The Best TEXAS Resorts
Texas has no shortage of world-champion BBQ, big hair, baseball champions, and really long road trips. The Lone Star State has vacation options filled with water park hotels, lazy rivers, theme parks, zip lines, and horsing around. Here are the best Texas resorts for every style of family vacation.
Are you visiting Dallas, the iconic land of big hair and fashionistas; Houston, the space city for oil barons; Austin, the live music capital; or San Antonio, the business conference paradise?
The Best Texas City Hotels
If you plan to spend more time in a city exploring the many sights, shops, and award-winning restaurants Texas has to offer, these luxury hotels have the service to enhance the family vacation to Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.
Best Dallas Hotels For Families
The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas
If you’re looking for a Marriott resort in Texas, welcome to one of the best! The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas is the place. The resort is not far from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, it takes about 25 minutes without traffic to reach most destinations in downtown Dallas, uptown, or in the Park Cities.
The resort is also a club, which is why so many locals enjoy the facilities and favor staycations there. Parents can enjoy the tennis courts, 18-hole championship golf courses, and wellness programs this resort offers. The fitness class list alone rivals any destination spa.
With championship tennis and pickleball courts, spacious suite accommodations, and an on-site restaurant run by a Michelin-star chef, this hotel is the ultimate escape.
Luxe Recess has special rates at Ritz-Carlton hotels, which, based on availability, include complimentary breakfasts, resort credits, and upgrades. Please reach out so we can VIP your stay!
The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas (Downtown)
The Ritz Carlton brand is consistent in its ability to welcome your kids, whether you’re at a resort or a city hotel. The Ritz Carlton Dallas location in downtown makes it a great choice for families who want to stay in the heart of the city near museums and major attractions like the Dallas World Aquarium and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.
Combined with the rooftop pool and milk and cookies delivered to your room, kids will feel welcome well after the Ritz Kids check-in station. The lobby offers afternoon tea on Saturdays and a nightly “guacamologist” for those kids who have embraced the avocado frenzy like mine.
Luxe Recess has special rates at Ritz-Carlton hotels, which, based on availability, include complimentary breakfasts, resort credit, and upgrades. Please reach out so we can VIP your stay!
The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
Rosewood’s flagship property, The Mansion on Turtle Creek, is a Texas classic.
Your kids might be the only ones on the property, but if they are well-behaved and travel well in adult-only spaces, they should be prepared to be spoiled. Their attentive service is legendary, and their outstanding dining options match.
The Mansion’s pool is intimate and lined with guest rooms with pool patios, so screaming, splashing, and playing Marco Polo is a big no.
Luxe Recess has special rates at all Rosewood hotels that will give you complimentary breakfasts, resort credits, and upgrades based on availability. Please reach out so we can VIP your stay!
The Gaylord Texan RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER
The Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center is a Dallas-area resort in Grapevine that is more fun than luxe. Scale is key here, as everything is big. The resort has an enormous indoor atrium that is one of the most festively decorated hotels in Texas for the holidays.
The resort celebrates winter with an ICE! festival featuring ice castles and slides. The walkway featuring ice snowmen and a nativity scene will engage children. Additional holiday activities include Gingerbread cookie decorating and gingerbread house making. There’s also a breakfast with Santa.
During pool season, the resort has large play and splash structures for kids and great cabanas. It is the perfect place to settle after visiting the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
Along the long stretch of highways, you can find quaint and cultural towns, and you can also explore the heart of the Texas Hill Country.
We take our three children from our home in Houston to explore the state’s top hotels and resorts, especially in the summer.
Best Austin Hotels for Families
The Omni Barton Creek Resort & SPA
The Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin is a retreat in an expansive landscape. This luxury hotel is just outside the state’s capital.
The heated pools are open year-round and family-friendly pools provide space for all ages. Alternatively, kids will love splashing around on the splash pad. This area also features two fire pits overlooking Austin’s picturesque hills. The Omni also provides a kids’ club for children ages 6 months to 8 years with fun activities and games, as well as miniature golf.
Because this hotel is really big for conventions and meetings, there’s not a lot of family traffic.
Four Seasons Hotel Austin
The Four Seasons Austin is located downtown near everything. In addition to expected children’s resort amenities (this is the Four Seasons, after all), the hotel offers some unique family programs.
Where else can you indulge in a private guitar session overlooking Lady Bird Lake? Children (and adults) can sign up for a private guitar lesson on the house guitars. and still be a few minutes away from the Texas Capitol, climbing a mountain, watching local bats, or exploring caves?
Luxe Recess has special rates at Four Seasons hotels, based on availability, that include complimentary breakfasts, resort credits, and upgrades. Please reach out so we can VIP your stay!
Commodore Perry Estate
The Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection was built in 2020 as part of the iconic Central Austin estate’s transformation into an upscale resort.
This 1928 Italian Renaissance Revival mansion embodies vintage glamour with its handcrafted architectural details and beautiful vintage furnishings – all set against the backdrop of the hotel’s photogenic formal gardens and courtyard.
Each of the one and two-bedroom suites in the mansion has its own unique charm, with unique touches like antique windows, original artwork, and four-poster beds. Spacious living rooms make them great for families. Rooms at the Inn are modern 400 square feet spaces with large windows, Juliette balconies, or French doors that open to the gardens, while suites add perks like private gardens or open terraces.
Children ages 3 and under eat complimentary all year long, but check the calendar for special discounts for older kids. Breakfast is served in the Garden Nook on the outdoor terrace overlooking the pool, while lunch can be enjoyed in the vaulted Solarium, poolside on the oversized white and yellow chaise lounges, or in the spacious Loggia.
