Review: Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort

The Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Villas, located on 300 acres in the hills west of San Antonio, Texas, offers a serene, ranch-style setting and an upscale — but not over-the-top — Texan vibe. With a multiyear $100 million renovation completed in March 2026, the resort features refreshed guest rooms and restaurants, five new luxury villas, a new driving range and a 2.2-acre lagoon with kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals.

I was invited to check out the new amenities over a two-night stay in March 2026 during the grand opening of The Big Spring lagoon. Although the hotel covered the cost of my stay and food, all the opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced by the resort.

The resort sits on a ranch that was operated by the same family for over a century beginning in 1887. There are odes to the property’s ranching heritage across the resort, including barns, windmills and wooden fences.

The hotel has 522 guest rooms, including standard rooms and suites, all remodeled with a Southwestern flair. Some rooms offer a balcony or patio.

I stayed in a Hill Country balcony suite with one king bed and a separate living room with a full-size sleeper sofa. These rooms are approximately 600 square feet and sleep up to four people. For larger parties, two-bedroom suites are also available.

The bathroom was spacious and well-lit.

With ranch-style accents and framed art referencing the state’s history above the headboard, the bedroom felt right at home in Texas.

Both the bedroom and the main living area have doors to the balcony. I’ll always value the ability to easily get some fresh air, but the balconies were very narrow and didn’t offer much of a view. For that reason, I’m not sure I would recommend a balcony room unless it was similar in cost to a standard room or suite.

The resort’s secluded 2,330-square-foot luxury villas are built for families and events. They’re a good option if you’re traveling with a party and want to splurge.

Each villa offers a communal living area with a stocked kitchen and four bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, including two king bedrooms and two rooms with double queen beds.

Staying in one of the villas also provides access to a private fire pit and screened-in patios, in addition to the saunas, hot tubs and private pool at the Windflower Spa.

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Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.

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80,000 Bonus Points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

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There are seven options for eating and drinking at the resort, in addition to room service.

Antlers Lodge

Antlers Lodge is the premier dining option at the resort, offering craft cocktails, an extensive wine list and most everything you’d expect from an upscale Texas steakhouse, including a giant chandelier of antlers, of course.

I started with the smoked Old Fashioned, which literally came out smoking. The cocktail itself was very good and not too sweet, which I appreciated.

My favorite dishes included the wild boar meatballs with Parmesan cheese, which were super flavorful, and the white cheddar mac and cheese and Brussels sprouts.

As a main, I went for the game meat trio, which included elk, boar and beef with fingerling potatoes. I haven’t eaten much game meat, but figured “when in Texas.” That ended up being a good call, as all the cuts were cooked to the perfect temperature and flavorful without being too gamey.

Springhouse Cafe

All-day casual dining is found in the Springhouse Cafe, with both a dining room and outdoor seating on the property’s ground level.

I had the steel-cut oatmeal with fruit and seeds each morning, which was fantastic. While I didn’t have lunch or dinner at the Springhouse Cafe, the menu offers a variety of salads, sandwiches and entrees.

Charlie’s Long Bar

The late-night hang at the resort is Charlie’s Long Bar. Living up to its name, the bar itself is massive, complete with cowhide barstools, a shuffleboard table, a full-size pool table with leather pockets, darts and nearly a dozen TVs.

Woodbine Bar

The Woodbine Bar, located in the lobby, is a bright and airy spot to grab a snack or drink. When there’s nice weather, the staff opens the window behind the bar for a light breeze.

You can also sit outside on the deck at the Woodbine Bar, which has multiple dining tables and a row of rocking chairs that overlook the property.

Cactus Oak Tavern

The Cactus Oak Tavern is located across from the golf pro shop and offers a full bar and a limited menu that primarily serves golfers throughout the day.

Poolside dining

There are also three outdoor restaurants and bars located across the property, including Papa Ed’s Pool Bar and Grill, Vince’s Watering Hole and a lagoon-side bar at The Big Spring.

The Big Spring lagoon

The Big Spring lagoon, which debuted in March 2026 during my stay, is a 2.2-acre man-made pool featuring sandy beaches and kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals. It seems aimed at giving visitors a beachy getaway without having to travel hours to the coast.

There was plenty of space to spread out on the shore. However, the paddling area was more limited. If there were more than a couple of kayaks and paddleboards on the water at once, it could start to feel crowded.

Pools

In addition to the lagoon, there are four outdoor pools at the resort, including family-friendly pools, kiddie pools and adult-only pools that provide everyone a space to cool off from the Texas heat.

Lazy river and waterslide

The resort’s 900-foot-long lazy river is a slow and relaxing way to move through the water park while staying cool. For more excitement, there’s also a two-story waterslide.

Windflower Spa

The Windflower Spa is located near the villas and provides an incredibly calm haven away from the rest of the resort. Amenities include men’s and women’s areas with a hot tub, steam room and dry sauna.

I received a 50-minute massage during my stay. My favorite feature was the fully-adjustable massage table, which worked just like an adjustable bed. I found it to be more relaxing than a flat massage table.

Hill Country Golf Club

The Hill Country Golf Club is a 27-hole championship course that spans over 200 acres around the resort. Features include a pro shop inside the full-service clubhouse, locker rooms, GPS-equipped golf carts and a practice putting green.

The resort’s TopTracer driving range was a new addition in 2026. It uses balls equipped with electronic tracers that let you observe stats and play interactive games (similar to TopGolf). You can rent a golf bay for between $35 and $60 an hour, depending on the time of day.

Fitness center

The fitness center is open 24 hours a day and includes Peloton bikes, free weights, treadmills and elliptical machines. The space is well lit and air conditioned, with two water stations. There is also a dry sauna in each locker room.

Family-friendly activities

There are a variety of on-site activities geared toward families and kids.

Every morning, a chalkboard with the day’s activities is posted in the lobby. During my stay, those activities included nightly s’mores by the fire, tie-dyeing t-shirts and a variety of games throughout the day. Next to the fitness center, there’s an arcade, which features over a dozen arcade games.

Then, each morning at 8:30, the resort offers buckets of birdseed so guests can feed the birds and squirrels.

Athletic courts

The resort also offers plenty of sporty outdoor activities, including courts for tennis, pickleball, and beach volleyball.

There’s also a bicycle rental station with both kids’ and adult bikes. The first rental hour costs 75 cents, and each additional hour costs $10, with a $40 maximum per day.

Next to the beach volleyball courts, you’ll find some wood-burning fire pits, a cornhole set and a ping-pong table.

I’ve stayed at a lot of Hyatt hotels, and the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort is among my favorites for its spread of activity and relaxation options. Depending on your mood, you can chill in the lagoon or lazy river, lie by the pool, hike, golf, play pickleball or volleyball, or just sit by the fire (or inside with air conditioning). And if you’re on a family trip, there are several activities to keep kids entertained.

The renovated guest rooms felt upscale and comfortable, and I particularly liked the food and ambience at Antlers Lodge. The resort also offers a great price point for award stays compared to similar resorts within the World of Hyatt program, and you’ll avoid the resort fee of $60 per night when you book with points.

About the author

Craig Joseph is a NerdWallet credit cards and travel rewards expert. He has degrees in geology from West Virginia University and oceanography from Oregon State University and has published in academic journals, newspapers and blogs. Craig is passionate about personal finance and wants to enhance the financial literacy of everyone he meets. He’ll probably also try to convince you why rocks are cool.