18th Jul 2021
La Cantera Resort & Spa - A Texas Hill Country Getaway
San Antonio has been on my travel bucket list for years! So, when I found out we would be spending a few days in Alamo City for Jason's work, I immediately started my list of places to stay, see, and eat. If you know me, you know that I go a bit overboard researching our vacation destinations. To be honest, my trip planning hovers somewhere between obsessive and obnoxious.
Luckily, one of our decisions was easy - where to stay. We booked four nights at La Cantera Resort and Spa. The AAA Four Diamond resort is located about 10 minutes northwest of downtown San Antonio and has everything you could want for a weekend in Texas Hill Country.
I was worried that the location would keep us too far from the action to really enjoy the city. But, I was completely wrong! The resort proved to be the perfect home base for exploring San Antonio.
And, when we tired of the crowds at the Riverwalk, we were able to retreat from the tourists to a little piece of Texas Hill Country heaven at La Cantera
La Cantera Resort - Rustic Elegance and Southern Hospitality
Inspired by the "Big House" at the historic King Ranch in South Texas, the La Cantera lobby is both grand and welcoming at the same time. The earthy color palette reflects the Hill Country landscape you see through huge windows that flood the room with natural light.
Southern hospitality is woven into the fabric that is Texas. True to its roots, La Cantera's invites in with comfy seating areas that make you feel like you are a guest in someone's home. The blending of furniture styles looks like the pieces were lovingly collected over time for a more personal feel. Rich leather armchairs, traditional sofas, and carved wooden tables mix with contemporary stone, clean lined settees, and metal accents.
With the giant windows looking out over the hills, there isn't much need for additional artwork. The exception is a massive portrait of Assault, the only Texas-bred triple crown winner and pride of the King Ranch.
Personal touches like vintage books and collections of throw pillows give the lobby a lived in, inviting feel.
Food and Dining
Behind the portrait of Assault is the aptly named Sire Bar, which reeks of rustic sophistication. Dark and moody wood paneled walls surround a glass liquor cabinet that would make Beth Dutton proud.
Order a signature cocktail from the bar and step next door to Bocado for a charcuterie board or sweet treat to unwind after a day of sightseeing.
If you are looking for a snack or gourmet coffee to go, Henrietta's Market is open 24 hours. We found this cute coffee / wine / sweets / ice cream shop the first night when a delayed flight put us at the resort after midnight. The pastries and cookies are so good! Get the giant gingersnap cookie. Trust me on this one.
For those wanting more than a grab and go breakfast, SweetFire Kitchen has a HUGE breakfast buffet daily. Think made to order omelets, a pastry bar, fresh local meats, waffles, and fruit for days.
I'm not much of a breakfast eater, so while Jason hit the buffet, I ordered the avocado toast from the a la carte menu. It was ridiculous. I went back two days later while Jason was in a meeting just to have it again. It. Was. That. Good.
Any self respecting San Antonio resort will have a good Tex Mex restaurant and La Cantera delivers with Primero Cantina. We had dinner here twice. The street tacos and fajitas were fantastic. The restaurant is right by the pool, so you can eat inside or at your lounge chair. Or, you can do what we did and stop by every day for happy hour and sip your margarita by the pool.
Grill 254 is an elevated sports bar in the golf clubhouse. Like the rest of La Cantera, the vibe is casual but sophisticated at the same time. We sat by the corner window and had a great view of the driving range. Beautiful views and great food!
We did not have the chance to try Signature, the fine dining option. But, the menu looks fantastic and the reviews are stellar, so it is definitely on the list for next time.
A Family Resort - Designed With Adults In Mind
La Cantera is definitely family friendly with a full menu of kids activities including arts & crafts, an arcade, kids club, separate kids pool, and hosted nature programs.
But, with 2 championship golf courses, 7 restaurants, tennis courts, an exclusive adults only guest floor, and a 25,000 sq foot spa - La Cantera caters to adults. You could honestly spend your entire vacation at the resort and never run out of things to do.
Make sure to pick up the monthly calendar of events when you check in to see what is going on during your stay. Sunset movies at the Topaz pool, Sunday Champagne brunch, a pop up barre class, and wellness lectures are just a few of the events this summer. I was bummed that we missed the monthly summer Women & Whiskey event at the Sire Bar.
Relax By The Pool
La Cantera has five pools, two of which are family friendly - the Vista Resort Pool and the dedicated kids pool that has 2 slides and a splashpad.
Adults get their own pool as well. The Topaz infinity pool overlooks Texas Hill Country and has its own separate bar.
The large Vista Resort pool has plenty of chairs and cabanas with room to spread out. So you never feel like you are sharing space with the people next to you. Cabanas are available by reservation at each pool (even the kids pool) and come with TV, refrigerator, and private safe.
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Typically, we don't get to take advantage of many resort amenities when we are at one of Jason's conferences. Either Jason is working or I have packed our free time full of plans. We are both Type A personalities, so kicking back and relaxing isn't really in our nature. Given a free moment between Jason's meetings, we are usually hunting down some rando tourist site I found on the 6th page of Google. But, our trip to San Antonio was right in the middle of conference season which means we had been in a different place every week for about a month straight. We finished one conference and had just enough time to repack and leave again. The travel is fun, but the work is real and also exhausting. We were both looking for some decompress time and La Cantera did not disappoint. We found a couple of chairs by the adults only Topaz pool and I ordered a Frida Kahlo Hibiscus Ginger Margarita from Primero Cantina - feeling no guilt whatsoever that I still had no pictures of the Alamo. |
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Texas Hill Country Views
No post about La Cantera would be complete without talking about these views! The resort sits on 550 gorgeous acres overlooking San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country, making for spectacular views from every direction.
What I loved was that there are tons of spots to sit and enjoy the stunning views throughout the resort. The large central plaza has multiple seating areas, some with personal fire pits for smores and/or cocktails in the evenings.
In addition, small seating nooks are nestled around the property and are perfect for sipping a coffee at sunrise or a glass of wine while watching the sunset.
La Cantera Is Close To Everything You Need
La Cantera feels a million miles away from the crowded touristy city, but is actually super convenient to everything you want in San Antonio.
Shopping
Two huge shopping areas sit at the resort's entrance and La Cantera provides complimentary shuttles to each. The RIM has something for everyone with almost 100 shopping and entertainment options including Top Golf. For those looking for more upscale shopping, The Shops at La Cantera has names like Anthropologie, Johnny Was, Louis Vuitton, and Nordstrom.
Theme Parks
If you are traveling with kids (or just loves roller coasters like me), the shuttle also runs to and from Six Flags Fiesta Texas just across the street. Sea World is about 20 minutes away.
History
San Antonio's rich history at The Alamo and Riverwalk is just a 10 minute drive. Or, you can follow the Mission Trail which is also easily accessible from the resort.
Wine Country
Our personal favorite adventure was a day trip to Fredericksburg and the wineries of Texas Hill Country. There are 50 (yes, that is 5-0) wineries in and around this adorable German town. The shops and restaurants are adorable in town. We only had one day, but could have easily spent a long weekend here.
I had no idea what to expect from La Cantera and I can honestly say that I was blown away by this Texas Hill Country resort. We are already making plans to return!