The Santikos Mayan Palace and Palladium IMAX movie theaters are being renovated to add reclined seating, upgraded lobbies, and more snack options, Santikos Entertainment said Monday.
Renovations began July 5 in four auditoriums of the Palladium IMAX, located on Interstate 10 West just north of Loop 1604. Upgrades to the Mayan Palace, on Southwest Military Drive near Interstate 35, are scheduled to begin on Aug. 7.
“Reclined seating and a great menu are now the standard,” Santikos Entertainment CEO David Holmes stated in a press release. “The lobby upgrades at both theaters and our own VIP service at Palladium will continue to uphold the unparalleled innovation and design of Santikos Theatres.
“The Palladium has been a cornerstone of excellence in San Antonio for over 10 years, and it will continue to be a flagship moving forward. Once known as Century South, the Mayan Palace has been a Southside mainstay for decades. These renovations will breathe new life into the buildings that have provided entertainment for generations of San Antonians.”
Holmes outlined the new VIP service at the Palladium: Along with full reclining seats, moviegoers will have the option to be waited on by theater staff from their seats in the two VIP theaters. At the push of a button, servers will bring food and drink items to patrons.
Construction will not close the Palladium IMAX, but the Mayan Palace will be closed for a short period of time on undetermined dates.
“First of all, we’re reconfiguring the restrooms at the Mayan,” Holmes told the Rivard Report on Monday. “But that’s one thing, the restroom reconfiguration. … Also we’re adding a full-service bar at the Mayan that’s going to involve us taking out one of our auditoriums and converting it into a bigger open space for a bar.”
Following the addition of the bar, the Mayan Palace will house 11 auditoriums in the Southside’s only Santikos location.
The renovations would be completed by the upcoming holiday season, according to the press release. For moviegoers, the holiday season is easy to identify.
“That’s a euphemism for Star Wars,” Holmes said. “[Star Wars: The Last Jedi] opens on Dec. 13, so we’re working really hard to get everything finished by then.”
Santikos Entertainment, based in San Antonio, was founded in 1911 and currently operates eight movie theaters across the city, bringing a variety of films to 103 screens with more than 17,000 seats. A social enterprise that directly benefits its local community, the company plans to distribute some $26 million to area nonprofits this year, according to the company.
Glad to read that the Southside location is not being ignored. I saw A LOT of movies at the Century South theater!