Difficulty @ check-in but otherwise very good hotel
We arrived at 2:45pm & I realize check-in time is 3:00. However, there were around 50 people waiting to be checked-in, milling around the lobby. When I spoke to the front desk clerk, he said there WERE rooms available but that they would not start checking anyone in until 3:00. Made no sense to me. We travel extensively & have NEVER had this happen, even when a flight has arrived around noon - nice hotels are always ready to accommodate if they can. In fact, last week in New Orleans, the Marriott didn't have room available when our flight arrived around 11:00 but the front desk clerk took my cell phone number & called me once they had a room ready around 1:30 - you can bet I'll be back & have already recommended this hotel to others. Back to Crowne Plaza SA Airport: He said they were instructed not to check anyone in early because they were at capacity & wanted to make sure everyone got a room. But wait, if everyone has a reservation - how would they not get a room?? I stood @ counter & my phone said 3:00 so I asked if I could check in. No, their time showed 2:58 - give me a break - you've got to be kidding. You've got families with small children, & tens of other people waiting & you won't begin the process?!! At just that time, another employee came on duty. He saw the lobby full of people waiting & asked the clerk what was going on. He was told same as I was told & the new clerk said, "wait, we've got rooms available & you've got all these people waiting - let's get them checked in". Everyone around front desk agreed that he was a smart man willing to take the initiative to provide top quality service. The others were just following someone's orders without regard to the negative lasting impression they were creating. From the time we arrived until the time they began checking people in, they stood behind the counter talking among themselves, doing nothing while everyone waited for them to begin their job. 
Other than this terrible first impression (& remember, you can never change a 1st impression!), the rooms were very comfortable & it is a good location - easy to get downtown to river walk & other attractions. However, if this is how they treat customers, I'll find another hotel when I go to SA next time.