State of Texas Buys Two Historic Hotels Near the Alamo

The state of Texas added two hotels to its holdings around the Alamo.

The historic Crockett and Menger hotels in downtown San Antonio were purchased for an undisclosed price by the Texas General Land Office Aug. 21, Bexar County records show. The hotels, at 320 Bonham and 204 Alamo Plaza, face the southern and southeastern corners of the Alamo. The properties were last assessed at $55 million combined, the San Antonio Business Journal reported.

The properties were bought on behalf of the Alamo Complex, and the state will retain ownership of the hotels while partnering with Ohio-based investor Rockbridge to oversee day-to-day management of the properties. The seller was longtime owner Galveston-based 1859-Historic Hotels, which is controlled by the Moody family.

The two hotels will be integrated into the overall experience for visitors to the Alamo, promoting a seamless and immersive guest experience, said Kate Rogers, executive director of the Alamo Trust.

“By securing the footprint around the Alamo Complex for the State of Texas, we are protecting these hallowed grounds and enhancing one of our nation’s most sacred historical sites,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said.

A $550 million overhaul of the Alamo grounds is underway, along with the Alamo Trust’s Texas Cavaliers Education Center and the Alamo Visitor Center and Museum. In May of last year, the San Antonio City Council voted to convey the Alamo Cenotaph to the General Land Office, and the Plaza de Valero is being updated.

The state used eminent domain in 2023 to purchase the Alamo-adjacent bar Moses Rose’s Hideout for $6.75 million to build the Alamo Visitors Center. The bar’s owner, Vince Cantu, rejected a final offer of $5.26 million to purchase the spot without eminent domain proceedings.

The Menger Hotel was built in 1859, and the Crockett was built in 1909. According to the GLO, the Menger has inked a long line of U.S. Presidents in its log book over the centuries, and the hotel’s bar served as a station for future president Teddy Roosevelt to recruit the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry — the Rough Riders — for the invasion of Cuba in 1898.

— Eric Weilbacher