Canopy by Hilton, San Antonio: Motorized Sun Shades 15.5 Feet Tall
Canopy by Hilton in San Antonio came to us for shade, not glass. The patio sits above street level, the openings run about 15 feet tall, and the ceiling above had to be opened up before anyone could say where the top of each post would land. We designed it on site, revised the layout in May as the details settled, and installed it in July 2026.
What we built
- Customer: Canopy by Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk, 123 N. St. Mary’s St., operated by White Lodging. The patio is the Otro bar terrace.
- Motorized sun shade curtains in Nano 99 tobacco mesh, with no clear vinyl.
- Count: 2 curtains, about 197 and 183 inches wide. The January quote priced three; the May site visit reworked the layout to two curtains and four new posts.
- 186 inches (15 feet 6 inches) tall, in 7.5-inch housings, mounted inside.
- Posts: two 6x6 posts (218 inches) and two 4x4 posts (186 inches), set into the ceiling concrete above.
- Bronze hood, side tracks and weight bar.
- No doors.
- Operator: White Lodging, which runs the hotel for its owners and worked the attachment details through with us by phone and email before the deposit.
Before and after
The Otro terrace sits on the third floor over St. Mary’s Street with the Aztec Theatre across the way. Before, it was open on two sides with nothing between the seating and the afternoon sun. Now two tobacco mesh curtains drop between new posts and the view stays.
Four steps, January to July 2026
- Feb 16, 2026: deposit received. The deposit invoice is dated Jan 14.
- Feb 17, 2026: design consultation, with updated measurements on May 7 and a modified layout on May 15.
- Jun 4, 2026: into manufacturing. The curtain order sheet is dated Jun 4.
- Jul 14 to 16, 2026: installed by our crew, with the hotel signing off on July 16.
What made this one different: getting it up there
Nothing about this patio is standard, and the approval layout says so plainly. The 6x6 posts tie into the concrete above, "TBD once the ceiling is opened," a detail our designer worked out on site. At the deck, each post sits on a hidden L-bracket, fixed with concrete anchors and sealed with a tar-like waterproofing to keep water from collecting. Where a post meets the round column, it is secured to the column and the curtain track attaches to the post. The layout is candid that the post will be hidden as well as possible but is likely slightly visible when the curtain is down.
Access was part of the plan. The layout asked the hotel to provide two scissor lifts that reach 16 feet and a hoist at the street to carry materials, some up to 230 inches long, up to the patio. We allowed up to 16 hours of install time over two days, with the area clear of guests and furniture, because the work is loud.
Specs
| System | Motorized sun shade, keder-track retention |
| Wind rating | Warrantied to 65 mph, deployed. Nano 97/99 shade mesh within size limits is wind tested to 110 mph. |
| Sun control | Nano 99 mesh blocks up to 99% of direct sun and drops the patio temperature by about 10°F. |
| Warranty | 5 years on motors, 3 years on workmanship |
| Lead time | 8 weeks from deposit |
| Installation | Our own crew, with onsite design. Outlet locations only; we do not do the electrical. |
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