Our family recently held a small reunion at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. We had 3 families made up of 11 people ranging in age from 1 to 71. Everyone was able to find activities that suited them. We did some activities with everyone and some with smaller groups. We learned a couple of lessons along the way and we want to share them with you. If you’re thinking about planning a family reunion at one of the best resorts in Texas, read on to see our Top 9 Tips for Hosting a Family Reunion at a Texas Family Resort.

Top 9 Tips for Planning a Family Reunion at Texas Family Resorts

1. Room Layout and Space

When booking your rooms, you’ll want to be thoughtful of the room layout and how the space will be used. Will you need room for a pack ‘n play or a rollaway bed? Will you have a sitting area so you can sit somewhere other than on the bed? Will you have a desk or table to use as counter space? And most importantly (for us), is there a space for the adults to hang out after the kids go to bed without disturbing them?

For our family of 5, we find we enjoy our resort vacations best when we have a balcony to use as a separate sitting space once the kids are asleep. We deadbolt the door, use the ice bucket as a cooler for a couple of drinks, and bring a baby monitor outside with us. Even though we’re just on the other side of the door, we feel more comfortable that we can see and hear what is going on in the room. After we spent one trip hanging out whispering on the bathroom floor, we decided a balcony is a must for us!

If we stay at a hotel with the grandparents, we like to request an adjoining room with them. This is not always able to be guaranteed by the hotel, especially in the busy season (see: Spring Break, Summer weekends, and holidays) so be sure to clarify this before booking and again before your card is charged. We use the grandparents’ room (usually a king room with a sitting area) a “living room” where the adults can all visit while the kids are falling asleep. This is also handy during nap time for little ones!

2. Make a Dinner Reservation Early

If you have a pretty large group (over 10 people) it’s probably a good idea to go ahead and book a dinner reservation right after you reserve your room, while it’s still top of mind. Usually, there is one main dinner restaurant at each of the Texas Family Resorts that typically has a buffet option. There is quite literally something for everyone with both an adult and kids buffet. You won’t have to wait for your food to be ready and you can try a couple of things until you find something you(r kids) will enjoy…. or just eat! Don’t forget about the dessert buffet table too!

3. If only we brought our _______.

When we are staying in one room with our 3 kids, we find it helpful to bring a few items we consider necessities, or at least make things a lot easier.

• Sound Machine – helps everyone sleep as well as possible while all in one room
• Baby Monitor – to use when we are on the balcony and the kids are sleeping or if we’re in an adjoining room while the baby is sleeping.
• Beach Towel – can serve as a picnic blanket or to wipe up spills
• Roll of Paper Towels – speaking of spills, we use paper towels for spills, drying dishes, plates…. you name it!
• Kids’ Plates and Utensils – our kids often split 2 meals between the 3 of them and for our bunch eating off of familiar plates and utensils makes eating unfamiliar foods at the resort less overwhelming.
• Hand Soap and Dish Soap – we like to bring a bottle of hand soap with a pump for our kids to wash their hands and a little bottle of dish soap to wash the kids’ plates and water bottles

4. Daily Schedule

This is what we’ve found works for our family when staying at a Texas Family Resort for a family reunion. Not everyone is together all the time, but sometimes that’s okay!

• First adult awake goes down to get in line for coffee, grabs coffee for the group
• Second parent manages the kids’ breakfast. My kids enjoy eating on the balcony and I enjoy the crumbs not being in my bed.
• Family that gets up early (usually the one with younger kids) heads to the pool when it opens to grab poolside chairs. Take note of side tables, shade options, and lazy river access! This becomes our family “home base” for the day so people can go off on their own and always easily find the group again.
• We like to eat lunch poolside in the shade. I usually bring fruit and protein-filled snacks for the kids if they don’t like the lunch or need something quick to eat to avoid a meltdown.
• Early afternoon – one parent heads back with the baby for nap time while the other parent takes the older kids to the water slides, sandy beach, or kids pool.
• Mid-afternoon – we take a break from the pool and sun (and each other). Everyone gets some rest, snacks, and showers and we get ready to gather together again for dinner.
• Meet the family for dinner in a common area. We eat on the earlier side with the little kids so we have plenty of time for lawn games, s’mores, and getting wiggles out before bed. In the Summer there’s often a family movie night complete with blankets. It’s what summer dreams are made of.
• If we have adjoining rooms with grandparents, we sometimes leave them with the monitor and my husband and I take an evening stroll around the resort or grab a drink at one of the resort bars. The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort gives you a voucher for 2 complimentary drinks at the lobby bar upon check-in.

