Hospitality Program Brings UH Hilton College in the Tourism Capital of Texas

By Anca Gagiuc, Associate Editor

Artist’s rendering of the Conrad N. Hilton College – San Antonio in Sunset Station.

San Antonio—The historic three-story building at the Sunset Station downtown is no longer a hotel. The University of Houston made room here for its hospitality school branch campus, the Conrad N. Hilton College-San Antonio.

“The name Hilton is synonymous with first-class hospitality, just like San Antonio,” Dennis Reynolds, dean of the UH Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, said in prepared remarks. “We are pleased to bring this business-minded program to San Antonio and to its future industry professionals.”

This is the city’s first four-year program in hospitality management as part of a partnership between Conrad N. Hilton College and St. Philip’s College. The grand opening celebration took place on January 21 at the college’s Sunset Station facility at 122 Heiman Street.

“The Conrad N. Hilton College-San Antonio will help local students further their education and take advantage of the many great opportunities this industry affords,” added Charles Wender, entrepreneur and former chairman of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. “In turn, having the Hilton College campus in San Antonio will help support our very important hospitality and tourism industry.”

“I had a very difficult choice to make after getting my associate degree, because I felt having a bachelor’s degree would better aid my career, but I wasn’t ready to leave San Antonio,” stated Richard Bundick, a senior who was one of the first 10 students to enroll at the college. “Students are taught not only by experts who have doctorates in this field, but also by industry leaders working in the field. The college is making sure I have everything I need to turn my goals into realities by ensuring I meet the right people and have the knowledge required.”

Image credits: University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College