Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch in San Antonio, TX

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Some days we need a change of scenery, an opportunity to mix up the routine, and the chance to have fun! For my family, this sometimes looks like a quick trip to a kid-friendly resort. For this excursion, I made a middle-of-the-week reservation at the Hyatt Residence Club Wild Oak Ranch in San Antonio, Texas. This property is my ultimate go-to for a quick getaway for these reasons:

  • It is a 3 hour drive from our house (and my kids are those kids who ask, “Are we there yet?” after being in the car for only 30 minutes).

  • A reservation at this property automatically grants you access to the sister San Antonio property Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa (pay attention to holiday black out dates).

  • You can reserve a studio, one bedroom, or two bedroom unit with FULL KITCHEN. Cereal anyone?

So, let’s break this down.

CAR SURVIVAL TIPS

Three hours in the car is not long for many kids - and I applaud those parents who started long car drives earlier than I did! My kids are just not used to it yet. I am crossing my fingers that one day, one day real soon, they will enjoy car rides. To make the ride a bit easier, I do the following:

  • We eat a meal in the car because it gives the kids something to do (and because we need to eat).

  • We play the ABC game in which everyone works together to identify the letters of the alphabet in order on cars, trucks, billboards, signs, etc. I encourage you to modify the rules as needed so everyone enjoys the game.

  • I tell stories about the road trips I went on as a girl. I think this one is often the most powerful because it gives my kids a view into what my life was like when I was their age. It creates images in their minds of my childhood and their grandparents.

  • SNACKS! See the first bullet point above.

  • The kids have special “car crayons” (which are Crayola Twistables Crayons, but they only come out during car rides) and blank sheet notebooks for them to write and draw.

THE PROPERTY(IES)

Once we’ve arrived and checked in at Wild Oak Ranch, it is time to explore. Having access to 2 properties literally doubles the fun!

  • Wild Oak Ranch is a Hyatt timeshare property, but we are not timeshare owners. Hyatt rents out the unoccupied units as they would any other hotel. I like this property because we can rent a one bedroom unit where the boys sleep in the living room on murphy beds and sofa beds, dad and I sleep in the king bed in the bedroom, the bathroom is very spacious and accommodating, and the balcony provides nice views of the property.

  • The full size kitchen deserves its own bullet point. Full size refrigerator. Full size stovetop and oven. Full size dishwasher. Full size microwave. Kitchen sink. All the cookware, serving dishes, dinnerware, and utensils you may need. Full disclosure: I don’t actually COOK when I am on vacation, but I appreciate having the full kitchen for things like storing snacks, reheating leftovers, chilling water bottles, and serving cereal with milk for breakfast. It makes life a little easier.

  • Wild Oak Ranch has an indoor swimming pool, an outdoor swimming pool, a lazy river, beach access to the lazy river, cabanas, a walking trail, fire pits for smores, restaurants and a snack shop on site, and tons of green space to play.

  • Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort has many of the same amenities as Wild Oak Ranch, along with a golf course, a spa and fitness facility, water slides, an adult-only pool, and hotel owned bikes to borrow for free.

  • You can also leave the property to visit the many San Antonio area attractions.

Staying at Wild Oak Ranch in San Antonio has become a twice-a-year tradition for us, celebrating the start and end of each school year with a family-friendly getaway.

Written by Brandi Stanton, mother of 2 rascals ages 3 and 5.