After 15 years on the River Walk, downtown San Antonio’s Hotel Havana is quietly closing. The boutique hotel, once a sweetheart of travel magazines like Condé Nast Traveler, plans to check out of Alamo City on October 20.
“After 15 years of service, Hotel Havana is expected to cease operations and close on October 20, 2025,” said General manager Shane Hamilton, in a statement. “We cannot thank our dedicated team members enough for their thoughtful service over the years, and continuing to support our colleagues and caring for our guests throughout this transition remains a top priority.”
Hotelier Liz Lambert opened Hotel Havana in 2010, five years before Hotel Emma raised San Antonio’s profile as an international destination. Lambert’s eye for effortless luxe was seen in every room. The décor — vintage beds dressed with high-end linens, well-worn rugs thrown about without much fuss, and pastel SMEG refrigerators — moved hotel style away from the safe, beige minimalism that defined much of the early decade.
The attached bar and restaurant were just as romantic. Housed in a Victorian greenhouse painted a lurid turquoise, Ocho brought tropical swelter. The downstairs Havana Bar, lit by red prayer candles, felt like a vampire’s den, where chic nosferatu would down Hemingway daiquiris every night.
Ocho at Hotel Havana closed in June. Ocho at Hotel Havana Facebook
Meanwhile, Austin owners Bunkhouse Hotels developed a reputation as an insider secret. The soft serape robes became a status symbol, worn by celebrities like Real Housewives of New York City star Jenna Lyons.
There were signs of trouble in June when Ocho unceremoniously shuttered. The company did not release a formal statement, but Executive Chef Jesse Kuykendall broke the news via social media, saying that the space would soon undergo renovations.
The news followed Hyatt Hotels’ 2024 acquisition of Standard International, the parent company of Bunkhouse Hotels. In July, Hotel Havana was notably missing from a list of properties newly joining the World of Hyatt rewards program.
It’s unclear what will happen to Hotel Havana’s Mediterranean Revival building. Grocer Edward Franz Melcher originally built the property in 1914 as a temporary home for his visiting vendors, but it had become a flophouse in more recent years. A rep from Bunkhouse did not provide details whether the hotel would be up for sale.
The rep did share that reservations made for October 20 and beyond could not be honored. The group is working with guests to provide alternative arrangements.