Staying put at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa

Just back from some fun times in San Antonio, where the Texas hospitality was as wide as the brim of a Stetson and as deep as the Rio Grande. I wish I could report firsthand on the pulsing energy of the famed Riverwalk, or the sense of history awakened by the Alamo, but I can’t. Through an odd combination of circumstance, engendered in large part by some sketchy weather, I spent virtually the entire visit at the sparkling new JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, opened just a few months ago. But boredom wasn’t part of the equation.

The spa? Exquisite. The rooms? Clean, comfortable, and tricked out with flat screens and wi-fi. The gym? All you could want. The Water Park and pool? Sprawling and distinctive, with ultra-cool waterslides, one of which is entirely covered, and thus eerily dark. The restaurants? Every meal was distinctive and excellent. The golf? Very good, this newly christened TPC San Antonio features a Greg Norman design (the AT&T Oaks Course) readying to host the Texas Open in a few weeks, and a more user-friendly Pete Dye creation (the AT&T Canyons Course), which will handle Champions Tour duties in the future.

It would have been great to get out and about a bit while in San Antonio, which is known as the number one tourist destination in all of Texas.

But if one had to be ensconced in just a single locale for a long weekend visit, it would be difficult to beat this massive (1,000+ rooms) and multi-faceted JW Marriott.