The Best Hotels With a Water Park in Texas, USA

As if the beaches of Galveston weren’t enough, Moody Gardens offers the ultimate in family vacations. Its seasonal Palm Beach area has the only white-sand beach in the city, along with a lazy river, spa, wave pool, water slides and a splash pad. Shade umbrellas and beach chairs are complimentary, while cabanas are available to rent. The resort also has a 1.5m-gallon (5.7m-liter) aquarium full of exotic marine life such as penguins, sharks, stingrays and seals, and its Rainforest Pyramid has views of endangered plants and animals, including giant river otters, saki monkeys and sloths. A zip line, ropes course, 3D and 4D theaters, and a Discovery Museum are also available for family fun.

Escape city life at the Gaylord Texan, which sits on 125 acres (51ha) on Lake Grapevine. The resort’s 10-acre (4ha), Texas-themed Paradise Springs offers a pool, a lazy river, a 6,000sqft (557sqm) family lagoon with a 27ft (8m) water slide and zip line, as well as a toddler area. There is also an added play structure with three water slides and interactive water features. You’ll find private cabanas and lounge chairs for rent.

As a guest at Hilton Anatole, overlooking downtown Dallas, you’ll receive exclusive access to JadeWaters, its on-site water park. It features an adults-only cove pool, a water area for kids, a lazy river, a 23-seat swim-up bar, two 180ft (54m) water slides and family-friendly activities in the sculpture garden outside its gates. Cabanas and daybeds are available for rent, and JadeWaters Bar and Grill offers specialty cocktails, bottle service and menu items such as salads and burgers.

The River Bluff Water Experience at the JW Marriott features 9 acres (4ha) of fun, complete with a 1,100ft (335m) lazy river, an adults-only pool, kids’ pool, activity pool, sand beach pool, tube slides, body slides, whirlpool spas and saunas. The water park is even heated during cold months so that you can enjoy the fun all year long. Cabanas are also available to rent, where you’ll have access to a private server from the Rivertop Bar and Grill.

Dive in for 5 acres (2ha) of water-park madness at Texas Hill Country. This resort has a 950ft (290m) black-bottom lazy river, a wave machine, a 22ft (7m) water slide and numerous pools and hot tubs for kids and adults. On-site cabanas help you escape the heat, while the sand volleyball court helps you stay active while on vacation. You can also use the resort’s bicycles to check out nature trails or play a game of tennis or a round of golf. Evening s’mores make your stay extra sweet.

Enjoy the water year-round at the Woodlands Resort’s Forest Oasis – a water park complex with water slides, pools and a 1,005ft (306m) lazy river. During the colder months, the waterfall pool and double-helix slide pool are heated. You can also warm up with s’mores, warm beverages and warmed towels on the pool deck. Toddlers can enjoy the Puffy’s Sprayground area, and an underwater marine mural at the pool offers underwater exploration. Cabana rentals are available by the lazy river, and two championship golf courses on the property mean adults can have some fun, too.

Waves Resort in Corpus Christi offers family fun in the form of water slides, a pool with a swim-up bar, tennis courts, a golf driving range and a 42ft (13m) outdoor movie theater. Take a ride on Comal Pass, which feels like you’re floating down the Comal River, or ride the surf on the Boogie Bahn wave rider. Cliffhanger and Sky Blaster water slides bring thrills as well, and a 4,000sqft (372sqm) gaming facility offers Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, escape rooms and a virtual-reality arcade. Dogs are welcome, too, as a free dog park features an obstacle course for four-legged friends.