SAN ANTONIO: JW Marriott Hill Country Resort

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After spending two nights at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort, I was hooked! I visited the hotel to attend a conference and wasblown away by both the property and the service.

In my experience, conference hotels are usually decent butrarely more than that. After all, they already have you. For better or worse,you’re there for the duration and, given the nature of conferences – especiallylarge ones – there will likely be few (if any) other hotels nearby that have space, even if the conference hotel falls into the “for worse” category (see my previous review about my experience at the Hilton Portland).
Fortunately, the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort gave me no reasonto wish I was staying anywhere else.

View of the grounds from guest room

The desk clerk upon check-in was very gracious and welcomedme warmly. They could not accommodate my request for a room with a king-sizedbed, but she provided me a room with two double beds and what she called “avery nice view.” Although that was not my first choice, the clerk nonethelessmade me feel like a valued guest, which is a good first step toward a pleasantstay.
As advertised, the room had a very nice view of one of several courtyards andthe golf course beyond. In addition, the room itself was nicely appointed withtwo beds, an easy chair, flat-screen TV, safe, iron and ironing board, coffeemaker with a selection of coffees and teas, and a bath with separate tub andshower, and high-end amenities by Aromatherapy Associates. Augmenting the lushsoap and shampoo was a cascade of water that was very soft, a nice change fromthe hard water at my home.
The desk workstation, complete with a proper task chair,offered A/V inputs so guests can hook their computer to the LG flatscreen TVand listen to music at a higher fidelity or watch videos on screen.
The resort boasts at least five restaurants in addition to abistro at the on-site Lantana Spa.

Beds in guest room

After my late evening arrival, I opted for nibbles at the CrookedBranch lobby lounge. The bartender as well as several servers made suggestionsand one even brought me a menu from the nearby sports bar when it appeared Iwas having trouble choosing from the bar’s menu. In fact, I was deliberatingbetween two items that had my attention; the addition of another menu made itthat much more difficult. Thanks a lot!
Later in my visit, I would enjoy a dinner at 18 Oaks, which is the on-sitesteak house, and the High Velocity sports bar. 
18 Oaks features locally-sourced, grass-fed beef along withseafood and other items. While the selection of wines by the glass was lessimpressive than it should have been for a resort, my petite filet was perfectlyprepared and incredibly tender. The accompaniments, including rolls with saltedbutter, house-made beef jerky and house-made pickles, added a special touch.

Guest bath

Food in the sports bar was tasty and well-prepared, iftypical sports bar fare: fish tacos, burgers, BBQ sandwiches. While prices reflected the resortatmosphere, they were not unreasonable.
Banquet food the weak point
As with many conferences, several meals were provided andthose catered meals fell far short of the fare in the restaurants.  Breakfast offerings, generally egg-basedsandwiches, oatmeal, fruit and yoghurt, were OK, but little more than that.  Of two lunches, the one offering theubiquitous “rubber chicken” was only fair while the other, featuring a Caesarsalad with sliced beef, would earn a rating of “good.”
The one provided dinner, however, stood out for its utterlack of appeal.
A Texas-themed tailgate party offered brats, BBQ sliders,and burgers. Each and every one was disappointing. A fellow conference-goeragreed the brats were bland, the burgers tasteless, and the sliders stale. Thefood quality was so poor I left the party to find a dinner that would actuallysatisfy.

Borrowed BMW

Fortunately, BMW was offering guests the opportunity totest-drive a Beemer as part of its Resort Driving Tour and I had acquired a car earlier in the evening, so I wasable to go off-property to satisfy both my appetite and my need for speed. Unfortunately, the BMW tour won't be there for long.
Outstanding service
Every person I passed in the hall greeted me with a smileand “Good morning!” or “Good afternoon!”
At one point, I was having trouble opening my guest roomdoor, and a call to the front desk brought security within minutes.
Checking out before the end of my conference sessions, thehotel was more than happy to hold my luggage until it was time to depart.
The only drawback is that its location is a bit remote.Guests who don’t have a car will find it inconvenient or expensive to get offproperty if the need or desire arises.
The resort also offers the River Bluff River Experience, a groupof water-based recreation offerings including a pool, water slide, lazy river,and rapids ride.  The resort is adjacentto PGA Tours’ TPC San Antonio golf course, and includes a fitness center.
I would definitely return, and gladly recommend this fineproperty for your consideration.

Photos by Carl Dombek
Click on photos to view larger images

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