Downgraded resort since 2019 We stayed here in 2019 and I ranked it a 4.5. After our recent visit, I would rank it 3 out of five. I am a Bonvoy Titanium Elite member. Overall, the property’s grounds have definitely been neglected. The main courtyard now has tons of weeds instead of well kept grass, and many of the flowerbeds are also quite weedy. Check in was a short wait and a room was ready without delay. I will say that we got lucky; often the check-in line ran the length of the lobby with only 3 employees working to check folks in. We had reserved a golf view suite, and it was a nice room with a nice view. Worth $800/night? No way. Thats Ritz money, and the Ritz never disappoints. After a day at the pool, we noticed that our room had no hot water. The front desk acknowledged the issue, and let me know that engineering would need to confirm that they could not fix the issue before we were able to move rooms. They confirmed this to be the case, and suggested we run the hot water for 15min or so because our room was far from the boiler. Ummmm... i let the front desk know and was told we’d have to wait until the next day to get another suite. For our trouble, we would be upgraded to a vice presidential suite. We got the keys the next day at 4:30pm and I asked for a bellman to come help move our luggage. After waiting 30min, I gave up and hauled it myself. The new room was much larger and nicer, but also had no hot water unless you ran the water for a while. Beyond the room issue, service everywhere was average at best. Long lines for all restaurants, and MIA pool servers. I asked a supervisor at the pool 3 times to have a server sent over and finally gave up waiting after 40min. I will say that 18 Oaks was the exception; great service and food. Also due to Covid, rooms are not cleaned during your stay. At least bring up some fresh towels or have a place for guests to drop off old towels and get new ones. Im not sure if this is really a covid protocol, staffing issue, or money saving maneuver by Marriott. Either way, for the price they charge, its absurd. In summary, kids love the waterpark so thats a win. But the rest of the facility has lost its appeal and it is way overpriced for the current level of service. Including some pictures from 2019 vs 2021.

A poor excuse for a luxury resort The place is understaffed, and they cram as much people as they can into the place. Breakfast line was routinely 60-70 feet long, starbucks line stretched the same length. Forget about the "resort" pool, it is so crowded that you cannot walk between the chairs. Valet parking is a joke, you wait and wait for them to get your car. I will say that the room was clean. The line to check in stretched the length of the lobby and they had only 1 or 2 people working the front desk.

Be prepared to wait… Booked three rooms for 4 nights. Arrived at 1PM. 30 min to get help with bags. We were given one room at 3:40, one at 5:05 and then at 5:40 for the third room. Staff is friendly but obviously understaffed. Food in one of the restaurants was mediocre. For a room costing $440 a night you would think they would have their act together..

Avoid this property for now I’ll preface this review by noting that the staff that is working does a good job and that the place is generally nice. I’ll also not that I expect any response from Marriott to be loaded with COVID-related pablum. I have stayed at this resort with my family many times in the past and they made a policy decision that will keep us from coming back: they are NOT cleaning guest rooms during your stay. They refuse to do it. I never thought I would see a high-end brand like JW decide to treat its property like a low-rent interstate motel but here we are. Coming back to dirty linens, full trash cans, and wet towels after a day at the pool seriously dampens the experience. Until the property resumes cleaning guest rooms every day, I would find a different hill country resort and pass on the JW San Antonio. This is especially so if you’re planning to stay longer than weekend and/or if you have kids. Kids are messy and having rooms cleaned and linens changed is a big deal for parents. As others have noted, the amenities on property are still seriously limited. While some services are offered, the limitations make the property less attractive and fun than it was in the pre-COVID days. This is in no way intended to be a political statement: it’s high time that Marriott (and society in general if we’re being honest) to accept that life is full of risks at every turn and that at one point or another, you have to carry on living in spite of them. This is a good property but it really misses the mark when rooms are always dirty and services offered are limited. Pass on visiting until daily room cleaning resumes and full services return.

Service quality has slipped I brought my 3 kids for a 4 day weekend. Parking was difficult, but no big deal, I used the valet service. Check in took 45 minutes. A little annoying. We got to the front of the line at 4;20 and were told the room wasn't ready. About 20 minutes later I used the Bonvoy app to status the room and was given a room immediately. We went up to the room and tried to use the mobile key sent via the app... it didn't work. I used the app again to ask for assistance and was told to get back in the 45 minute line to get a physical key. Rough start. I asked housekeeping to let me in with the app as proof and that worked. Went out for dinner and got keys on the way back when there was a short line. The hallways were dirty, I blame guests for this, but cleaning staff were scarce. There was no maid service for our room during our 4 day visit. Breakfast was buffet only, no ordering from the menu. I believe the hotel was having staffing issues. The water park was great, had a cabana for 2 days and the service was wonderful. The stay was fine, but compared to the previous 4 times we've visited, not up to previous high standards.