Trip Motivation
In October 2022, we took a fall break trip to Austin, TX. We spent most of our time hanging at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines. We have double Southwest companion passes so the flight out was inexpensive and the hotel was very reasonable. We took this trip with friends who have kids of a similar age which was great for trading off and getting mini-breaks throughout the trip! This is becoming one of our favorite spots and will definitely be a repeat! Read on to see why we loved this hotel so much and the top 10 things to do with kids at the resort.
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines. This hotel is about 30 minutes East of Austin. We stayed here before in 2021 (see post here) We benefited from a Healthcare Workers discount that brought the price down to $250 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.
1. Pool Time.
The pool features were great. We spent most of our time with drinks in hand by the zero-entry section. There was a kids slide (42in and up only).
In addition to the main area, there was a lazy river (my favorite), a small splash pad, hot tub and 2ft kids pool. Perfect!
We brought goggles and dive sticks and had a blast.
2. Visiting Animals
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!
3. Independence at the Playground
A big milestone. Our kids were able to play at the playground without adult supervision. Our oldest is 7 and there were several points where the grown-ups were hanging at the bar or finishing up breakfast and we let the kids run ahead. Amazing!
4. Evening Movies and Smores
Daily smores were a hit. They have two large fire pits and every evening, they have staff set up tables with supplies and equipment. They also had a large blow-up screen playing Halloween movies on a large lawn. We often started a movie there and then moved everyone up to the room to finish it up
5. Recreation Activities
We’ve been spending a lot of time at Hyatt hotels and several have had kid’s clubs including Jamaica, Mexico, Sedona, and Texas. The kid’s club only operates during summer months but there were still tons of activities. There were daily craft sessions with take home items such as puzzle making, snap bracelets, coloring, and more. The kids also really enjoyed organized kickball and dodgeball sessions with a great activity staff. There was also a small arcade with games that is perfect for rainy days or times where we just need something different.
6. Drinks! Pina Coladas Pool-Side!
My favorite kind of vacations involve pina coladas and sitter-vising. There was even poolside service! Virgin with cherries for the littles.
7. Eat, Eat, Eat!
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.
In the evening, we ate at the on-site Shellers barrelhouse bar one evening and had excellent burgers and sandwiches. On another evening, we door-dashed some brisket from nearby Little Macs.
8. Yard Games and Biking
In addition to the activities available at certain times, throughout the day, everyone always enjoyed grabbing some bikes to explore. There were tons of sizes available and training wheels, balance bikes, and adult bikes with carriers for littles.
We also spent a lot of time at the yard games area with chess, cornhole, horseshoes, tetherball, foosball, and other fun activities. The boys (Age 7) loved this area and every time we we weren’t in the pool, we were probably here.
9. Board Game Hangs in our Suite
10. Bonus: Adult Hang Time
One of the benefits of vacationing with friends is trading off time without kids. The moms snuck away to the spa for some steam room and adult hot tub time. Lovely! Ben enjoyed runs along the paths and our friends enjoyed hanging at the pool bar watching sports without kids underfoot. Win for everyone.
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.