5. Family Resort Activities

All the Texas family resorts have a schedule of family-friendly resort events you’ll receive at check-in or can call the week of your arrival and request a copy. There are opportunities for kids’ crafts, animal encounters, games, etc.

Some resorts also have some sort of a resort scavenger hunt set up and you can earn a prize at the end. At the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa there was a longhorn scavenger hunt with several clues that took you all over the resort looking for little stuffed longhorns – some easier to find than others! On a recent trip to the Omni Barton Creek in Austin, we played “nature trail bingo” for a chance to choose a prize from a treasure box in the lobby.

Side note: why are treasure boxes so exciting for kids? I need to start serving their (usually untouched) veggies in treasure boxes! I think we’re onto something here….

6. But First…. Coffee!

If you’re opting for a grab-and-go breakfast rather than a sit down, full breakfast, you want to get a move on early. There is typically one spot in the resort for coffee first thing in the morning…. and everyone knows it. The line at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort Starbucks is rarely less than 15-20 minutes even though they are fully staffed and working hard to serve everyone!

We prefer to travel with breakfast options like mini muffins, cereal, and fruit so the kids can eat when they wake up. There’s always the in-room coffee maker if you’re not picky. We actually have one umm…. *particular* grandpa that travels with his own coffee and coffeemaker, which we make fun of right up until we pour our cup of fresh coffee first thing in the morning!

7. Let Them Eat… Cake The Buffet

We recently spent 3 days and 2 nights at the JW Marriott Resort for a family reunion. The first night we picked up takeout from different restaurants and then all ate together in a common area while we played games. There’s not much turnaround time between check-in and little kids’ dinner time the first night, so we opted to sneak in some pool time and then just pick up dinner on the way back to our room. The second night we had reservations at Cibolo Moon, the something-for-everyone restaurant with a buffet. I had made reservations for our large room right after we booked the room (see #2).

8. Managing Nap Time on Vacation

Our daughter is 1 and still takes a pretty hefty afternoon nap. What works for us is one parent taking her to the room for a nap while the other parent takes our older boys to the kids’ pool or water slides. When our kids were infants my husband particularly enjoyed floating the lazy river while they napped on his chest. It’s actually what made us fall in love with family trips to the Texas Family Resorts. At our recent family reunion, we had an adjoining room with grandparents who wanted a midday rest as well, so we let them stay up in the room while our daughter napped and both my husband and I were able to ride the water slides and lazy river with the two older boys, which was very fun!

9. Set Realistic Expectations

I’ve found as a parent, the key to me feeling like I’m on a family vacation versus just a trip with kids is all about setting expectations. If you want to be on the same schedule with everyone in your family then maybe renting a big house for everyone would be a better option for your family reunion. For us, we enjoyed the balance of opportunities for the whole group, smaller groups, or just our immediate family spending time together. Even though it’s a family reunion, it’s okay to fill your cup too!

So there you have it! Hosting a family reunion at one of the best resorts in Texas is an unforgettable experience that your family will cherish for years to come. With plenty of activities and options for both adults and kids, you can create unique memories with your loved ones in a beautiful setting. Whether you’re looking for quality one-on-one time or fun group activities, there is something for everyone to enjoy!

My favorite memory from our recent family reunion at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort was floating the lazy river (if you’ve read our website you’re not surprised by this). Each time we went around, it was with a different combination of family members until our final trip around the lazy river on our last night the whole family was together, even Grandpa jumped in with his clothes on!

So why not plan a trip and make some amazing memories? Your family will thank you!

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