to reveal an entire, fully furnished bar, replete with wooden decor, ornate brass accents, and stained glass windows. Bar 414, named for the room where Robert Johnson recorded his seminal tracks, is located just below a forthcoming recording studio, and is open seven days a week.
Dinner at Jots
The women-led team behind Jots, the Gunter's restaurant, produced culinary marvels. Featuring tantalizing, pan-Texan fare like pecan-smoked bacon-wrapped quail poppers, crispy pork schnitzel, and a deeply savory gumbo topped with buttered shrimp and laden with shredded chicken and andouille sausage, Jot’s offers you the opportunity to taste the state on a plate.
Executive Chef Hayley Unruh explained her cooking philosophy to me as one rooted in both Texan and Cajun culture.
“I grew up in southeast Texas,” she said, “spending a lot of time with my grandparents in the Shreveport, Louisiana area. During the holidays we would have a Cajun Christmas. For forever, we all ate Cajun food, and gumbo was one of the dishes we would always make.” She adds a boiled egg to the mix as an homage to her family, as well as the regional Cajun habit of eating their gumbo with potato salad. “Our potato salad that my family made was really egg-heavy, and I thought it would be really good. It’s a little different, but it works really well.”
The sweet corn maque choux that glistens like a river beneath Jots' blackened red snapper, in addition to being absolutely delicious, doubles as a tribute to Food and Beverage Director Chef Sarah Myles’ father.
“I learned to read, write, add, and subtract out of a Paul Prudhomme cookbook with my dad, even when I was a little girl,” Myles stated. She was a quick learner from the jump, and thinking that the seminal Cajun chef might impart more than just recipes, her father “realized that I would be able to learn skill sets by teaching me through cooking. One of the first recipes he ever taught me to cook was for maque choux.”
Sweet Treats at Paris Baguette
One of the jewels in the Gunter’s freshly polished crown, Paris Baguette is an extensive, incredibly varied bakery café absolutely loaded with just about any pastry one’s sweet little heart might desire. Rows and rows of sweet and savory selections await, and with a deeply chocolatey cafe mocha and decadent, cocoa-rich chocolate croissant, it will not be the last time I darken their doorway.
In the Room
As I scanned my keycard and walked inside my room for the evening, I heard the satisfying click of my boots on tile. To the left, a large armoire sat poised to accommodate the entirety of my belongings, while a short hallway led to the restroom on the right. Guests have their choice of fluffy white cotton or sensual blue satin robes to pad around the room in, and considering which to pick felt like a fun little personality test.
I stepped beyond the entryway into the living room, and my eyes immediately alighted upon a beautifully arranged charcuterie board resting on the black marble tabletop. Three music notes, made of cheese, hovered whimsically above the rest of the display, a cheeky reminder of the hotel’s renewed raison d'être.
Beneath a large, wall mounted TV sat an attractive record player, and just behind it, a vinyl copy of King of the Delta Blues Singers, Robert Johnson’s posthumous compilation of tracks released in 1961. This combo populates each room in the Gunter; an ode to the man, the music, and his contribution to the American musical canon.
In the bedroom, fluffy, expansive sheets, and wide, comfy pillows atop a sprawling, king-size bed made for outrageously good sleep. Have you ever had one of those sleeps where, the moment your head hits the pillow, it’s daytime? I did. I slept like a baby that just worked a double at the factory.
Should you find yourself in need of the facilities through the night, automatic lights mean that your only priority is relief. If you thought the music themes would stop at the bathroom door however, you better check yourself; an offering from high-end perfumery brand D.S. & Durga, even the Debaser soap and body cream on the counter have their own early 90’s college radio-themed playlist, featuring the likes of Fugazi, The Violent Femmes, The Pixies, Danzig, and more — and they smell delightful, to boot.
In Toto
With so much to do on site, sleeping will likely be an afterthought. There is so much character throughout the Gunter, and so many fascinating historical elements remain, that I found myself at one point merely ambling through the lobby, up the stairs and back down, reading the captions under old black and white photos on the walls. It’s a place that not only knows its history, but celebrates it, letting the rich and diverse details of its past suffuse its identity today.
Thinking about my experience, I like to consider alternatives. A renovated Gunter could have looked like anything. It could've been culturally void, minimalist glass and steel, featuring stark, white rooms meant to appeal to (re: not offend) the widest swath of tastes possible. It could’ve had a Starbucks. Instead, visitors to the city — and San Antonians as well — have a vibrant space that feels thoughtfully invested in. It feels accessible and open to the community in a way I’d never previously associated with a hotel; but am pleased to be able to do so now.
Whether you’re coming in from way out yonder or hitch your horse right here in town, it’s worth stopping in at the Gunter Hotel for an evening or two to see what’s going on. ■
