Happy Holidays Friends! We recently enjoyed a family getaway to the JW Marriott in San Antonio. I had tons of y’all asking about our adventures at this resort during this cooler time of year and so I’ll share all of those details and things I wish we would have done here in this post!
If you’re thinking of traveling to the resort during the summer then pop over to THIS POST when we visited last summer. OR, if you’re considering visiting during the fall to catch all of the holiday festivities then pop over to THIS POST to glimpse our fun when we visited the resort for Thanksgiving week. We are obviously total fans, and it’s only 5 hours from our home in north Dallas.
JW Marriott San Antonio TIPS:
- HEATED POOLS. All the pools are heated this time of year except 1 pool. The resort keeps it cool for the polar bear plunge challenge. But when it’s freezing outside, even a heated pool feels chilly. You’ll want to spend most of your time in the hot tubs and whirlpools. Last year, we loved playing in all the pools and big slides during Thanksgiving. The temps were in the 50’s-70’s. This trip, the temps were in the 30-40’s and the pools felt too cold for me! The kids occasionally loved it and would splash around. But for the most part, we enjoyed the hot jacuzzis. There’s 1 super large jacuzzi and also an adult only whirlpool. No one was in the adult section so our family lived it up (wink wink).
- RESTAURANTS. The restaurants at the resort are fantastic. No joke! Every trip, we pig out at High Velocity. It’s family friendly with large tables and seating. There are gigantic TV’s scaling the walls which helps our tired kids relax and enjoy lunch/dinner without a fuss. Their portions are HUGE! We always have the kids split meals and then Aaron and I share a meal too. The outdoor bar was closed since it was an especially cold week, so we always grabbed our meals and snacks from the restaurants inside. We finally tried out Ciboli Moon and it was TO DIE FOR. Again, the portions are huge. We splurged on a couple menu items to split between the 2 of us and everything was amazing. We got the BBQ Burnt Ends as an appetizer, Bison Meatfloaf + Chicken and Jalepeno Cheddar Waffle. Y’all, the waffles came drizzled with Whiskey Maple syrup along with a Pecan butter. It was deliciously unreal! If you’re looking for a treat, try out the gift shops for the candies and goodies. We loaded up on them and it’s some of the best chocolate I’ve ever had!
- LOCAL MUST SEE. Check out the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch for a super cool safari experience. We went a few years ago when the twins were newborns and it was SO fun. You drive your car through the guided safari and you’ll come across the most fun exotic animals that will walk up to your car! An ostrich almost poked his head into our car windows haha! Y’all, it’s so fun for the entire family and we’ll definitely go back the next trip we make to San Antonio! Also, I’ve heard the Christmas at the Caverns is well worth the trip! Listening to carolers singing in these magical rock formations sounds like a real treat!
- BREAKFAST WITH SANTA. I can’t rave enough about this event! It’s certainly a splurge but we felt it was well worth it! The dining experience was phenomenal. It had the best brunch buffet we’ve ever had. On top of the delicious upscale buffet items, we ordered a few tailored dishes that was all included in the meal. The kids were able to have a fun meet and greet with Santa, sharing with him their wish lists they filled out during brunch. They had beautiful live christmas music and endless desserts. We don’t drink alcohol, but others were excited about the complimentary mimosas. We made reservations and I highly recommend this experience!
Hey! We loved this little getaway! So relaxing and we hit it just right so we had the pools to ourselves last Friday before the crowds checked in. Loved cibolo moon and fantastic service! Thanks for sharing! We will def be back!
I’m in shock. I would not sit down on such a beast 😉