El Tropicano Hotel

The historic El Tropicano Hotel - San Antonio's first hotel on the River Walk - opened in 1962 and even hosted President Lyndon B. Johnson. After closing its doors in April 2020, it is now undergoing a major transformation. Perry & Perry Builders (PPB) is proud to play a key role in restoring this landmark to its former glory.

One of the most technically challenging aspects of this renovation was the conversion of a ground-floor space facing the River Walk into a new ballroom. This area was obstructed by several large concrete columns, limiting usable space. After careful coordination with the project engineers, it was determined that select columns could be safely removed, provided that temporary shoring and permanent structural framing were installed beforehand.

The existing Level 1 concrete slab was not on grade—it spanned over a void. This eliminated the use of traditional shoring. PPB engineered a custom plan using warehouse forklifts to install 6,000-lb steel beams precisely into place, maintaining the building’s stability throughout the process.

In addition, 58 precision-aligned core holes had to be drilled through three massive 2'x2' concrete columns to accommodate structural connections. Custom steel templates were fabricated to guide this critical work. Once drilled, the holes were injected with high-performance structural epoxy to meet load and safety requirements.

To prepare the steel beams for column removal, PPB used a 4-point Enerpac hydraulic jacking system to preload each beam to 53 kips (53,000 lbs of force). This simulated the original load carried by the columns, ensuring the Level 2 concrete slab would remain level and structurally sound once the columns were removed.

Because Enerpac jacks measure pressure in PSI, PPB calculated the exact PSI required to reach 53 kips based on each jack’s piston area. This required precise force calibration and synchronized lifting across all jack points.
Once preloaded, the structural steel framing took over the load seamlessly. The concrete columns were then cut out without any measurable slab deflection—validating the engineering model and jacking plan. Hilti representatives, who supported the epoxy anchoring plan, noted the uniqueness and precision of the operation.

This project underscores Perry & Perry Builders’ ability to deliver complex, high-stakes work in a historic and structurally sensitive setting. Through innovation, expert execution, and unwavering attention to detail, PPB helped lay the foundation for El Tropicano’s next chapter.

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