Ultimate Getaway: A Luxury Stay at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort

By Sara Branstetter | May 13, 2025

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San Antonio is perched just on the edge of the Texas Hill Country, making it a fab jumping off point for some of the best and most luxurious resorts the Hill Country has to offer. And the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa is easily chief among the best.

This sprawling complex includes EVERYTHING you could possibly need to have yourself a luxe vacation including comfortable rooms, amazing views, top tier golf, quality dining, and arguably the best hotel waterpark in the entire area. In fact, the JW Marriott San Antonio is really a destination unto itself and a great place to bring the whole family for days of fun and relaxation.

I recently enjoyed a stay at the JW Marriott to get a feel for what an on-site guest experiences and has access to. And I saw firsthand how the sheer number of activities and ways to stay busy, coupled with numerous on-property dining options and sizable rooms, makes the JW Marriott San Antonio a perfect fit for families who prefer to plant themselves in one location for the entirety of their vacation. It’s all about ease and accessibility without having to worry about how to stay busy or where to find food.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sara Branstetter has called San Antonio, TX home for the last 20 years. She’s a wife of a veteran, mom of four, and a cuddler of the world's best dog. The army brought her family to San Antonio years ago, and the city, its culture, and its food have kept her here.

Size

The JW Marriott San Antonio is huge. Like, really HUGE. With more than 1000 rooms covering over 600 acres, the entire complex is simply astounding in its scale. In fact, it is the largest JW Marriott property in the world, so I am not exaggerating about its size. To walk from one side of the hotel to the other is no small feat – you will be racking up those daily step counts while you’re visiting.

If you plan to park a car on property, be prepared to do some walking. The parking lot is tired and unfortunately it’s an uphill climb to the lobby. However, there are two cheats if you are looking to make it easier or simply don’t want to start your vacation sweating it out in the sun.

First, if you park in the tiered area, just place a quick call to the valet stand and they’ll gladly bring a golf cart down to collect you and your belongings. And second, if you have to park at the very bottom in rows 5 or 6, or even way behind the convention center, plan to enter the convention center and walk (indoors) toward the hotel front desk. Instead of an uphill climb in the sun, you’ll enjoy air conditioning and escalators will do all the climbing work for you.

*Bonus* - the escalators will take you beneath some of the beautiful custom artwork the hotel has on display. The gorgeous blown glass artwork was created by Gini Garcia, a local SA artist, and is absolutely stunning, a must-not-miss.

Rooms

Rooms here include standard hotel rooms with either a king sized bed or two queens, suites of varying sizes, and balconies or walk-out porches to enjoy the sweeping views of the hill country.

There are even some kid friendly “glamping” suites that include indoor tents to do a little inside camping. These are great fun for families looking to make a few memories while enjoying their vacation.

Overall, rooms here are classic, clean, and comfortable. But the true jewel of each of the rooms are the balconies. The balcony views of the Texas hill country are some of the best in SA. The rolling green hills against the expansive backdrop of the blue sky are utterly breathtaking. Highly recommend enjoying a cup of coffee or a glass of Texas hill country wine from the comfort of your hotel balcony. This is really what makes the JW Marriott San Antonio shine.

Dining

The JW Marriott San Antonio includes dining options aplenty to further entice guests to stay put and spend their money on property. These options include a range of choices and prices.

On the less fancy, more affordable end of the spectrum, you can find a Starbucks (yes, even here!), an onsite pizzeria for carryout, the High Velocity sports bar with standard pub grub, the Crooked Branch lobby and bar, and the Rivertop Pool Bar and Kitchen. Spa guests can also take advantage of the Replenish Spa Bistro and its small, but tasty menu.

On the higher end of the spectrum are the JW’s premier flagship restaurants – 18 Oaks and Cibolo Moon. 18 Oaks is a steakhouse that doubles as the hotel’s upscale offering and the TPC golf course’s clubhouse restaurant. 18 Oaks is open daily for lunch and dinner (typical steakhouse menu) as well as their reinvigorated Sunday brunch which is both elegant and delicious. Check out my full review of the new brunch at 18 Oaks by clicking here.

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa SATJW

Cibolo Moon is a well-regarded Tex-Mex restaurant that isn’t just popular with hotel guests, but with locals as well. They too are open for lunch and dinner, but their daily breakfasts are truly something special. It’s not an oversell to say that Cibolo Moon has one of the best (if not THE BEST) breakfast buffet in the Alamo city.

With a wide range of options that include cooked to order omelets (which you can top with Texas brisket, no joke!), hot items (such as the local fave – breakfast tacos), fruit, and pastries that look good enough to be in the window of a French bakery, Cibolo Moon packs an absolute punch with its not-your-typical-hotel-buffet buffet. Word to the wise – get something to spread their Whiskey Pecan Whipped butter on. The buffet price alone can be justified by just the butter.

RELATED: 18 Oaks Brunch Review

Activities

Any resort trying to be a vacation one stop shop should offer a wide assortment of activities to keep guests entertaining and having fun and the JW Marriott San Antonio more than delivers in this. You can find everything from a world class waterpark (more on that in a minute) to world class golf, spa, and games all immediately on property at the JW.

For guests who like to kick back with a round or two of golf, TPC San Antonio is a premiere destination offering two championship, 18 hole courses that are part of the PGA network. Both courses offer unparalleled views of the Texas Hill Country and can accommodate players of all skill levels. And if you happen to like golf but generally dislike the great outdoors, check out the TopGolf simulator suites where you can practice your swing from the comfort of your air conditioned, digital practice screen.

The Lantana Spa offers a serene escape to guests who want to unwind and totally relax. Drawing inspiration from native Texas botanicals and traditions, the spa blends luxury with natural wellness to provide a deeply rejuvenating experience.

If games are more your thing, you can take advantage of pool tables, shuffleboard, chess, and checkers. There is also an outdoor sport court, tennis and pickleball courts, and walking or biking trails. And if all that sounds awful, you can rest by one of the many fireplaces or in one of the cozy nooks found in and around the property.

Waterpark

While the waterpark is certainly an activity, it more than deserves its own category. Because this isn’t just a hotel pool or resort water play area, this is a legit waterpark. It’s 9 acres of waterslides (including a 47-ft high body slide!), lazy rivers, pools, splash zones, whirlpools, and even a sandy beach area.

Everywhere you turn you find another pool (kids play pool, a zero-entry pool, hot/cold plunge pools, a gigantic activity pool, a quiet adults-only pool), all with something different and interesting to do/see. Families could spend hours here just pool hopping and wouldn’t get bored for even a second.

If you happen to be more of a “lay by the pool” and not “in the pool” kind of a person, there are countless sun loungers and deck chairs available where you can relax and work on your tan. You can even rent a cabana for the day if you prefer to have a private space and guaranteed shade.

The JW Marriott’s waterpark is really what pushes this resort over the top when it comes to great resorts for families. With so many fun options that can accommodate people of all ages, families won’t have to look hard at all to find something that their kids will love whether their kids are toddler, teenagers, or both.

You may pay a premium for this resort, but what you get is so much more than a hotel room. You get a complete vacation, all in one place.

WEBSITE | 23808 Resort Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78261