Once home to Pearl’s Brewhouse, a 19th-century building on the San Antonio waterfront now houses one of the city’s most elegant hotels.
Hotel Emma, built in 1894, has a beautiful lobby, stunning library, luxurious rooms and and rooftop pool.
Now it also has a AAA’s Five Diamond rating, one of only 10 new properties added to the exclusive list of hotels and restaurants over the past year, AAA travel announced January 31.
AAA inspectors visit 1,200 hotels and restaurants weekly in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, and a tiny 0.3 percent of the nearly 59,000 properties inspected annually earn the Five Diamond rating.
The newest eight members join an exclusive AAA/CAA Five Diamond club of just 121 hotels and 63 restaurants.
“As more lower-tier properties add upgraded amenities for comfort and convenience, Five Diamond hotels continue to stand apart by providing the ultimate luxury experience anchored by an impeccable level of service,” said Michael Petrone, director, AAA Inspections & Diamond Ratings.
The Williamsburg Inn and The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas are the only Five Diamond properties in their respective cities.
Although the Five Diamond restaurant ratings have traditionally been announced along with the hotel ratings, this year’s winners are being announced on February 21.
The newest AAA Five Diamond hotels
Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa – Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Islands
Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver, Canada
Hotel Emma, San Antonio, Texas
Montage Los Cabos, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
NIZUC Resort & Spa, Cancun, Mexico
Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
The Dominick Hotel, New York City
The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston, Houston, Texas
The St. Regis Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico