JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country resort & Spa

Another Family vacation, another JW resort! This time we went with my wife’s parents + young cousin staying at the JW Marriott SA, so 4 adults and 4 kids, and thankfully this resort is setup for families. This was our first, US based JW stay, and despite some unexpected issues, overall, we had a wonderful time. I used points + cash combo to book this 3 night stay (plus 1 free night award). The resort is massive, clean, picturesque, and distinctly Texan, all things we immensely enjoyed. Some others have pointed out the parking lot/ drop off situation is less than ideal. Suggest to pull up, unload in the front area, then circle back to park. It is a bit of a small hill to walk up back to the lobby so travelling light is key. Both times I managed to get a ride from a golf kart so no issues there. Room was spacious, and clean. Being platinum members we did get an upgrade to full balcony overlooking the back of the property and it was superb. The couch folded out to a full size bed so kiddos were set, and the king size main bed was plenty big for us (plush too!) We received two local honey bee beers and chips and salsa as a welcome gift which was an awesome local touch! The breakfast situation is one of the lowlights of our stay sadly. First off, there didn’t seem to be enough space for the amount of people in the hotel. We luckily dodged the giant que that would form after 8 AM. It’s a bit strange the resort is so massive, yet the breakfast buffet space is somewhat small. The other, bigger issue in my opinion is the 2-tiered breakfast system they have, for our platinum membership, the “continental” breakfast was included which is “only the cold items”. If you want to upgrade to “hot items” then you are charged $13 a person. This was pretty ridiculous, either include the breakfast as a perk, or don’t. The fact that if I take 1 piece of bacon all the sudden, I’m charged $13 for the “upgrade” is nonsensical. Also, to be honest, even with the “upgrade” the breakfast buffet is good but not super amazing, there were the basic breakfast options with some pastries, but it doesn’t hold a candle to other JW properties we’ve visited overseas, and those were all included in our platinum membership, hence the disappointment. Also, for some reason 3+ yr. old kids breakfast is $17…? Why is this more than the member upgrade of $13? Back to the positive, the water park on this resort is outstanding, they have 6 or 7 pools, 4-5 water slides, even a sandy beach area connected to one of the pools which was an absolute hit with the kids. They don’t have QR codes from some reason, so service mileage could vary depending on what area you are in and who is coming around, fortunately we had an excellent server who was constantly checking in with us. Be aware though, there doesn’t seem to be an actual bar out in the pool area, so any mixed drink you order will be coming from a slushy machine. Sorry, but for $19 a pop, I’m expecting more than your New Orleans Bourbon street pre-mixed slushy special. On the other hand, the buckets of beer were around $40 for 6 which was a decent deal, with a good selection to pick from. Lastly, the food options onsite are somewhat limited. The sports bar is good bar food, and the steakhouse was very delicious (also pricey $$+) but between those two options, there wasn’t really a lot for families. The other restaurant “Cibolo Moon” is billed as Mexican, but had some odd entrees (are lots of families ordering the bison meatloaf?) The room service menu was downright tiny. There was maybe 5-6 choices and 2-3 appetizers. Unless a burger or turkey sandwich is what you are looking for on vacay, you’re going to be out of luck. Out of all the resorts we have stayed, we have never seen such a small room-service menu and it wasn’t even close. Strangely, there was also no pizza option anywhere offered. We saw they were opening a new wood-oven pizza place soon, but you’d think they would have some other option in the meantime, being a 5-star resort and the huge number of families staying here. Athough not perfect, we would for sure return to this property, and would recommend it to other families looking for some Texas size fun, just be prepared that also includes the bill. Read less

I can't actually remember the month for sure. My husband and I visited for a few days...just a quick get away. LOVED this hotel. I love lazy rivers and this is one of my favorite hotels with one (the Atole in Dallas is my all time favorite, followed by one in Las Vegas). But this one is my favorite in Central TX. Bed is comfy, hotel staff was great. Food was ok..not amazing but ok. Drinks were good and smooth. I highly recommend staying here. Read less

As a platinum elite Marriott member, we are constantly traveling, and having stayed at a few JW hotels, I can honestly say there are some questionable decisions with this property that are disappointing as a JW resort. For example, being told we could not sit at an outside covered table near the lobby because the pizza we ordered was not “resort property food” and it was a health code violation - per a recent policy change by the food and beverage director. I completely understand this for outdoor restaurant seating, but this was far from any restaurant, and there were no signs, waitstaff, or any indication of its seating. Others utilize the same tables to play games or hang out while not being told the tables are for “restaurant guests.” If you visit, be aware that you will be targeted and singled out if you order off-site food and told you should to eat in your room or out on the lawn picnic-style away from the buildings. In separate situations we had to request several times for items before it would arrive. One was an extra item for our room and the other was for poolside drinks. On the flip side, this is a beautiful property and one for families to enjoy with the water park, and while these issues did not dampen our trip, they are issues the property should consider addressing overall. Read less

The property is gorgeous and serene. You may see an occasional deer or two just roaming around. Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly and checked in quickly with complimentary cocktails. One of our room keys was nonfunctional, but this was remedied in a timely manner with the front desk. The lazy river and slides were a hit, however after being at the pool all evening, we were neglected by the servers and had to go to the bar for cocktails. This was also the case on day two of our trip. I actually watched several guests open and close tabs in the process which was extremely disheartening. The wait for onsite dining is a bit lengthy, and servers are limited although very courteous. The food at High Velocity sport bar was not worth the wait. I wish we had trekked off the resort for a more enjoyable dining experience. The room was very clean and housekeeping made sure we had extra towels as requested. The balcony provided an amazing partial view of the golf course, however it was not possible to enjoy for the wasp nests and lingering bees. Overall, we enjoyed our stay. Read less