Hyatt Lost Pines is an amazing family-friendly resort located near Austin, Texas. Tucked away on 405 acres along the lower Colorado River, Lost Pines is a place to relax, unwind, and reconnect. This resort is packed with activities for everyone in the family! With plenty of free recreational options for the kids throughout the day, your little people are always entertained. However, it’s not all about the kids! The resort includes Spa Django and an 18-hole golf course, so mom and dad are taken care of too. With several restaurants on site, we love that you don’t ever need to leave the peacefulness of the property. This is a place to unplug, let the kids run free, and take in the natural beauty of Texas that surrounds you.
Things to Do
Meet the Mascots
Lost Pines is a place for nature and animal lovers! The resort has several different kinds of animals surrounding the property. You are able to walk up and visit them any time throughout the day! The kids were delighted to walk along the path and pet the little ponies on the way to the pool. There are also several scheduled times every day when staff will take pictures and give a little informational talk about the animals. So fun!
Crooked River Water Park
The water park is definitely the best part of Hyatt Lost Pines. When the Texas sun beats down, you can easily stay and play here all day! Kids of all ages can enjoy the relaxing, easy float in the cool water of the lazy river. Also, I love that they have different tube options. Both single and double tubes are available, in addition to smaller tubes with a solid bottom. So, if you have a smaller child riding, they can’t fall through the middle!
Furthermore, there are two pools in the water park. If you need a little quiet time away from the excitement, the adults-only pool provides a peaceful atmosphere. The family-friendly pool has a beach entry, perfect for sand castle building. Numerous loungers are perched right off the shore, making it easy to keep an eye on your tots while you relax or read a book.
The two-story water slide was a hit with our kids! I will say, because of the size of the resort, the line for the slide never seems to get very long. As a result, the kids glided down that slide no less than a few hundred times, ha!
Sky Kings Falconry Show
If you visit Lost Pines during a holiday weekend they usually have some sort of interactive wildlife show. When we visited we were able to see see the Sky Kings Falconry show and it was amazing! This organization rescues and rehabilitates injured wild birds. The staff shared in-depth information about each bird including behavior patterns, native habitat, diet, etc. Our favorite part of the show was watching these beautiful birds fly about in the open air. It was simply majestic to witness them fly among the trees, into the treetops, and then back to the staff members. Such an amazing experience!
Biking Around
There are several walking and biking paths that surround the resort. Lost Pines has bikes you can use free of charge or you can bring your own. The kids were happy to pedal down to a nice playground in the center of the resort, which is located underneath some large oak trees. If you want to take a walk near the Colorado River you can easily take a few stairs down to a lower trail that has peaceful views of the river. Occasionally some wildlife can also been seen along the route!
Spa Django
Tucked away in a peaceful area of the resort, Spa Django provides the ultimate opportunity to unwind and recharge. Here you can simply slip away and enjoy numerous spa treatments. Or relax in one of the hot tubs, saunas, and the adult-only outdoor pool. While visiting, I splurged and enjoyed a 60 minute massage. Heavenly! However, you do have access to the spa facilities even without booking a treatment. So make sure to carve out some quiet time for yourself! There is also a gym next door if you like to sweat it out while on vacation. Not me, I prefer relaxation!
S’mores & Movie Nights
When the sun goes down the fire pits light up at Lost Pines! Every night the s’more station rolls out allowing kids and adults to take part in this sweet night time activity. Of course our kids are always excited about anything involving chocolate and it makes for a fun time together at the end of the day.
Movie night is another crowd-pleasing event. A large screen is set up on the grassy lawn where the viewing of a family-friendly movie takes place. We usually bring a blanket to stretch out while enjoying free popcorn that is provided by the resort. I love all the little details at Lost Pines. It really makes the experience extra special!
Where to Eat
Shellers Barrelhouse Bar
This restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating. However, we love sitting on the patio because it’s conveniently located near the playground. The kids were able to play and expend some energy while we could enjoy our cocktails and adult conversation. This is a nice, casual place to order some chips and guacamole while sipping on a Texas microbrew.
Firewheel Cafe
This restaurant, named after the Texas wildflower, has southern dishes everyone will love. There is a buffet with a different theme each night, and an additional buffet with kid favorites for the little ones in the group. If you prefer, there is always the option to order from the menu.
We loved sitting in the outdoor eating area that overlooks a wooded area above the river. One night eating dinner we spotted a group of fireflies dancing in the darkness. The kids had never seen them before and happily sprang from their chairs. It was a magical moment watching them jump about trying to catch the glowing bugs in their small hands.
Another highlight of Firewheel Cafe is the dessert bar with the chocolate fountain. The kids felt so fancy selecting their fruit and marshmallows to drench in the sugar waterfall!
Old Buck’s Place
If you don’t want to leave your lounge chair to break for lunch, no problem! Uncle Buck’s Place is conveniently located right next to the pool with servers coming by frequently in case you need to make an order. The burgers, salads, wraps, and hot dogs all hit the spot after hours of swimming. The adult beverages were tasty and the kids approved of their ice cream floats on a hot summer day!
Where to Stay
Hyatt Lost Pines Rooms
Hyatt Lost Pines has 491 rooms, including 58 suites. Many rooms overlook the peaceful garden areas that surround the resort. We enjoyed sipping our morning coffee on the balcony while taking in the view. Each room also has a mini fridge which is convenient for storing snack and drink items. We prefer staying on the ground level floor which allows the kids to easily play in the open grassy area.
Savings Strategy
How to Stay at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa for FREE
There are several different strategies to accumulate the points needed to stay for free at Hyatt Lost Pines. Currently this Hyatt property is a category 5 hotel, requiring 20,000 points per night. A simple way to acquire Hyatt points is to sign up for the Chase Hyatt Visa card. The spending requirement fluctuates. At the time we signed up for this card it was required to spend a minimum of $6000 over 6 months. After meeting this spending amount, 60,000 points are automatically deposited into your World of Hyatt account. You will also be upgraded to become a Hyatt Discoverist member which has perks such as potential free room upgrades, and late check out. Another benefit of using points versus cash is avoiding paying state and local taxes on your room stay. This is waived if you are using points. Furthermore, most resorts waive the daily resort fee if you are using points for your trip. Happy travels!
