Trip Motivation
In May 2021, we took a long road trip to Orange Beach, AL, New Orleans, LA and to this resort in Cedar Creek, TX near Austin. We picked this resort because we were excited for the resort feel of the hotel and had seen it referenced in other travel blogs. I love lazy rivers in pools and this hotel had a large one in addition to other fun family activities and pools.
Hotel
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines. This hotel is about 30 minutes East of Austin. We drove in from New Orleans, but an airport flight to Austin and a quick drive would also be a great option. We benefited from a Healthcare Workers discount that brought the price down to $212 a night for 3 nights. You can also use Hyatt points for this hotel at 20k/night This would be a great value when the price is slightly higher.You can earn Hyatt points from Hyatt stays, the Hyatt credit card and chase points which can be transferred to Hyatt. Learn more about points here.
We have Hyatt globalist status which gave us a suite upgrade. We did have to work for it a little. Usually suite upgrades are guaranteed for members with hotel status. When we checked in and asked for an upgrade, we were told none were available. I asked if we could move into a suite the next day or postpone our check-in until later afternoon to see if one would open up. (We had arrived at 2pm) The staff went ahead and gave us a key to access the pool area, the valet held our bags, and we crossed our fingers. At 4:30p, I received a text that a suite was available for our stay!
The slight inconvenience was worth it as our suite was fantastic! The suite was on the ground level and opened up on the patio to the courtyard near the pool area so we could minimize our time spent indoors.
Lazy Days in the Lazy River
The hotel was gorgeous and the pool features were great. The main pool was huge with a volleyball net set across and the elevated ledges on the side were perfect for kids who can’t quite reach. There was also a zero-entry section with a sandy area. The bottom of the pool was covered in really cool mosaic tiled animals. There was a kids slide, although they were strict about height requirements (42in and up only). Poor Ellie asked me every morning if she had “grown enough to be a big girl” and guilt-tripped us into several condolence ice cream cones!
In addition to the main area, there was a lazy river (my favorite), a small splash pad and 2ft kids pool, excellent for letting the kids play while I read a book with my pina colada in hand. Perfect!
Beyond the hotel pools, the kids also enjoyed the included activities at the hotel. There were two daily craft sessions with take home items such as bracelet weaving, rock painting, and sand art. Carter was adamant about checking the schedule so he wouldn’t miss out. We also enjoyed the free bikes to ride around the hotel grounds.
The hotel also had animals living on-site. Every morning, staff brought out an animal to meet and pet. Throughout the day, we could also visit them near their home stables. The longhorns were majestic!
Other Amenities
For physical activity (and a break from kids!), Ben did some running on the nearby trails and I spent some time in their beautiful fitness center. They had several peloton bikes, numerous treadmills, and even offered morning yoga classes.
Other favorite hotel offerings that our family enjoyed were a small arcade room with air hockey and pac-man and daily smores. They have two large fire pits and every evening, they have staff set up tables with supplies and equipment.
Food and Drinks
As a perk of hotel status, we received comped breakfast. The highlights were the omelete stations and breakfast brisket tacos. For lunches, we stuck to the resort and ate at the pool bar or the small cafe grocery store. The store offered sandwiches, personal pizzas, and most importantly, ice cream.
One evening, we drove to the nearby town of Bastrop (about 20 minutes away) and found a great restaurant called Neighbors by searching for outdoor patio beer. Like usual on our trips, pizza + beer makes everyone happy.
Final Thoughts
I am a huge fan of Hyatt Regency Resort hotels. We’ve now been to several including Orlando, Maui, San Antonio and here. Although not all-inclusive, it gives a similar vibe. We spend all day at the pool, drink some pina coladas, look-up daily craft activities and just enjoy time together.
