One of the most cherished landmarks along San Antonio’s River Walk, El Tropicano, is set to reopen this fall following a comprehensive refresh at the hand of Michael Hsu Office of Architecture and Trestle Studio. Known for its distilled modernist optimism and glamor, the midcentury hotel will be reborn with botanical splendor inspired by the philosophies of avant-garde Brazilian landscape modernist Roberto Burle Marx. “Our ambition has been to honor what this hotel has meant to San Antonio while imagining what it can become for future generations,” says Trestle Studio founder Jake Lamstein, “stewarding its legacy as it reclaims its place as an icon of the city.”

Under the new moniker of Sítio El Tropicano, the 315-room property will be home to the city’s largest pooldeck, three signature F&B destinations, 16,000 square feet of meeting and event spaces, and a 5,000-square-foot spa and wellness retreat. A medley of Southwestern and Latin artists will be referenced across a design influenced by Joan Miró, the Bauhaus, and Giorgio Morandi. Elegant, upscale, and a little whimsical the lush new space will be crafted with local stakeholders in mind as much as travelers. “El Tropicano has long been part of San Antonio’s cultural rhythm, its midcentury character holding an optimism from another era,” Michael Hsu says. “With Sítio, we’re building a dialogue with that history: preserving what’s meaningful while introducing richer textures, deeper landscape connections, and a lobby experience that will welcome guests as a true gathering place along the River Walk.”