Making waves
San Antonio resort splashes onto list of best hotels with water parks
Anyone who’s stayed at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa knows it’s a water wonderland. Now, the property is getting national recognition for its oasis status.
Today.com has named the 600-acre resort one of the 22 best hotels with water parks. And the JW Marriott offers one heck of a water park.
The resort features the 9-acre River Bluff Water Experience. It includes a 1,100-foot-long lazy river, a rapid-river ride, three waterslides, two body slides, a sandy beach, a children’s pool, an adults’ pool, and an activity pool.
Other highlights of the JW Marriott include:
- 1,002 guest rooms
- Seven restaurants
- Full-service spa
- Hike-and-bike trails
- Two 18-hole PGA Tour golf courses
- Two Topgolf practice “suites”
“The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa is a premier destination for explorers, foodies, and those looking for a serene getaway,” the property boasts.
On September 9 and 10, the JW Marriott served as the host hotel for the 2022 Golden Ticket Awards, sponsored by Amusement Today magazine.
One other Texas property made the Today.com list: the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Grapevine. The Paradise Springs Water Park features a 10-acre outdoor pool, two horseshoe-shaped pools, toddlers’ pool, 6,000-square-foot family lagoon, giant water playhouse, 600-foot-long lazy river, 25-foot-long zip line, and four winding waterslides.
The Gaylord Texan opened Paradise Springs in 2011; it cost $13 million to build. The property unveiled a $5 million expansion in 2016.
“Always a blast,” a reviewer writes on Google about Paradise Springs. “Our family pays extra to get a cabana, and we make a day or weekend out of it. The kids wear themselves out with all of the fun.”
