Austin VandeVate, General Manager, The Gunter Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk

In an interview with Invest:, Austin VandeVate, general manager of The Gunter Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk, discussed the hotel’s transformation and competitive positioning as well as his outlook for downtown San Antonio. “There will always be a newer hotel, so we have to embrace that we are different,” VandeVate said.

What are the Gunter’s main priorities following its transformation and move into Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio?

The No. 1 priority is to educate and inform the city of San Antonio, its residents, and the meeting planners who book business about the new Gunter Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk. The Gunter is an iconic hotel that has been around since 1909. It was previously a Sheraton. The $57 million renovation highlighted the history of the hotel while introducing a new design that complements and accentuates that history through color, art, and music.

How are the Gunter Studio and live performances shaping the hotel’s music identity?

The Gunter Studio is on the second floor. It is a state-of-the-art recording studio, and during the renovation, we turned the area next to it into a lounge that connects to Bar 414, our speakeasy. The bar is named for Robert Johnson’s 1936 recordings in Room 414.

Live music is an integral part of the hotel. We have music Wednesday through Saturday nights in Bar 414. We also started a ticketed singer-songwriter event that gives people the chance to see local artists in an intimate setting. We have held larger events in the Crystal Ballroom, including Robert Johnson’s birthday celebration in May. In November, we will mark the anniversary of his recordings here.

Our first studio recordings are starting soon, and we have seen significant interest.

How are you incorporating music into meetings, events, and the broader guest experience?

We have worked to weave music into the experiences of groups staying with us, rather than limiting it to Bar 414 and the studio. We have a 1,000+ vinyl library downstairs and vinyl ambassadors instead of concierges. We can play music anywhere on the first three floors. Groups have asked us to introduce their meetings in the Crystal Ballroom with music.

Food and music are what create memories. I was at our jazz brunch on Sunday with my family before going to the theater, and listening to jazz created that atmosphere and memory. We are receiving many requests for private parties in the studio, lounge, and Bar 414. We have a Christmas party planned to record an album during the event, giving the group something to take away from the experience.

We are trying to take music from being part of the atmosphere to a central part of a meeting or party that stays with people because they leave with a CD or album.

How would you describe hotel demand and competition in San Antonio today?

In any city, there is a moment when revenues are growing and investors decide to build more hotels. I think San Antonio is finishing that period with new development coming in earlier this year. The San Antonio market is good, but it is tough. There is seasonality, and hotels have to manage around it.

The days of sitting back and waiting for Visit San Antonio to fill hotels with large citywide events are gone. We still host them, but bureaus across the state and country compete for that business. The renovation of the San Antonio Convention Center has elevated the size of events the city can accommodate.

In this new environment, a hotel has to offer more than a meeting room and a turkey club sandwich. People want a place where they can immerse themselves in the hotel or enjoy the rest of San Antonio. Hotels need to know what else is happening downtown, including museums and other attractions. They cannot simply point guests to the River Walk.

When we reopened, we committed to offering food and beverage from 6 a.m. until midnight, seven days a week. We are currently open until 11 p.m. on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, but we will get there. We offer our restaurant and Paris Baguette. A guest can return from a company function at 10 p.m. and order real food in Bar 414 while listening to jazz, blues, or country music.

Every hotel in the luxury lifestyle segment is different. We have to serve our guests’ needs beyond a hot shower and good air conditioning. That includes healthy food, convenient dining options, and bell service.

What investments could strengthen San Antonio’s hospitality and convention business?

I love San Antonio International Airport because it is easy. Expanding the airport, the runways, and opening the new terminal will bring more people to the city. Travelers need direct flights or quick connections rather than leaving early and making three stops. The more easily people can come, the easier Visit San Antonio’s job becomes.

San Antonio has the size and capacity for large events, along with a tourist side of the city where there is a lot to do. When Alamo Plaza is complete and the new baseball stadium is operating, visitors will have even more options. San Antonio’s culinary scene is growing every year, and the River Walk is always here.

Hotels have to sell those opportunities to guests, whether it is a group of 100 staying at one property or a citywide event. We need to function as a city. The 2025 NCAA tournament provided a huge economic boost throughout San Antonio. When downtown fills, regular business is pushed outward, helping hotels near the airport and in The Rim area.

What are you doing to attract, develop, and retain employees?

The first step is conducting a wage survey for the area and hotel level. Then you have to know how many people you need. You need well-trained management, and you need to understand your business and its activity levels before hiring. We have 126 employees now. When the hotel was a Sheraton, we had about 75, and we have added people as the business has grown.

San Antonio is seasonal, but a major concert can still sell out the hotel for three days in July. The hotel is managed by Aimbridge, which has strong tools for developing hourly employees and young managers and helping them advance, even when the next opportunity is not in the same hotel. I take pride when the corporate team sees that one of our leaders is ready for a larger role. You are always training your replacement, so someone is prepared when an opportunity arises.

COVID taught us that people can be pulled out of a hotel at any moment. We have to cross-train people across departments so employees can take needed time away while the hotel continues serving guests. I prioritize their time as family, self, and work.

It is a competitive labor market. There is plenty of labor, but you have to select people who fit the hotel, invest time in training them, and support them. We essentially started a new hotel, and only about 10 of the original 79 employees are still here. We had to retrain everyone, reset expectations, and create a service culture based on our hourly employees. Our service scores have shown tremendous growth.

Where do you see the strongest opportunities for the Gunter and San Antonio hospitality?

With San Antonio continuing to develop downtown with more restaurants, the Alamo redevelopment, the baseball team, and more businesses and residents moving downtown, we will see more economic activity for hotels and restaurants. A local population that comes downtown and enjoys it can also help carry hotels through slower periods.

For the Gunter, the opportunity is to keep expanding our music presence and marketing so more people know what is happening here. There will always be a newer hotel, so we have to embrace that we are different. We are a Tribute Portfolio hotel with a tribute to music, and five theaters are within walking distance. We need to continue growing that presence and adapting.

We like to say there is music from check-in to check-out. Some of it is carefully curated, and some is completely up to the guest. The Gunter is a celebration of the past, present, and future, and we have to continue evolving. San Antonio is a diverse city, and downtown is clean and safe. I can walk from the River Walk to the Gunter and the Hemisfair Park without a problem. That says a lot about the city.