Amidst the bustle of downtown San Antonio, there is a building as rich in history as the Alamo, and almost as old. The Menger Hotel is nationally acclaimed for its beauty as well as its historic significance. But what is it about this hotel that has kept it in business for almost one hundred and forty-one years?

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

Founded in 1859, The Menger Hotel, was not always as grandiose as it is now. The hotel’s founder, William Menger, was a German immigrant who moved to San Antonio in 1847. Menger and his wife announced the opening of their hotel on February 1, 1859 in a San Antonio newspaper (Stumpf 7). The original two story hotel contained fifty rooms and was made of limestone. The classical architecture of The Menger displays a refined demeanor. Within seven months of opening, an additional three story annex of the building was added (Malacara). The hotel has always been one for the elite. Although there were other hotels in existence at the time, The Menger became the social scene of the city. Menger had a theory about buying land; He envisioned that the Menger Hotel’s location would become hub of the city. How did he come to this conclusion? If when it rained water flowed off the land, then that was good land to develop, if the rain stagnated, it would not be a good place to build. One hundred forty years later, The Menger is located at the heart of San Antonio (Malacara).