Amigos Car Rental - Do You Know the History of the San Antonio Gunter Hotel?

Over the years the grand hotel went from the quaint Inn located on the San Antonio River to Military Headquarter to eventually being recognized worldwide. San Antonio's Gunter Hotel has a unique and fascinating past.

Visit our forum named "The Gunter Hotel", if you wish to share some of the stories or your experiences, however, it would be too difficult to list all of the landmark's history and secrets. This article is about the history and how it became such a landmark in San Antonio.

The hotel still hosts an old fashion barber with original chairs from the 1920's, today. The Gunter Bakery has been accessible from the street and has been a favorite of all, from the very beginning.

To really understand the history of the Gunter you need to start in 1837 when it first opened its doors.

The Inn was located in the center of town and at the time the city was becoming a popular place to stay and barter thanks to the San Antonio River. The Frontier Inn opened its doors for all the new settlers arriving from the East, one year after the fall of the Alamo.

Until 1872 when the building was renamed Vance's, the hotel continued to serve as the Military HQ. The hotel was replaced with a two-story building that the Army leased to house soldiers stationed in the Alamo city. The entire hotel was purchased by the Vance brothers for the cost of $500.00, in 1851.

The cost for first class accommodations was $2.00, at the time. Hotel guest would take the horse drawn buggy to and from the Train Depot, for two pennies. The first railroad arrived in San Antonio in 1877 which allowed San Antonio businesses to thrive.

Jot Gunter, the hotel was renamed after its investor. The steel and concrete hotel was the largest building in San Antonio, at the time. The 301 room hotel opened, on this day. 1909, that was until November 20th. Over the next few decades the hotel thrived with minimal management changes.

At the Center of Everything", "The Gunter Hotel, the very best advertisers of their day began the slogan. Were housed and fed the following day, 1387 members. The Gunter ownership wired an invitation to the Dallas convention offering free accommodations if they would visit San Antonio. Dallas had the honor of hosting the convention of the the national Association of Advertising Men, in 1912.

The Gunter was the place to be and be seen. Presidents and circus performers, for the next 40 plus years the hotel became a mainstay with celebrities. Three additional floors were added in 1926. The demand to stay at the grand hotel resulted in an additional floor being added in 1917.

People from all over would return to San Antonio and insist on staying at the Gunter because of the enjoyment they experienced. The Gunter Hotel made a very good name for itself on the world level. That year millions came to visit the HemisFair Park. 1968 San Antonio hosted the World's Fair, on April 6.

Forever enshrining its place in the annals of San Antonio history, in 2007 it was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Gunter completed it's latest renovation in the amount of eight million dollars, in 1999.