San Antonio, TX (September 24, 2025)—In 1936, during Thanksgiving week, a 25-year-old Delta blues musician from Mississippi recorded the first of three sessions in room 414 at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio—recordings that would shape the future of rock ‘n’ roll. Nearly 90 years later, the hotel has reopened following a $57-million renovation that includes the addition of a recording studio and a 900-plus vinyl album library.
Reimagined by firm DLR Group, according to an announcement from the hotel, the Gunter’s interiors celebrate the building’s Beaux-Arts roots while layering in bold, contemporary elements. Guest rooms feature updated layouts with modern bathrooms, mid-century-inspired fixtures and more. As a tribute to blues legend Robert Johnson, each room includes a record player and a copy of his first album, with a curated vinyl library available in the lobby. A Vinyl Ambassador is available for personal recommendations.
Bar 414, a hidden speakeasy named after the room where Johnson recorded, will open soon, the hotel states. A new recording studio above Bar 414, accessed by a hidden staircase, will reportedly open later this year.
On Monday, Nov. 23 at his debut session—the first of three at the Gunter Hotel during late November 1936—Johnson laid down “Kind Hearted Woman Blues,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom,” “Terraplane Blues” and four other tunes. Room 414 had been converted into a makeshift recording studio by producer Don Law and engineer Vincent Liebler of the American Recording Corporation (which was acquired by CBS in 1938). During their stay at the hotel, the pair also recorded a white gospel group and a number of Mexican musicians.
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Johnson subsequently recorded “32-20 Blues” on Thanksgiving Day, followed by seven more songs the following day, Nov. 27. The first record released from the sessions was “Terraplane Blues” and “Kind Hearted Woman Blues” on the Vocalion label. The commercial success of the release—it may have sold as many as 100,000 copies—led to Johnson’s fourth and final recording session with ARC in Dallas, TX in June 1937. Over the course of two days, Johnson recorded 13 songs, including “Hellhound on My Trail.” He died in August 1938, at the age of 27, leaving behind a catalog of just 29 songs.
Columbia released 16 of the 1936 and 1937 Gunter Hotel recordings on King of the Delta Blues Singers in 1961, of which nine were previously only available on 78 rpm disks. The album brought the unknown musician to the attention of Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton and is considered one of the most influential blues releases of the period. “Cross Road Blues,” recorded by Johnson on Nov. 27, 1936, was reworked by Cream as “Crossroads” in 1969 and was a mainstay of the U.K. power trio’s live shows and subsequent solo performances by guitarist Eric Clapton. Crossroads also leant its name to Clapton’s drug rehab center and benefit festivals.
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In 2009, John Mellencamp recorded “Right Behind Me” in room 414 at the Gunter Hotel. The entire album on which the song was included, No Better Than This, produced by T Bone Burnett, was recorded in various locations using a 1955 Ampex portable tape machine and a single microphone.
