diart

Which do you recommend for a short stay in Feb? No golfing this time and we will have a 6 year old with us?

Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort or JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort

diart

ok, that second line was not a question. No golfing this time and we will have a 6 year old with us. Period -- no question mark!

J62

I really like HC Hyatt - great place for a short family stay.

diart

Do you think it is still fun with the colder weather? (Lazy river and such)

Austin

February can be very cold in Texas or warm. (rarely hot) Most of our ice storms are in Feb so it's a crap shoot.

jcb

I suggest you call the hotel to see if the pools are even open.

I'm pretty sure the JW pools are not heated, so it is way too cold to swim. I think it w/b too cold even if the pools are heated. The Hyatt has lots of shade making things even colder.

They both have kid activities bur are probably limited due to the month. These activities are usually posted on the website.

The Hyatt has bikes/trikes to ride and the Marriott does not. I think the Marriott food is better.

jcb

I just checked the web sites and it says the pools are heated at both. However, I still think the outside temp would make it a chilly experience.

On a totally seperate note, if you really want to swim, there is also Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine (close to DFW airport). It is an indoor waterpark/hotel. HOwever, it is on the cool side too even though it is indoor. On sunny days, the inside temp feels warmer due to the skylights. It is nice, but definitely not luxury.

jcb

Sorry, I just reread your other post, and now realize you have already been to GWL.

J62

Another option is the Hyatt Vacation Club, located next to HC Hyatt. They also have a lazy river, and an indoor pool/slide/play area.

Personally I like HC Hyatt much better than the HVC. Rooms at the latter are much nicer - fancy 1br or 2br condo style rooms with full kitchen, but the grounds are sterile and uninviting. The lazy river at HC Hyatt meanders under the old oak trees, whereas at the HVC it's out in the open.

There is a lot of charming common areas at the HC Hyatt, including the lobby with fireplace and games, lawn, restaurants, beach area with nightly bonfire pit & s'mores for the kids, kids club, etc.

I was at HVC once when it first opened and was unimpressed, except for the plush rooms. It may have matured into a better destination since then.

I've used the HC Hyatt pools over Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and enjoyed the lazy river. Not as much as spring/summer, so you are right to question if it's warm enough. In summer you can float around for hours and tip over now and then to cool off. If the air is cold you could enjoy the pool and float for a lap or 2, but that may be about it.

The HC Hyatt activity group publishes a weekly activity calendar that you get from the front desk - it may or may not be available online so be sure to call them directly to find out what kind of activities will be avail in Feb. If it's during president's week they may have a more active schedule if there are school vacations.

bakerstreet

We went (2 families) in February, stayed at the Hyatt Hill Country, and though the kids tried the lazy river they said it didn't FEEL heated (though it was or they couldn't have been in it). The upside was the pool area was not at all crowded! The guys golfed and the women/girls enjoyed the spa and other than that and some walking on the grounds, we found most to do on the Riverwalk. If golf/spa were not part of the trip, I'm not sure what we would have done at the resort for the three days we were there. If I go again in less than perfect resort weather, I'll probably stay on the Riverwalk. Have a great trip!