JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort

Michael has a conference this week in Austin, so we decided to head down to the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country a few days early for a family vacation. 

We arrived late-afternoon on Thursday and checked in. We had a great room with a walk out patio that opened up to a large "yard." There was a smell in our room that just wouldn't go away, so the next morning we were upgraded to a large suite with an even bigger patio.

Sophia and Carter were thrilled to have their own beds, and Michael and I were happy to be back in a king (the rooms with two beds have doubles, so it was a little cozier). Our new room also had a large table, so we had room to play games when we weren't at the pool. Who doesn't love a little Skip Bo, Uno, and Slap Jack? 

While it was great to have a bigger room, most of our time was spent at the pool. I preferred  the activity pool because I could go from the pool to a lounge chair and still keep an eye on both kids, but there is also a lazy river (I couldn't ever get comfortable in the tube!), slides, and a kiddie pool. We all went down the slides a few times the first day, but then Carter decided he wasn't a fan so I was off the hook for the rest of the trip.

We've done the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, and we've now done the JW Marriott twice, and I have to say hands down the JW Marriott is the better hotel for a summer vacation at the pool. We LOVE the Gaylord over the holidays, but the water park is much bigger and better at the JW Marriott. There also seems to be more organized activities that are included with your stay, but maybe we somehow just missed that at the Gaylord. There are scavenger hunts, games (Michael and I both won at BINGO), s'mores, dive-in movies on the weekend, crafts (this does cost extra), a Zoomagination animal show on Saturdays, and a duck race on Sundays.

Make Your Own Ice Cream

The Zoomagination show started out with some creepy crawlies (a tarantula and a scorpion), but there was also a hedgehog, a macaw, a sloth, a porcupine, and a python (Sophia got called up to help hold the python). At the end of the show everyone got to go up and touch the snake. Both kids informed me that the snake feels rubbery (I took their word for it and chose not to join the line to feel for myself ;).

Sophia and Carter were so excited to participate in the duck race again this year! When we came in 2012 Carter's duck placed so he won a prize. No such luck this time, but they got to bring home their ducks so they were still happy! 

All in all, we had a fantastic time at the resort. If you are looking for a good spot to take a family vacation, I'd definitely recommend the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort!

XOXO,

Heidi