SAN ANTONIO — A historic hotel that calls the heart of San Antonio home will, like many other downtown institutions, begin to look a lot emptier in the coming weeks—the latest sign of local economic disruption due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Officials with the St. Anthony Hotel, located near Travis Park, say that because of a "sudden, profound decline of activity in our marketplace" attributed to COVID-19, it will closed down until at least May 31.
The suspension in operations is effective immediately.
A spokesperson said this is the longest unplanned closure in the history of St. Anthony Hotel, which opened in 1909; there were also closures of more than a year in the early '80s and another of about nine months more recently, according to Libby Nations, director of sales and marketing.
But those were due to planned renovations.
"Our intention is to reopen our doors...with all the tradition, elegance and exceptional service embodied by the St. Anthony Hotel for the past 111 years," a release from the hotel states.
The impact of COVID-19 and the local "Stay Home, Work Safe" order it led to has resulted in a major economic downturn in what is typically a bustling time of year downtown. Fiesta, the city's biggest local event, was recently postponed from April to November, and other nearby hotels have recently reported occupancy rates off less than 10%.