I came across an article while browsing mySA.com noting a few area hotels that were named among Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best” list, one of which was The Mokara Hotel & Spa (formerly the Watermark Hotel) in downtown San Antonio, ranked fourth among top small city hotels in the U.S. and Canada. While it’s great to hear San Antonio mentioned on a national platform, what struck me the most was a comment left on the bottom of the article.
The hotel accolades are great, but I bet the mayor and others hate that designation of “small city hotels.” They keep touting that San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the U.S. But that is within the city limits, and anyone with any sense knows it’s the metropolitan area population that is truly meaningful.
While we may be small in what some may identify as “stature,” we are most certainly large in personality! Here are some fun facts about the Alamo City that I found while researching the history of the city on MySA.com:
-More than 26 million people visit San Antonio each year.
-One of the American West’s oldest cities settled in 1731 by sixteen Spanish families from the Canary Islands. San Antonio’s rich history surfaces in its architecture, neighborhoods, food, culture and traditions.
-The King William neighborhood is one of the oldest historical districts in Texas.
-San Antonio boasts sixty eight miles of urban hike and bike trails and more than 11,000 acres of urban parks.
-The U.S.’s second oldest park, San Pedro Park, is in San Antonio.
-There are three hundred days of sunshine annually and an average temperature of 70 degrees (though I would tend to argue it feels like it’s closer to 100).
-The River City is the most affordable city in America, for both those who live here and those who visit.
-San Antonio is one of the top 25 cities in the country for the arts, according to American Style magazine.
-Travel Smart magazine ranks San Antonio as one of the most culturally fascinating cities in the U.S.
-SeaWorld® San Antonio is the world’s largest marine life adventure park and Six Flags® Fiesta Texas® is one of the most visited attractions in the state.
-Travel + Leisure named San Antonio as one of America’s favorite cities.
-San Antonio has some of the state’s most visited attractions and festivals: The Alamo (1), The River Walk (2), SeaWorld® San Antonio (4), Six Flags® Fiesta Texas® (13); San Antonio Zoo (14); Fiesta San Antonio (23).
-Tapatio Springs Golf Resort has ranked as a Texas top ten spot for over a decade. Toughest golf shot: Pecan Valley golf Course, No. 18, Par 4, 18 yards.
-The San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Championship in 2007, 2005, 2003, and 1999. (And hopefully in 2012 if we have a season!)
-The San Antonio Zoo is the third largest zoo in the U.S. with over 3,500 animals and also shelters more than 230 endangered species.
-San Antonio’s El Mercado shopping district is the largest Mexican market outside Mexico.
The fact is: numbers are numbers. We’re the 7th largest, and I think most of us would argue we’re tops when it comes to personality, culture and people!
