All 3 Noble Inns properties are very conveniently located in downtown San Antonio’s King William Historic District. Situated at the end of King William closest to the central downtown area, we are only a short walk from the Convention Center, Alamo, central Riverwalk area, Alamodome, and all other downtown attractions. The city also operates a trolley system which may be ridden to reach virtually any downtown location, with trolleys passing every 10 minutes throughout the day
San Antonio loves its festivals and fairs! Consequently, there is almost always something going on that’s fun to do. We will be happy to advise and help you plan your perfect experience. Some of our favorites are:
Houston Street Fair and Market: occurs monthly, the last Saturday of most months. Houston Street downtown becomes a pedestrian only zone with food, crafts and other fun! - www.houstonstreetfairandmarket.com
San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo: In February this quintessentially Texan event offers 16 days of fun, including carnival rides and concerts by country/western and popular music stars. Something you must experience! - www.sarodeo.com
Fiesta: By far the biggest of them all, Fiesta now extends citywide for 10 days with more than 100 events. It typically falls in the week of April 21, anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, which established Texas independence in 1836. One of the favorite events is the King William Fair, an enormous street festival that occurs on the last Saturday of Fiesta just outside our door! - www.fiesta-sa.org
Texas Folklife Festival: June 8-10, 2007. This 3-day cultural extravaganza celebrates more than 40 ethnic groups that settled Texas, showcasing their food, music, dance and crafts. Held on the grounds of the Institute of Texas Cultures in HemisFair Park downtown - www.texancultures.com
Contemporary Art Month (July): The only month-long contemporary arts festival in the nation features more than 400 exhibitions and involves more than 50 different venues — www.camsanantonio.org
Jazz’SAlive: September 22-23, 2007. Two days of free live performances by the nation’s top jazz entertainers, along with regional and local talent, downtown in Travis Park - www.saparksfoundation.org
New World Wine and Food Festival: November 7-11, 2007. Local chefs with celebrities from the US and Mexico celebrate San Antonio as an important culinary and cultural gateway to Mexico and Latin America — www.nwwff.org
Holiday River Parade and Lighting Ceremony: Held the day after Thanksgiving (Friday), a spectacular nighttime parade on the river downtown coincides with the illumination of 122,000 lights on the River Walk downtown. The lights remain on through New Years, and numerous other events occur on the River Walk during the holiday season — www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com
New Years — Celebrate San Antonio: An enormous street fair downtown with food, bands, and a fabulous fireworks display at midnight rings in the new year with fun! www.saparksfoundation.org
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We are fortunate to have several excellent restaurants in King William within a block or two of our inns. Just beyond, on the River Walk and downtown, there are dozens more. We have a lengthy restaurant list that we have compiled and are happy to provide to our guests by email. We also have menu copies that guests may peruse when here, and of course our innkeepers are happy to assist by making recommendations and reservations to enhance our guests’ dining experience. Here are a few of our favorites:
In the King William area:
Mexican: Within half a block of each other, we are gifted with two of the city’s best Mexican restaurants:
Rosario’s — www.rosariossa.com
El Mirador — 722 S. St. Marys; (210) 225-9444
The Guenther House: In the restored Guenther family home, open for breakfast and lunch and showcasing the products of the Pioneer Flour Mill — www.guentherhouse.com
La Frite: Belgian bistro that is successful restaurateur Damien Vatel’s most recent creation - www.bistrovatel.com
La Focaccia: Family owned and operated classic Italian restaurant - www.lafocaccia-italian-grill.com
Azuca: Nuevo Latino — explore the flavors of the Caribbean, Central and Latin America — www.azuca.net
River Walk/ Downtown:
Biga on the Banks: Celebrated chef Bruce Auden’s fine dining establishment on the River Walk — www.biga.com
Boudro’s: A River Walk favorite, serving Texas and Southwestern specialties. They also feature river barge dinners, a unique San Antonio experience - www.boudros.com
Casa Rio: The oldest restaurant on the river, this Mexican restaurant occupies a prime stretch of the River Walk and is still operated by the founding family — www.casa-rio.com. Its sister establishment next door, Schilo’s Delicatessen, is another San Antonio institution serving German food (424 E. Commerce St.)
Fig Tree: Continental cuisine is a charming historic house on the River Walk in La Villita - www.figtreerestaurant.com
Le Reve: Exceptional contemporary French cuisine. Voted America’s 6th best restaurant by Gourmet Magazine. Reservations essential — www.restaurantlereve.com
Little Rhein: This upscale steakhouse is the sister restaurant of the Fig Tree and located next door in another historic building - www.littlerheinsteakhouse.com
Paesanos: Well-known local restaurateur Joe Cosniac’s signature Italian restaurant on the River Walk - www.paesanosriverwalk.com
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San Antonio offers numerous shopping opportunities for everything from gifts to clothing to food. Across the city, you will find wonderful local boutiques, national retailers, foodie stores and more in small shops, malls or large venues. Our innkeepers will be happy to direct you to the perfect shopping spot to suit your needs and desires.
