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The Best Hotels with Pools to Book in San Antonio, Texas

After a busy day sightseeing around historic San Antonio, youll want to cool off with a dip in your hotel pool
After a busy day sightseeing around historic San Antonio, you'll want to cool off with a dip in your hotel pool | © Joshua J. Cotten / Unsplash

San Antonio is the most popular tourist town in Texas. History buffs are drawn to its Spanish colonial relics, such as the Alamo, an 18th-century mission, fortress and battleground. Thrill-seekers flock to Six Flags theme park, while those in search of nature and culture head to the picturesque San Antonio River Walk, botanical gardens and museums. One thing this landlocked city doesn’t have, though, is a coast – and with temperature highs of 100F (38C) in summer, you’ll certainly want to cool off. Here’s our pick of the best hotels with pools in San Antonio, Texas – all bookable with Culture Trip.

Hotel Contessa, for rooftop swims

Hotel

Hotel Contessa
© Hotel Contessa / Expedia
The pool at this luxury, all-suite hotel is quite literally its crowning glory: a rooftop gem that’s heated to 85F (29C) all year round. Popular with families during the day, it’s reserved for adults-only after 8pm, so you can get your quiet laps in without fear of splashing. The hotel’s location on the River Walk in downtown makes a gorgeous spot to watch people and boats pass by, while the agave and tequila tastings at on-site Ambler Texas Kitchen provide another great experience at the opposite end of the energy scale.

Menger Hotel, for San Antonio’s largest heated pool

Hotel

Menger Hotel
© Menger Hotel / Exepdia
This hotel, which has been a fixture in San Antonio since 1857, forms part of the historic Alamo district, near the old mission itself. If you’re after a heated hotel pool in San Antonio, the Menger’s is the largest in the city. Located in a tropical courtyard complete with a bar, tables and loungers, the pool area is somewhere you can eat, drink and be merry all day. After drying off, wander in the Spanish courtyard gardens or enjoy drinks in the Menger Bar, once frequented by Theodore Roosevelt himself.

Hotel Emma, for snacks and dips

Hotel

Hotel Emma
© Hotel Emma / Expedia
Known as “the cathedral” and once the tallest building in San Antonio, Hotel Emma makes a grand impression. Formerly the brewhouse of the Pearl Brewery, it reopened as a hotel in 2015 and is named after the brewery’s formidable former owner, who kept the business ticking during Prohibition. The lovely outdoor pool harks to the building’s history with Poolside Provisions, a 1960s-era Pearl beer delivery truck serving everything from hummus and chips to poke and smoothies.

Omni La Mansión del Rio, for lounging in a Spanish hacienda

Chain Hotel, Luxury

Omni La Mansión del Rio
© Omni La Mansión del Rio / Expedia

You’ll feel like a boss when lounging by the pool at this four-star mansion hotel. From the towels provided on the classy poolside loungers to the Mediterranean styling and palm-filled gardens, it feels more like a Spanish hacienda than a city-center hotel. Built as a school by four brothers of the Society of Mary in 1852, the hotel is located right on the River Walk, boasts AAA Four Diamond restaurant Las Canarias, and offers access to the spa at nearby companion property, Mokara.

Mokara Hotel and Spa, for total relaxation

Resort, Hotel

Mokara Hotel and Spa
© Mokara Hotel and Spa / Expedia
If you’re in dire need of relaxation, splurge on a room at this wellness-focused hotel. Its heated rooftop pool and whirlpool come with padded loungers, spectacular city views and bistro tables for propping up your cocktail, while the spa – rated four stars by Forbes Guide – has 18 private treatment rooms as well as men’s and women’s sanctuary lounges. Post-pampering, take a river cruise from the River Walk just outside for a chilled way to sightsee. After that, we guarantee you won’t have any worries left at all.

Courtyard by Marriott San Antonio SeaWorld/Westover Hills, for indoor and outdoor swimming

Chain Hotel

Courtyard by Marriott San Antonio
© Courtyard by Marriott San Antonio / Expedia

Why choose between indoor and outdoor swims when you can have both? This Marriott provides an undulating pool that flows from the building’s ground floor out into the courtyard garden, incorporating a hot tub and swim-up bar along the way. Located in the northwest suburbs of San Antonio, the hotel is close to numerous golf courses and shooting ranges, while Downtown is 18mi (29km) away.

La Cantera Resort and Spa, for a choice of five pools

Hotel

La Cantera Resort and Spa
© La Cantera Resort and Spa / Expedia

When it comes to San Antonio hotel pools, this ranch-style resort spoils its guests with no less than five options. All outdoor and heated, they’re designed to cater to everyone, with waterslides and a splash park for kids, cabanas and a bar in the adults-only number, and a peaceful, private pool for spa users. Located in the Hill Country surrounding the city, this sprawling stay is less than a mile from Six Flags theme park and a 15-minute drive from the airport. As well as the five pools, there are two golf courses on site, plus nine bars and restaurants.

The St Anthony, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Antonio, for a romantic escape

Hotel

The St Anthony
© The St Anthony / Expedia
Want to impress a special someone? Treat them to a stay at this luxury pad in Downtown San Antonio. Overlooking Travis Park and within walking distance of all the main sites, this grand AAA Four Diamond hotel opened in 1909 and has been designated as a national historic site in its own right. Its rooftop infinity pool is a class act, with “floating loungers,” cloud reflections and an adjoining cabana bar.

Estancia del Norte San Antonio, A Tapestry Hotel by Hilton, to see and be seen

Hotel

Estancia del Norte San Antonio
© Estancia del Norte San Antonio / Expedia

Hilton’s Tapestry hotels are chosen for their history and character, so it’s unusual to find an airport hotel joining the label – but this is no ordinary airport hotel. Built in 1978 as La Mansion del Norte, and fully renovated and reopened – with an $11 million investment – in 2021, the Estancia has design credentials and style galore. Its south Texan restaurant, LAZO, is a first static outing from food truck favorites Don Strange; its Paseo Bar has a huge selection of bourbons; and its outdoor pool and courtyard is a place to see and be seen.

San Antonio Colonnade Hotel, for a kid-friendly paradise

Budget Hotel

San Antonio Colonnade Hotel
© San Antonio Colonnade Hotel / Expedia

There aren’t many indoor hotel pools in San Antonio, but if you’re looking for one, this high-rise hotel has you covered. It also boasts an outdoor pool with a cabana snack bar serving ice cream and burgers each day. With “float-in” movie nights on weekends in summer, this is a kid-friendly paradise. To really blow their minds, parents can book the discovery suite – a special, kids-only room with a sports court, costumes and surprises.

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