Don’t miss Lutie’s Garden Restaurant for dinner, which has become a local favorite for its seasonal menu with family-style plates and regional cuisine.
Best Houston Hotels for Families
The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston
If you want Texas-sized accommodation in Houston, you cannot beat the Post Oak Hotel for their many multi-bedroom suites for families ensuring everyone has enough space to relax and unwind after a day of exploring Houston. The stars of the hotel are the more than seven restaurants on site and one of the top-rated spas in Houston.
Situated in the heart of the city, the hotel is conveniently located near many family-friendly attractions, such as museums, parks, and zoos. This makes it easy for families to explore without spending too much time traveling. But if you need to bring the city to you, you must try the super cool “Animal Ambassadors” program. The Houston Aquarium will visit you at hotel where you will enjoy a private viewing of a macaw, cockatoo, python, Eurasian eagle-owl, sloth and more! Then your kids will have a Q&A session with the Education Manager, and learn fun facts about each animal and receive a photo session to capture this experience.
Luxe Recess has special rates at the Post Oak Hotel, based on availability, include complimentary breakfasts, resort credits, and upgrades. Please reach out so we can VIP your stay!
Marriott Marquis Houston
Where else can you swim six floors above the ground? The downtown hotel for families is the Marriott Marquis Houston. Its central location puts you within walking distance of fine dining, world championship sports teams, and the Discovery Green urban oasis.
the woodlands resort
Just north of Houston, The Woodlands Resort is another option for on-site water park fun.
Nestled in the forest, this hotel is home to the Forest Oasis Water Park & Lazy River. Open year-round, the award-winning aquatic complex has a lagoon-style pool, water slides, waterfalls, and a lazy river that all ages can enjoy. For a more luxe experience, opt for one of the luxury cabanas.
This hotel also boasts four championship golf courses, tennis and pickleball courts, a kid-friendly arcade, and bike rentals to explore the surrounding scenery.
You can choose one of the Pool Walkout Rooms for first-floor access to the family-friendly water park and a patio terrace. Alternatively, the luxury suites boast separate living and dining rooms and a balcony or patio.
Best Galveston Hotel
Grand Galvez
Grand Galvez is the perfect hotel option for Galveston Disney Cruises on the Disney Wonder, which docks in Galveston from November through New Year’s each year.
Families staying at this luxury historic property on the scenic gulf can enjoy complimentary bike rides to explore the historic strand. There’s a nice pool on site. The hotel’s phenomenal brunch has a reputation all the way up in Houston.
The Best TEXAS Resorts for serious family fun
These resorts are full of activities, sprawling acres of fun, spa, and relaxation.
The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa
The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines, near Austin, is my family’s favorite. This riverside resort has horseback riding, hay rides, biking, hiking, nature trails, zip lining, and more activities than you can squeeze into your stay in the Texas hills.
The pool area has waterslides, a lazy river, and an adult-only pool. An award-winning spa, golf course, and a kids’ club for much-needed adult time is our recipe for the perfect family vacation.
We love it for July 4th, especially because of its family activities, pool parties, storybook carnival, and a big show saluting each military branch. But we still love it in winter when it feels cozy with fire pits and s’mores.
Families will want lake-view rooms for the 4th of July fireworks, but otherwise, the rooms on the first floor with lawn access and lots of green space make it easy to step outside to blow bubbles or look at the stars after the kids go to bed.
This Hyatt Regency Hill Country resort has a large assortment of animals on site. Families can ride long horns and interact with alpacas and ponies. Camp Hyatt is for kids ages 3 to 12. It offers outdoor fun for little ones on the on-site playground, where they can climb, slide, and swing in a safe environment. Other activities include nature walks, bike rides, scavenger hunts, and activity stations.
Bring beach toys for sand castles at their sand beach that my kids could enjoy all day. There’s a huge spa and spa-only pool that is always quiet and restorative.
The resort’s layout is intimate, like a country estate, and we feel it’s our home away from home.
Luxe Recess has special rates at Hyatt resorts that will give you complimentary breakfasts, resort credits, and upgrades based on availability. Please reach out so we can VIP your stay!
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The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa
San Antonio, Texas, is full of amusement parks like Sea World, Six Flags, the famous River Walk, and the Alamo. The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa is a luxury destination to call home for families while exploring the area and its rolling hills.
The JW Marriott is the perfect place to relax. Or not. Their waterpark is a destination unto itself with a lazy river, seriously tall water slides, and a rapid river ride. Kids want to stay all day at this water park, so you may not want to buy park tickets in advance, as you may never leave the resort.
While I find a better selection of restaurants and bars for grown-ups, the rooms feel like standard Marriott rooms. Families can spread out into one and two-bedroom suites. The grounds are beautiful.
There is also a Children’s Pool area with a zero-depth beach entry pool with two kid-friendly slides, while the Sand Beach Pool s perfect for sandcastle-building. Parents can opt for the Kids Night Out where kids ages 4 to 12 can participate in activities and games for a fee.
This resort experience is definitely a luxe option while visiting the nearby theme parks.
Luxe Recess has special rates at JW Marriott resorts that will give you complimentary breakfasts, resort credits, and upgrades based on availability. Please reach out so we can VIP your stay!
ABOUT SHAY
Shay is a wife and mother of three in Houston with an affinity for travel adventures. She travels for a living, either for work or for her family’s travel agency Perfect Event Travels, or with her family on as many vacations as she can squeeze into their schedule. When she’s not traveling or visiting family in Dubai, she lives on the softball field and is always planning the next jet set run!
