256 E Crockett St
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 223-4361
The Menger Hotel is a historic hotel located in Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA.The Menger FamilyWilliam and Mary Menger opened the Menger hotel in 1859 in San Antonio’s Alamo Plaza. The plans for the hotel arose through the popularity of William Menger’s brewery. The Mengers sold the property in 1881 to the Kampmann family. William Menger had emigrated from Germany to America in 1847. Menger settled in San Antonio and resumed his previous trade as a cooper and brewer. With his German roots Menger brought beer to San Antonio. He opened the Menger Brewery in 1855 on the battle-grounds of the Alamo (now known as the Alamo Plaza). In 1858 the Mengers hired an architect, John M. Fries, who would complete the two-story fifty-room hotel. Up until this point most businesses in San Antonio were boarding houses and there were few breweries. The Menger hotel opened in February 1859 and became an overnight success.The Construction of The Menger HotelThe Menger Hotel was built in 1859. William Menger hired John M. Fries to be the architect of the hotel and J.H Kampmann to be the contractor of the hotel.The Menger Hotel During the Civil WarThe hotel also withstood the trials and tribulations brought on throughout the time of the family’s ownership. The Mengers witnessed the exciting events that led up to the Civil War and also experienced the turmoil of the Reconstruction in the South. As the Civil War began gaining steam in southern Texas it brought many Army soldiers to San Antonio. The large amount of soldiers stationed in San Antonio during this time created a large need for boarding houses, which the Menger’s happily provided rooms to the soldiers. It is known that famous Army men such as Sam Houston and Robert E. Lee stayed as guests in the hotel. Once the Civil War began the Menger hotel did very little business and it was a struggle to maintain the business during this time. Given the charitable nature of the Menger family they decided to put the hotel to use to aid in the war effort. Due to the slow service and hard to come by help the hotel shut down its guestrooms during the war, however they maintained their meal service in order to feed the officers and soldiers of the war. The hotel also offered space for medical care of wounded soldiers. Once the war ended in the south the hotel was quickly back in business. Once again proving that the Menger’s hotel had made a name for itself in San Antonio.