Top Kid-Friendly Hotels In San Antonio (Tips From A Texas Mom)
I’m not going to try to convince you that booking one of these kid-friendly hotels in san Antonio means that all of your travel troubles will be gone. You’ll still have to deal with sibling spats, babies that don’t sleep through the night, dinner-time picky eaters, and cranky toddlers who are off their nap schedule. BUT all of these family-friendly hotels will 100% make your overnight stay a bit easier. And that’s the best I can do. Haha.
About us: We’re Kelsey and Sara, two local Texas moms with a combined 29 years of exploring San Antonio, two travel books, and millions of blog readers. After spending thousands of our own $$$ exploring all there is to do in San Antonio, we’re excited to share all of the insider details of the best hotels for families in San Antonio.
TL;DR: Two Best Kid-Friendly Hotels In San Antonio
If you don’t have time to read all of this, here are my top two recommendations for kid-friendly hotels in San Antonio.
- If you’re for a big fun resort on the outskirts of San Antonio, the epic JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa wins every time. Your overnight stay includes free access to their 9-acre water park with waterslides, a 1,100-foto lazy river, a sandy beach, and a kids pool. They also have a game room, multiple restaurants on site, and you can add rollaway beds and cribs to fit the whole family.
- If you want to stay somewhere within walking distance of The Riverwalk, the Westin Riverwalk is my top choice. This newly renovated hotel is so pretty, the location is PHENOMENAL, you get those pretty riverwalk views, and there’s a great rooftop pool. Plus they really cater to families by providing lots of concierge services like diapers, bottle warmers, and car booster seats so you don’t have to travel with all that stuff. This hotel also happens to be one of my top picks for overall best hotels on the riverwalk - kids or not! The location is excellent. You can easily walk to the Alamo, Hemisfair, La Villita Historic Village, plus explore all of the riverwalk.
Read on for more kid-friendly hotels in San Antonio. I’ll share everything I know. 🙂
Top Kid-Friendly Hotels In San Antonio
Listen, I know it’s obvious…but I can’t start with anything else! The JW Marriott is MAGNIFICENT! It’s honestly the crown jewel of San Antonio’s resort scene, and anyone who tells you differently is just lying! That being said, you pay for what you get…and this one ain’t cheap!
However, once you hand over the credit card, you’ll be treated with the highest hospitality. The staff here is amazing, the rooms are comfortable and spacious, and all overnight guests get free access to the 9-acre waterpark. And pretty much every kid (and adult, let’s be honest) is going to lose their mind over it. It’s so great!
Photo Credits: JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa
CHECK PRICES | 23808 Resort Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78261
Family-friendly amenities
- Fridge in room
- Rollaway bed and crib available
- 9-acre water park
- 1,100 foot lazy river
- Multiple pools
- Sandy beach
- Cabanas for rent
- Kids Night Out (dinner included)
- Jumbo backyard games
- Kids meals
Pros of JW Marriott Hill Country Resort: the water park (duh), multiple restaurants on site, and it’s really made for families. That means they provide all the amenities like cribs, extra rollaway beds for little ones, and kids meals at the restaurants and by the pool.
Cons of JW Marriott Hill Country Resort: this is a destination resort, so you won’t even realize you’re near San Antonio. If you’re hoping to truly explore SA (the riverwalk, the Alamo, etc), I recommend booking a hotel closer to the city center. But if you just want a great vacation with the fam, you can’t beat the JW Marriott Hill Country!
Location matters so much when you’re planning a family vacation! Every extra 100 feet you have to walk can basically feel like a mile when you’re carting around a toddler, a baby, a stroller, a diaper bag, a million snacks and water bottles… You know how it is! That’s why I love the Westin Riverwalk as a super kid-friendly hotel in San Antonio. You can easily walk pretty much anywhere.
It’s also a gorgeous hotel. The rooms are spacious, the bedding is SO comfy, and they really cater to families! They even have a kids club that provides a cool goodie bag at check-in so the kids feel extra special at arrival.
