The Spread:
As soon as your kids see the Ramblin' River, they'll disappear to grab an inner tube and spend the rest of the day in the 950-foot waterway that winds through the four-acre water playground. The Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa, designed to resemble a Texas ranch house, sprawls on 200 acres of rolling hills dotted with live oaks and
wildflowers. At the 500-room, four-diamond property, which has 27 holes of golf, families enjoy a resort stay in a country setting that's just 16 miles from downtown and directly across the highway from SeaWorld San Antonio.
Why Families Love It:
Rowdy's Camp Hyatt (named for the dog that used to chase jackrabbits on the land when it was a ranch), combines Texas traditions and fun for ages three to 12. Kids learn square dancing and roping, search for arrowheads, listen to a cowboy storyteller, as well as build sandcastles on the manmade beach, walk the nature trail, and splash in the river pool. The program operates daily from 8 a.m. to noon ($35, lunch is available for $10) and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ($35, same lunch option), and in the evening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. ($40, includes dinner).
Lava lamps, beaded curtains, and purple, pink, and orange walls are all part of the appeal at SPAhhT Youth Spa (open Memorial Day to Labor Day), geared to 'tweens and teens. The other part of its appeal: pre-teen facials, hand-painted nail art, and clothed massages.
Special Activities & Events:
On summer evenings, roast s'mores around the resort's fire pit. Check the activities schedule for family kickball, scavenger hunts, and giant soccer (you'll have to play to find out).