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San Antonio On My Mind
July 23, 2008

It started with a visit last month in our Chicago-area HOTELS magazine office with Mike Kass, director of sales & marketing for the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa.

Kass told me all about the upcoming 600-acre Texas Hill Country project, from its 1,002 guestrooms and seven dining options to its lazy river (see photo at right) and plethora of oak trees.

We had a nice conversation about the city of San Antonio, a place I have not visited. And then Kass left, and San Antonio left the top of my mind.

Then, last week, I got an e-mail: "You are invited to a San Antonio-style fiesta with the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, right in the heart of Chicago."

It reminded me of my conversation with Kass, so I figured, 'Why not attend?'

So last night I took a Chicago River cruise, San Antonio style. That meant everything from demonstrations on preparing cilantro shrimp and the perfect margarita to a Tex-Mex buffet of tacos, rice and beans, all accompanied by the sweet sounds of a young mariachi band.

 

It was all more than enough to put San Antonio back on my mind. But the story doesn't stop there. 

I was thinking last night about how I did not really get the chance to talk with the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau representatives about the area's hotel landscape, and regretting that a bit. Then, this morning, as I sat at my desk in our HOTELS magazine office, a large package arrived for me.

Not expecting anything, I couldn't imagine what could be inside the box. Imagine my surprise when I found a package from the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. What timing!

I know the popular Ray Charles song is about Georgia, but today, I've got San Antonio on my mind...

Posted by Derek Gale on July 23, 2008 | Comments (0)