CHECK HOTEL PRICES | 420 W Market St, San Antonio, TX 78205
Family-friendly amenities
- Heated pool
- Cribs in room
- Mini fridge in room
- Kids meals at the on-site Italian restaurant
- Kids meals via in-room dining
- Service Express® can provide diapers, bottle warmers, booster seats and more for kids.
Pros of The Westin Riverwalk: amazing location, heated pool, easy access to lots of San Antonio hot spots.
Cons of Westin Riverwalk: no water park on site, rooms are hotel room-sized so a family of 4 might feel a bit crowded.
3. Hotel Contessa
Hotel Contessa is right next to The Westin Riverwalk, so everything I said about The Westin’s location is true for Hotel Contessa. So if you’re deciding between the two, just know that the location is essentially the same!
The difference between The Westin and Hotel Contessa is that Hotel Contessa is an all-suite property. Every single room here is a big spacious suite, which is amazing for families! But you also have to pay for the extra space. This hotel is typically a bit more expensive than The Westin. But if extra space and having a big suite is worth it to you for your family vacation, I highly recommend Hotel Contessa.
Photo Credits: Hotel Contessa
WEBSITE | 306 W Market St, San Antonio, TX 78205
Family-friendly amenities
- Pool
- Mini fridge in room
- Cribs and rollaway beds available
- Kids meals at Ambler, the local restaurant
Pros of Hotel Contessa: really big suites, great location, pool, easy access to lots of San Antonio hot spots.
Cons of Hotel Contessa: a bit more expensive than the Westin, which is next door.
4. Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa
Not to be confused with Hyatt Regency Riverwalk (I actually don’t recommend that one for families…I stayed there once with my young son, and getting up to their tiny rooftop pool is really difficult with kids! You have to go up this weird narrow staircase and I was not a fan), the Hyatt Regency Hill Country is my next favorite SA resort after the JW Marriott. But it’s a little bit cheaper!
It has newly renovated rooms, a 5-acre water park, a lazy river, water slides, and all sorts of activities. There’s a golf course, a spa, and a restaurant on site. You could book a few nights here and never leave the resort. It’s that great!
WEBSITE | 9800 Hyatt Resort Dr, San Antonio, TX 78251
Family-friendly amenities
- 5-acre water park
- Lazy river
- Kids pool
- Family movies on the lawn
- Campfire s’mores
- Wave rider machine
- Fridge in room
- Cribs and rollaway beds
Pros of Hyatt Hill Country: a really nice, shady water park with multiple pools and lazy river, lots of family activities like outdoor movies and campfire s'mores.
Cons of Hyatt Hill Country: the water park is a bit smaller than the JW Marriott’s water park, and this location is pretty far from the center of San Antonio. This is definitely more of a “destination” resort for your family-friendly trip to San Antonio.
5. The St Anthony
The St Anthony is this really cool historic hotel in downtown San Antonio. It’s near the riverwalk but it doesn’t have riverwalk views, which is great for you if you want to save a bit of money! (Those views cost $$.)
I like this hotel as a family-friendly place in San Antonio because it’s a really luxurious hotel (it had a multi-million dollar renovation in 2015) so parents will love it, but it also has fun stuff for the kids like an epic rooftop infinity pool. It was built in 1909 and has hosted all sorts of celebrities - and presidents! - in the last century. There’s even a cool cocktail bar on site called Haunt named after the St Anthony’s “spirits” of the past. Spooky!
Pros: you can get really good prices at this San Antonio luxury hotel because it’s located just off the riverwalk…but you can still easily walk to places like The Alamo and Hemi fair. Plus that rooftop pool is great for families!
Cons: On the flip side…if you really want that riverwalk view, you can’t get it here.
Photo Credits: The St. Anthony, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Antonio
WEBSITE | 300 E Travis St, San Antonio, TX 78205
Well, La Cantera Resort and Spa is absolutely FABULOUS. It’s typically regarded more as the “adult resort” (while JW Marriott is considered the “family-friendly resort”), but I’m here to tell you that they’re both great for families!