Rivercenter Mall, located just a few blocks from our inns and on the River Walk downtown, offers Dillard’s, Macy’s, Brookstone, Gymboree, The Disney Store and an IMAX theatre - www.shoprivercenter.com
Market Square/El Mercado: A public market since the 19th century, this charming restored marketplace offers 32 shops in El Mercado and 80 specialty shops in Farmers Market Plaza. It’s a great place to shop for imports from Mexico and Latin America. Many fairs and festivals are also held here, and Mi Tierra Café is famous for its Mexican food, Mariachis and the fact that it never closes - www.marketsquaresa.com , www.mitierracafe.com
The Shops at La Cantera is an open-air marketplace whose selection includes Neiman-Marcus, Nordstrom, Lacoste, Tiffany & Co. and Coach. La Cantera is located in northwest San Antonio next to Six Flags Fiesta Texas - www.theshopsatlacantera.com
The Rim: On the east side of IH-10 across from La Cantera is a new addition to the retail scene, The Rim, touting the Bass Pro Shop - www.basspro.com.
Alamo Quarry Market is another great market venue, on the grounds of a former cement company, featuring such notables as Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, Lucchese Boot Co. and Woodhouse Day Spa among many, as well as a cinema complex. It is a convenient ten-minute drive from downtown - www.quarrymarket.com
North Star Mall hosts more than 200 stores and restaurants under the convenience of one roof! Right near the airport one will find Talbot’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Sharper Image and more - www.northstarmall.com
Julian Gold is among our favorites for high-end indulgences, where women have found top designer fashions and accessories with unparalleled service for more than sixty years at a location just minutes from downtown - www.juliangold.com
H-E-B Central Market is a must for food aficionados. A destination market, shoppers will find a cooking school, wine market, imported items, fresh produce, chef-prepared meals and more. Go hungry! - www.centralmarket.com
Outlets: Just 35 minutes up Interstate 35 between New Braunfels and San Marcos are two large outlet malls that together comprise one of the largest outlet locations in the country with more than 230 stores. They are Prime Outlets - www.primeoutlets.com and Tanger Outlet — www.tangeroutlet.com.
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La Villita: Located on the River Walk downtown, this charming area is a surviving part of the early Spanish village of San Antonio. The restored homes now house galleries, shops, and restaurants — www.lavillita.com
Southwest School of Art & Craft: Another charming, historic site downtown, it occupies the buildings of the former Ursuline Convent founded in 1851. Located near the North end of the River Walk, it offers numerous art and craft classes, as well as housing a museum, gallery, shop, and the Copper Kitchen Café (open for lunch, Mon-Fri only) - www.swschool.org
Greenhouse Gallery: Located a few miles north of downtown in Alamo Heights, this large gallery specializes in traditional art by nationally and internationally recognized artists — www.greenhousegallery.com
Harry Halff Gallery: Specializing in early Texas art — www.harryhalff.com
There are several antique shops on Broadway north of downtown. One of the more interesting is Don Yarton at 1100 Broadway, a half block from the San Antonio Museum of Art — www.donyarton.com. Several specialize in particular items, such as light fixtures; our innkeeper would be happy to provide a list that fills your special needs or interests.
Back Alley Antiques has a nice collection, and is located in Artisan Alley, a charming, eclectic shopping village that also boasts two good restaurants - www.artisansalley.com
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Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture: Just opened in April 2007, the Museo Alameda tells the unique story of the latino experience in America — past, present and future. The first organization in the nation to sign an affiliation agreement with the Smithsonian Institution, Museo Alameda takes full advantage of access to the collections, exhibitions and educational programming of the Smithsonian. At the Museum’s center is the Smithsonian Gallery, filled with exhibits and treasures from the Smithsonian’s many museums. Located in historic Market Square, the hot-pink museum features 20,000 square feet of exhibition space and houses 11 galleries — www.thealameda.org
McNay Art Museum: Originally Marion McNay’s Spanish Colonial Revival mansion set in expansive gardens and grounds and featuring her collection of modern masters, the galleries and collections have grown into a fine museum — www.mcnayart.org
San Antonio Children’s Museum: A multi-story building containing more than 80 interactive multi-sensory exhibits to educate and entertain children. Located on Houston Street downtown — www.sakids.org
San Antonio Museum of Art: Housed in a castle-like historic brewery complex just north of downtown, its growing collections range from antiquities to Oriental and Latin American art. Also displays frequent traveling shows and exhibits — www.samuseum.org
Witte Museum: Focusing on history, culture and natural science, this museum's extensive collections include early Texas art, the interactive HEB Science Treehouse, and historic homes on the grounds, as well as frequent traveling exhibits. Great fun for children and adults! — www.wittemuseum.org
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