As they are saying, every little thing is larger in Texas. And the identical holds true for La Cantera Resort & Spa, a luxurious hideaway tucked into the Texas Hill Country on the outskirts of San Antonio. Whether you come to rejuvenate within the spa, calm down by certainly one of many swimming pools or evaluation enterprise supplies within the ample convention area, this award-winning resort has what it takes to make it occur. It is the latest winner of the Conde Nast Traveler award for greatest resort in Texas and the quantity #1 resort within the southwest. In addition, it was named within the prime 50 greatest lodges and resorts on this planet by the identical publication.
When contemplating a home getaway, La Cantera is central to virtually all elements of the nation and only a 20-minute drive from the airport. Here are 5 prime the reason why La Cantera needs to be in your radar display this winter.
The swimming pools
With 5 swimming pools, there’s loads of selection and selection. The most important pool has an infinity edge that appears to spill off into the countryside. This is the biggest of the 5 and is ringed with lounge chairs. Another resort pool is the principle spot for households with waterslides, a splash pad and shallow space. Whirlpools are dotted across the pool areas, and these get particularly busy as soon as convention teams wish to calm down after a day of conferences.
At the adults-only infinity pool, a bar tends to visitors with drinks and lightweight snacks whereas particular person cabanas can be found for lease. Recently, the Champagne and Sunshine cabanas have confirmed to be an enormous hit by the grownup pool the place visitors can tipple in a superbly adorned area with followers, a fridge full of chilled water, lounge chairs, and naturally, loads of bubbly.
One is reserved for villa visitors and tucked away right into a separate a part of the resort with its personal whirlpool and ringed with lounge chairs. Guests on this part have their very own reception foyer with complimentary espresso and gelato plus service from a close-by bar. Many of those villas open straight from their patios to the pool making them particularly widespread with {couples} touring for a little bit of romance and privateness.
Lastly, there’s the spa pool, which is barely open to these reserving a therapy. For many, the quieter environment is value it, particularly since they get entry to the pool and spa services all day lengthy.
The meals
Every style bud may be happy at La Cantera Resort & Spa thanks to almost a dozen venues for foods and drinks. The most celebrated is Signature, the steak home below the aegis of a four-time James Beard award nominee. As a dinner-only (and weekend brunch) venue, the restaurant has a loyal following for the unimaginable presentation and a focus to element.
SweetFire Kitchen serves all-day meals with an open kitchen, indoor and al fresco seating, and a mixture of American and southwestern favorites. One degree down is Primero Cantina with a patio that opens to the pool. The menu here’s a specific favourite with every little thing from scorching fajitas and tacos to housemade guacamole and ceviche. The bar’s cocktails are a few of the greatest on the resort.
Near the golf course, gamers can select from two dozen beer on draft and a menu of sunshine meals, craft cocktails and wine at Grille 254. Other choices embody charcuterie and connoisseur cheese at Bocado and barrel-aged cocktails at Sire Bar. Don’t miss the large stallion picture hanging within the foyer simply outdoors the bar. There are additionally poolside menus at totally different plunges across the resort. There’s a grab-and-go market with ice cream made by a neighborhood artisan.
The rooms
Many are recent from renovations (with extra flooring to return quickly), the up to date rooms, suites and villas look elegant with southwestern accents and fashionable comforts. Plush king or paired queen beds have delicate duvets whereas the Hill Country-inspired sitting areas have loads of darkish wooden furnishings. Rooms with a furnished balcony or patio are particularly widespread.
Bathrooms sport glassed-in rain showers with glorious water stress and toiletries produced domestically utilizing Hill Country components. The perfume is so beautiful, many visitors ask about buying them. The lodge now shares them within the reward store.
This resort is widespread with households. Still, adults on the lookout for an escape or conferees desirous to community or work in a quiet area, there’s flooring SEVEN. This premium, membership flooring expertise gives a complimentary breakfast and night completely happy hour. It comes with free wine, beer and drinks plus gentle snacks. This is well worth the improve for a lot of visitors for the privateness. Also included is valet parking, separate check-in space, and comped night drinks.
Guests staying within the villa part have their very own golf carts to get across the property with parking obtainable on the spa, most important constructing and pool areas. These are simply a few of the many suites on property. The largest is the Briscoe Suite with its personal kitchen, eating room, dwelling space with hearth, patio with hearth pit and master suite together with an outside bathe.
The spa
Loma de Vida Spa is a crowning characteristic of this resort, and the relief begins lengthy earlier than any therapy begins. Calming music is piped into the pathways, and visitors have lavish rest services to take pleasure in earlier than and after a therapy. They embody males’s and girls’s saunas, natural steam rooms, Himalayan salt rooms, indoor vitality swimming pools and outside patios.
Once prepared for the therapy, a panoramic lounge awaits with gentle snacks, natural tea and water. Therapists gather visitors from the lounge for a protracted roster of remedies. These embody physique wraps, massages, facials and sweetness providers like manicures, pedicures and hair styling. There are additionally meditation and sound bowl periods. Couples or teams may even e book the Sky Loft with its personal non-public soaking tub and rest space. There’s one other space with al fresco area with plunge pool and fountains for bespoke experiences (together with Champagne).
Also a part of the large well being membership is a gymnasium with indoor and outside exercise tools. There are additionally health studios for courses like yoga and Zumba. After a exercise, take a break on the health-focused café with smoothies and acai bowls. So elaborate and spectacular is the spa right here that it brings in an enormous quantity of drive visitors to the resort. Houston is barely three hours away; Austin is even nearer.
The views
From virtually any vantage level, you’re surrounded by nature right here. Many rooms peer out towards the golf course whereas others look towards the infinity-edge swimming pools and distant hill nation. If you’re right into a spherical of golf or wish to play a tennis match, these services are right here. And you guessed it, in view of the gorgeous surroundings. In reality, the golf programs listed here are notorious. The resort was a cease on the PGA tour for 15 years. One of the programs was designed by golf legend Arnold Palmer. There’s additionally a apply space and driving vary.
The rolling panorama is the right backdrop to a cup of espresso at dawn and that tasty sundown cocktail. S’mores by the firepit is a well-liked previous time for visitors with youngsters (and young-at-heart adults). This is the best level within the San Antonio space. La Cantera proves to be one of the best spot from which to absorb nature’s majesty.
If you will have a premium bank card like The Platinum Card from American Express, you possibly can e book a reservation by way of the Fine Hotels & Resorts platform to earn additional advantages like a possible room improve, free breakfast, late checkout and resort credit. Virtuoso journey advisors can even e book a reservation right here for related advantages. No matter the way you reserve, the expertise right here is second to none.