Hotel Contessa is an all-suite, AAA 4-Diamond hotel located on the Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio. The resort features 265 spacious suites, the Ambler Texas Kitchen + Cocktails, the Spa at Hotel Contessa, and a rooftop pool.

The client’s goal was to improve guest experience, solidify the aesthetic of the hotel’s indoor and outdoor landscape, and highlight Hotel Contessa as a premiere accommodation for visitors staying on the Riverwalk. 

Challenges

When San Antonio faced ongoing icy weather in February 2021, the tropical plant material on site suffered. When the client asked to refresh the affected plant material, they opted to switch from tropical options for a clean, well-manicured aesthetic in hopes of distinguishing themselves from other hotels in the area. 

There are constant patrons on-site (seated inside and outside) at the Ambler Texas Kitchen + Cocktails from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m., seven days a week. This makes scheduling maintenance without inconveniencing guests challenging. 

As part of the client’s desire to update plant material throughout the hotel, they requested the installation of a collection of more native trees and planters at the hotel’s rooftop pool, located on the 10th floor. Our team was tasked with installing agaves, olive trees, lemon trees, twist leaf yuccas, and ferns during normal pool hours. An outside designer was contracted to design the pots, but they didn’t include plates under the pots to catch drainage. As such, water was running onto and staining the concrete whenever the plants were watered.

Solutions

When our team was presented with the opportunity to completely refresh the plant material and aesthetic of Hotel Contessa, they re-evaluated their plans and came up with an all-new design for the property, including evergreen perennials, boxwood hedges, tall cacti, and neat annuals like white vinca and cyclamen. 

To solve for the extended business hours of the Ambler Texas Kitchen + Cocktails, maintenance is done early in the morning before guests arrive for breakfast. 

In order to get the requested pots and plant material to the 10th floor rooftop pool, our team used the on-site service elevator and took materials up in groups to account for the weight and space restrictions. They worked quickly and quietly since the pool remained open and guests were often present during the installation. Our team also made sure to purchase and retroactively install plates under the pots to catch the runoff from watering. 

LandCare was awarded a Bronze NALP Award of Excellence in 2022 for its work at Hotel Contessa. For photos and more, please visit the awards photo gallery here.