La Cantera has a pool specifically for kids (as well as several adult-only spaces) to make sure that adults AND families all have a wonderful time. And they have so many great kids activities, including slime making, a bear factory, drop-off kids club, movie nights, and lots more on their events page.
Photo Credits: La Cantera Resort & Spa
WEBSITE | 16641 La Cantera Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78256
Family-friendly amenities
- Kids pools
- Shuttles to nearby amusement parks
- Kids club (drop-off)
- Movie nights
- Bear factory
- Slime making
- Kids meals at restaurant
- Cribs and rollaway beds in room
- Mini fridge in room
Pros of La Cantera: it’s really luxurious and caters to adults, too! Sometimes JW Marriott and Hyatt Hill Country can feel like it’s made just for kids… and La Cantera is definitely an adult’s resort.
Cons of La Cantera: it doesn’t have quite as many bells and whistles as JW Marriott, so kids might have more fun at the JW than at La Cantera.
7. Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch
Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch is mostly a timeshare property, but you can occasionally rent these rooms as well. The thing that I love about Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch versus Hyatt Hill Country Resort is that Wild Oak Ranch is so peaceful and quiet! It’s mostly private guests, so you can enjoy the lazy river, pool, hot tubs, water slides, on-site playground, and shady grounds all to yourself.
WEBSITE | 9700 Military Dr W, San Antonio, TX 78251
Family-friendly amenities
- Full kitchens in each suite
- Lazy river
- Beach-entry pool
- Waterslides
- Multiple hot tubs
- On-site playground
Pros of Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch: lots of quiet space to enjoy! It’s not very crowded here.
Cons of Hyatt wild Oak Ranch: It’s a bit less “flashy” than JW Marriott or Hyatt Hill Country. Also, it’s pretty far from San Antonio city center so you’ll have to travel a bit to enjoy San Antonio activities.
Ok, I wanted to share a more budget-friendly 3-star property that I think is a great family-friendly hotel in San Antonio. Homewood Suites is right on the riverwalk, and they have a (small) outdoor pool for kids to enjoy. They also have free continental breakfast, a pretty good price point, and comfortable rooms.
Also, they have suites here! And we all know how amazing that extra space is when you’re traveling with little ones. If you need a budget-friendly and kid-friendly hotel in the heart of San Antonio, this is one of your best options.
Photo Credits: Homewood Suites by Hilton San Antonio-Riverwalk
WEBSITE | 432 W Market St, San Antonio, TX 78205
Family-friendly amenities
- Suites available
- Outdoor pool
- Riverwalk location
Pros of Homewood Suites: free hot breakfast, outdoor pool, amazing location
Cons of Homewood Suites: not a lot of extra “boutique” amenities
I love Canopy by Hilton for a few reasons. First, those big suites are awesome, especially if you’re sharing a space with a baby who needs a crib. I always love being able to book a larger suit that has a separate room (with a door that closes!) for children who need to go to bed earlier.
Also, the location on the riverwalk is nice because it’s away from the crowds. It’s on one of the quieter sections of the downtown loop (away from Casa Rio and all the touristy spots), so it’s just a bit quieter. That’s exceptionally nice if you’re trying to go to bed early with the kids and you don’t want the riverwalk crowds to keep you awake.
Canopy by Hilton has a restaurant called Domingo (which I’ve called one of the best restaurants on the riverwalk.) It’s this gorgeous open-air concept with south Texas and Mexican cuisine. I love it so much!
Photo Credits: Canopy by Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk
WEBSITE | 123 N St Mary's St, San Antonio, TX 78205
Family-friendly amenities
- Digital check-in
- Cribs available
- On-site restaurant
- River walk access
Pros of Canopy by Hilton: larger suites available, riverwalk views without the riverwalk noise
Cons of Canopy by Hilton: No pool.
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