Staycation: Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa (San Antonio)

To celebrate our anniversary, hubby and I made this into a family affair and took the kids to the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio.  We had previously stayed here with friends, just an overnighter when our friend, a frequent flyer at the resort, received discounted rates.  The experience was memorable, and we wanted to come back for more pampering.

Because it was our anniversary, we upgraded to a room that is closer to the amenities, and to our children’s great delight, the room was ground-floor with a patio that opened right to the playground.  Before I had even dragged our suitcase into the room, the kids had persuaded daddy to open the patio door so they could run out and play.  I spent the next hour reading in the comfort of air-conditioning while the kids played within eyesight.  It was win-win for us all. Sometimes the kids wanted to toss the ball around on the sand volleyball court or smack the tether ball so they would run back to grab me out of my reading bliss.

Every day that we were there, we tried to participate in one resort family activity: princess story time, scavenger hunt, hula hoop competition, bingo come to mind.  For those who have experienced Disney resorts, these family activities are tame in comparison, but they still were a little something to enjoy with our children.  The activities never took long, but the “competitive” ones, every child wins a small toy prize.  I suspect the prizes were the reason why our six year old wanted to keep going to all the resort activities.

where many activities were held

We spent most of our days just leisurely floating on the lazy river (well themed to feel like you’re really floating down the river), and occasionally the kids would swim in the activity pool to shoot some basketball or to splash under the waterfall.  Otherwise, they were perfectly content to just float in circles.  We did wander over to the baby pool once, but with that pool being so shallow, the water heated up to tepid bathwater.  I was a little grossed out at the idea that most of the kids in this warm pool wore swim diapers so the visits to this baby pool were short indeed.

The “towel hut” is opened most of the day, and while we picked up beach towels one day, my daughter asked if she could get a large pool floatie.  I hesitated to even ask how much the gigantic 6 foot whale floatie would cost, and to my surprise, the floaties were no more expensive than at HEB.

With this being a resort, I was surprised that not more areas were set up to sell tchotschkes branded with either the resort name, San Antonio, or Texas shape. There’s a table where kids could hair their hair braided or face painted, but otherwise, all the souvenirs were isolated in the market store not along the frequent path to the amenities.

One evening that we were there, we saw a petting zoo and pony rides, neither of which interested the kids. They wanted to shovel sand, get all filthy, and hop into the lazy river. That’s just par for the course here. We loved it.

rental bikes to use around the resort

Hubby and I decided that rather than go out in search of food, we would just hang out at the resort as much as possible.  It was part of our “let’s be lazy” weekend.  There was no need to carry a wallet since all purchased items could be charged to the room. We typically ordered breakfast tacos and toasted bagels for breakfast from the general store, a little bit pricier than eating out but nothing that I would consider outrageously overpriced.  The breakfast tacos were also stuffed and much too big for one child.  The general store cafe also had basic sandwiches, so for lunch sometimes we would pick up fresh fruit and order a grilled cheese sandwich. This was definitely the most economical way to eat.

Papa Ed's pool side grill and bar

For dinner one day, we ate poolside at Papa Ed’s Pool Side and Grill. The burgers were huge. The salads were huge. The price was again surprisingly reasonable for a resort, along the lines of Central Market cafe-on-the-run prices. In our previous stay, we dined at Springhouse Cafe which I thought was pricier so this time, we didn’t go back to Springhouse. It was also difficult to convince the kids to wear anything but swim suits so one those days, we just used in-room dining service. The pricing was similar to Papa Ed’s, and the food really was terrific. Rather than the typical pizza and fried to a golden brown goodness on so many in-room dining options typical of hotels, there are so many healthier options (salads to sprout-laden wraps) on the menu, prepared from the onsite Windflower Cafe kitchen. I was impressed. (For anyone wanting to eat outside, the resort is close to Sea World so therefore close to all kinds of restaurants, including a Rudy’s BBQ less than 5 minutes drive.)

one decadent piece of cheesecake delivered to the room, mmm

Each evening we walked to the pool (just a stone’s throw from the playground) or climbed out of the lazy river to enjoy the s’mores.  I think this was the biggest treat for the kids.

I do plan to come back here again (or to the Lost Pines location), sans children, and enjoy the spa aspect of the resort. We found a hammock area hidden near the spa. I plan to lounge and read without my kids wanting to tip me over for fun. Truly this was one of the most relaxing getaways, and the only knock against it is the overall expense. Resort taxes and fees add up, something we knew and budgeted, knowing we were coming here to celebrate our anniversary.

spa

I’d love to know if anyone has been to Hyatt Hill Country Resort and the newer JW Marriott not far away, how the two compare.

Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort
9800 Hyatt Resort Drive
San Antonio, TX 78251
(210) 647-1234

Related posts:

1. The Exotic Resort Zoo (Johnson City, TX)
2. Hill Country Galleria, kid-friendly outdoor shopping center
3. Day Trip: San Antonio Zoo
4. Day trip from Austin: Sea World (San Antonio)
5. Moody’s Cafe (Leander, TX)