Adventures Through South Texas: San Antonio & Austin
July 25, 2015
By Rachel Kapur
By Rachel Kapur
Texas, commonly referred to as the "Lone Star State", is a destination worth visiting for its culture, food and the wonderful hospitality of its local people. We decided to embark on a journey through Texas and were invited to stay at several Marriott properties throughout South Texas.
As the saying goes "San Antonio is everybody's second home" , we learned why that saying exists when we embarked on our adventure in this Texas oasis.
San Antonio is one of the oldest and is the 7th largest city in the United States. The city is filled with historical landmarks, beautiful landscapes and a lot of German and Mexican influence. With 300 days of sunshine a year, San Antonio is definitely a vacation destination for tourists year round. The coldest months are January and February where the highs are in the 60s. The 13 mile River Walk on which the two Marriott properties are conveniently located is San Antonio's most beautiful and distinctive feature.
As the saying goes "San Antonio is everybody's second home" , we learned why that saying exists when we embarked on our adventure in this Texas oasis.
San Antonio is one of the oldest and is the 7th largest city in the United States. The city is filled with historical landmarks, beautiful landscapes and a lot of German and Mexican influence. With 300 days of sunshine a year, San Antonio is definitely a vacation destination for tourists year round. The coldest months are January and February where the highs are in the 60s. The 13 mile River Walk on which the two Marriott properties are conveniently located is San Antonio's most beautiful and distinctive feature.
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Our first night in San Antonio was spent at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter. This hotel has over 1000 rooms of which 86 are suites. We stayed in the luxurious King Suite which included a massive balcony perfect for a cocktail party!
Each room at the hotel features spacious work areas, high speed internet access and the amenities you come to expect when staying at a 4-star hotel including a pool, gym and complimentary laundry rooms. The hotel is conveniently located along the River Walk and is attached to the Rivercenter mall which boasts many restaurants, stores and a large AMC IMAX Theater. This large 38-story hotel has a Starbucks, Sazo's Restaurant for all day dining and a bar. This grand hotel is also part of Marriott's Convention & Resort Network (CRN) and features 60,000 square feet of premium meeting space. This includes 36 rooms, which includes the largest ballroom downtown and can be catered to fit any event needs from conferences to weddings. The hotel is conveniently located a few steps away from the #1 tourist destination in Texas - The Alamo. |
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The Alamo has over 2.5 million visitors a year. It is the oldest of 5 missions that were built to provide local Native Americans with protection from hostile tribes and also for conversion to the Catholic faith. The Alamo was built in 1724 and eventually became the site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. There is no admission fee to visit the UNESCO site, and visitors have the option of renting an audio tour or purchasing a Battlefield tour for $15 that comes with a complimentary audio tour. The Alamo also has rentable space perfect for events and an extensive gift shop. Close by you can see history in action at the AMC Rivercenter where you can watch the Alamo movie in IMAX.
The River Walk is the 2nd most visited tourist destinations in Texas, with over 75 restaurants, numerous shops and theaters - there is no shortage of food or entertainment along the beautiful River Walk. We enjoyed Boudro's dining river cruise, which was a great way to explore the River Walk and enjoy great food. Another site we highly recommend is the SAGA light show at the San Fernando Cathedral- the beautiful light show is on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday nights. |
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When visiting the 7th largest city in Texas, another hotel recommendation is the Marriott Riverwalk which is located across the street from the Marriott Rivercenter and offers a comparable level of quality and service. This hotel has 507 rooms which includes 5 suites that recently underwent a $40 million dollar renovation. Every room in this contemporary hotel that faces the San Antonio River has its own private balcony.
For meeting and wedding space, this hotel has 14 event rooms which total 14,976 square feet of meeting space. One of the meeting rooms has a large terrace that is on the River Walk, it is perfect for an outdoor reception for up to 200 people. Besides the River Walk and Alamo, other popular attractions in San Antonio include the largest SeaWorld in the United States, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and El Mercado for unique souvenirs. We highly recommend the FEAST for Brunch, the Pearl area for great dining and the Menger Hotel for a haunted experience with a cocktail. |
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The JW Marriott brand of hotels has been synonymous with the terms luxury, elegance and class, we had a chance to experience this in the heart of Hill Country where we began our next adventure. The JW Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio is a beautiful escape for both family and business travel. The hotel sprawls across 600 acres of rolling hills, meandering creeks and live Oak trees. The hotel features 1,002 rooms, including 85 suites which reflect the authentic style and hospitality of the Texas Hill Country. Each guest room at the resort features a balcony, luxurious bedding, spacious work desks and LCD cable TVs with all the touches that make this hotel so unique. |
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The dining and entertainment options at this luxurious resort are endless. With two world class PGA Tour golf courses on site, guests can perfect their game or just spend a few hours shooting through 36 challenging holes and stunning views. A six acre water park has everything you need for a fun day in the sun including water slides, a lazy river, pools and pina coladas! The Lantana Spa is the largest spa in Texas and has everything you need to relax and refresh including massages, facials, body wraps, a private pool, sauna and jacuzzi. The resort includes a variety of dining options from casual to gourmet fare. With six restaurants and a Starbucks Cafe the dining options are a fit for any palette. Besides the endless activities at the hotel, the Hill Country is close to top wineries, great hiking trails and excellent bird watching areas. |
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Like the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, the JW Hill Country Resort and Spa is also a part of the Marriott Convention & Resort Network (CRN). The CRN includes hotels that have 1000+ hotel rooms, exceptional service and can execute meetings that include over one-thousand attendees. The hotel features 19 meeting rooms and has 3 levels of meeting space that equate to 265,000 square feet of meeting space. Their ballroom is 40, 000 square feet and is fully carpeted with the ability to be divisible into three sections. They also have 18 different 1000 square-foot conference rooms for smaller meetings. With the choice of indoor and outdoor space any type of event/meeting can be accommodated. Another unique option they offer is to have an event at a working ranch called the Knibbe Ranch. The ranch can customize events to include a hot air balloon ride, armadillo race and much more. The ranch is 1000 acres and can accommodate 1100 guests. |
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Our last adventure in our fun-filled stay in Texas was in Austin. Austin is known for their wonderful nightlife and delicious food. We had the pleasure of staying in the newly opened upscale JW Marriott Austin. The hotel features 1012 rooms, incredible views of the city and a beautiful rooftop pool.
The hotel is conveniently located downtown near the famous Sixth Street, shopping and dining. Austin has a world renowned food truck scene, the area where the hotel stands today used to be a parking lot with food trucks. In keeping with their past, on the side of the hotel there is a "Burger Bar" that has the food truck style appeal and pricing. In addition to being the largest hotel in Austin, the JW Marriott Austin features the largest ballroom in the city, which is perfect for meetings or events. The hotel has 120,000 square feet of meeting space which includes 42 meeting rooms to accommodate any size event. There is much to do in Austin such as kayaking on Lady Bird Lake, checking out the Dell's Children Museum, horseback riding, playing golf and much more. While you are in town make sure to grab a bite at Franklin Barbecue. The James Beard award winning establishment is known for having the best barbecue in the country. |
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Our trip to Texas was filled with fun and adventure. From exploring the Alamo to floating around the lazy river, we enjoyed every moment of it. Throughout our stay in San Antonio and Austin, we explored various Marriott properties that made our stay very convenient and comfortable. We will definitely visit Texas again soon and explore more of its culture, amazing cuisine and beautiful landscapes.