The Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio is undergoing a $10 million renovation from Lauren Rottet, president and founding principal of Rottet Studio. The hotel’s first major overhaul in its nearly 15-year history, the project will blend Spanish Colonial style with a modern Mediterranean flair. The renovation is scheduled to be completed next month.
The hotel’s second floor will experience the most sizeable makeover, with a complete reimagining of the lobby, the former Citrus restaurant, and VBar. Opulent ironwork, handcrafted tiles and textiles, and warm, rustic woods will reflect the sensibilities of Spanish Colonial design, a nod to the city’s historic Missions. Columns on the second floor will be wrapped in warm walnut wood.
New column lighting and citrus trees will frame the entrance and a redesigned fountain will anchor the foyer, which will also feature four black and white mosaic-patterned cow skulls along the walls near the elevators. Handcarved with scalloped details, the reception desk will make a dramatic statement with a 3D, Alhambra-style plaster treatment gracing the wall behind it. A laser-cut leather tapestry will hang from the opposite wall.
Named for the Plaza Dorrego in Buenos Aires, Dorrego restaurant features Spanish Colonial architecture with dark metal accents and wood. A private dining room will be outfitted with a Talavera Mexican tile accent wall, a tin tile ceiling, and a dramatic chandelier. The restaurant’s terrace seating will feature Spanish- and Mediterranean-style cushions. VBar will evoke a modern Mediterranean influence with a hammered metal ceiling, Mediterranean-style textiles, and porcelain tiles and hardwood floors.
The former registration desk will be scrapped to make room for a new library, reminiscent of a vintage cigar lounge with wood panels and shutters. In addition to artistic renderings of flamenco dancers, the walls will be adorned with a map of San Antonio crafted by artist Maksim Koloskov along the spines of each book. The lobby’s living room now features a dramatic wrought iron chandelier along with sconces and a fireplace.
Curved iron headboards will be outfitted in guestrooms reminiscent of the rustic Mission-based Spanish Colonial influence of the design. New bathroom vanities with a custom gray-brown wood stain and integrated mirror and bronze fittings were designed specifically for the hotel.
