Rising up within the Texas Panhandle, the state’s Gulf Coast seashores had been a distant dream. And I imply that actually — they had been at the least an eight-hour drive from the place I lived.
So, once I heard {that a} beachlike, human-made lagoon measuring 2.2 acres was opening on the Hyatt Regency Hill Nation Resort and Villas in San Antonio whereas I might be on the dusty plains visiting household, I knew I needed to make a trek right down to the property to see it for myself.
The opening of the lagoon marked the top of the resort’s $100 million renovation, which included updating the rooms, altering a few of the eating choices, including a brand new occasion barn and making a Toptracer Vary golf expertise.
Here is what it is like visiting that huge lagoon and what you possibly can count on when staying on the World of Hyatt-affiliated resort, which is the proper place for households to beat the Texas warmth and a very good dwelling base for a San Antonio trip.
Associated: The 13 best resorts in Texas for a Lone Star State getaway
The Massive Spring Lagoon
Having simply opened in time for spring break this 12 months and after an unseasonably heat late winter, the two.2-acre Massive Spring Lagoon was an unbelievable place to chill out for 2 days. The area is one half Bahamas, because of crystalline water and a number of sections of sandy seaside, and one half Texas Hill Nation, with a captivating windmill and barn seen from the seaside areas.
Although I spent my time stress-free in lounge chairs and getting a begin on my summer season tan, others took benefit of paid water actions like stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. The power of the lagoon was palpable, with youngsters laughing whereas constructing sandcastles, teenagers tossing a soccer in a giant grassy area and others (like me) simply pretending we had been absorbing some island solar, margarita in hand, as a substitute of sitting on the fringes of San Antonio.
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Talking of margaritas, the lagoon has a pleasant pavilion space with a shaded bar and tables to seize meals and drinks, although you can even place orders in your telephone and have them delivered on to your chair. With it being spring break, the pool bar was a pleasant respite for folk who wanted shade, and loads of dads crowded across the bar’s TVs taking part in numerous totally different video games.
I opted for a prickly pear cocktail ($16) that allowed me to get an compulsory drink-by-the-water Instagram image, plus a scrumptious poke bowl with ahi tuna, contemporary greens and sushi rice ($18).
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For people who need much more consolation or devoted area (and shade!) for the household, cabana leases can be found all through the lagoon beginning at $375 per day and embrace chaise lounges, minifridges and flat-screen good TVs, amongst different facilities. Since I used to be on my own, I used to be simply capable of snag a seat every time I went to the lagoon, although I observed loads of households took benefit of the devoted area.
All in all, I used to be actually impressed with the lagoon expertise, which jogged my memory of the Evermore Resort in Orlando. Although I had enjoyable stress-free at “the seaside” on my own, I may inform this actually is a family-centered expertise that may be properly price redeeming some World of Hyatt factors to get pleasure from.
The water park and different facilities
Although Massive Spring Lagoon is the resort’s latest attraction, it is definitely not its just one. The opposite main draw is a 5-acre water park that includes a terrific 950-foot lazy river (and, belief me, I do know lazy rivers), a two-story waterslide, a number of heated swimming pools and a FlowRider Wave Machine.
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The lazy river, to me, felt like the guts of the resort, with a terrific mixture of high-energy enjoyable (assume: youngsters making an attempt to race by means of jetted areas the place the water accelerates) and people (like me) who put the lazy within the lazy river. One a part of the lazy river adults will love is a swim-up bar the place, in case you can maintain on to a rope with out floating away, a server will convey you a drink and cost it to your room so you possibly can get pleasure from a bevy when you float.
The resort additionally has loads of common swimming pools the place visitors can swim or chill out in lounge chairs. Fortunately for adults, there’s additionally an adults-only pool space (pictured above) the place issues are a bit quieter.
On arrival, visitors are given an exercise schedule to assist plan what else to do throughout their keep — and there are many choices. On the Friday night time of my go to, households gathered outdoors to look at “Madagascar 2” whereas a bunch of dads watched basketball within the foyer bar. I opted to get pleasure from cheap bike leases for a cruise across the golf course whereas different individuals took benefit of sand volleyball, an arcade, arts and crafts, and nightly s’mores. The schedule alone confirmed that the week of my go to provided soccer matches, water balloon fights, nature walks, wildlife feedings and even goat yoga.
Golfers can make the most of a 27-hole golf course, and the resort even presents paid junior golf camps to assist youthful visitors apply their swings.
Whereas I admire individuals’s love of golf, I might reasonably spend the day stress-free on the spa. So, that is what I did throughout an extended morning session at Windflower, The Hill Nation Spa. There, in a country Texas setting, I obtained a tranquil 80-minute stone therapeutic massage ($275) and loved the area’s different facilities, just like the dry and moist saunas, afterward. The spa presents a full vary of remedies, from massages and facials to {couples} therapies.
The room — and the right way to e book
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I stayed in a king room with a balcony, and at almost 400 sq. toes, it was each spacious and charming — with an actual homey, Hill Nation aptitude. I appreciated the Texas-centric artwork and the massive TV that allowed me to stream my very own reveals. The balcony had cute chairs for stress-free outdoors, which was enjoyable contemplating the courtyard my room confronted was stuffed with actions and households working round taking part in.
In my analysis, charges on the Hyatt Regency Hill Nation differ dramatically by season and availability. The bottom charges I may discover had been round $350 per night time. As a World of Hyatt Class 5 property, award nights can at the moment be booked from 17,000 to 23,000 factors per night time. Simply observe that in Could, Hyatt is adding new award bands that may probably have an effect on award bookings on the resort on choose dates all year long. Fortunately, there’s nonetheless time to e book right here earlier than these modifications go into impact.
Eating
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Whereas my task was centered on having fun with the brand new lagoon and different water facilities, I did handle to have one very upscale and delectable dinner at Antlers Lodge. There, the flowery restaurant felt like an actual retreat from the parklike power of the day, and I totally loved every part I ate, together with a wedge salad so massive it may’ve been a meal alone ($17) and an enormous filet of seared halibut with rice and chili crunch ($45) that I have been fascinated with ever since.
Different eating institutions embrace an off-the-cuff all-day cafe, a clubhouse restaurant by the golf course, different informal bars and eating places by the lagoon, a late-night bar with pool tables and a lovely new foyer bar, Woodbine Bar, that is type of an indoor-outdoor idea.
Accesibility
The Hyatt Regency Hill Nation presents numerous accessibility options for visitors, together with People with Disabilities Act-compliant room sorts, swimming pools with chair lifts and zero-entry sections of the lagoons.
TPG all the time recommends calling and talking straight with the lodge earlier than reserving to verify the property can meet particular wants to make sure the perfect keep attainable.
Testing
After two days on the Hyatt Regency Hill Nation Resort and Villas, I left feeling like I would just had a traditional summer season trip. The Massive Spring Lagoon is an unbelievable resort expertise, and it is simple to spend a complete day simply kicking again there. However the resort has an excessive amount of to supply to by no means get out and discover the remainder of the large area. Plus, its proximity to San Antonio sights like SeaWorld San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas means you might simply spend just a few days right here and get the perfect of each worlds.
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