Hyatt Vacation Club’s Wild Oak Ranch in San Antonio, Texas, offers a secluded, nature-focused escape that feels authentically Texan. It sits on a sprawling 39-acre property, roughly 15 miles from both the airport and tourist attractions like the Alamo, and features a restaurant, lazy river, and nature trail.
Even though it’s far from the hustle and bustle of downtown, there’s no shortage of things to do. As a homesick Texan, I felt like the property’s laid-back charm and fun activities were a warm welcome back.
Wild Oak Ranch covered my stay and meals, but the opinions expressed in my review are my own and not influenced by the resort.
Not officially Hyatt, but bookable with Hyatt points
Although Hyatt Vacation Club carries the Hyatt name, it’s a separate entity from Hyatt Hotels and Resorts that offers timeshare ownership. If you don’t own a timeshare, you can also pay for a stay with cash or use World of Hyatt points.
Hyatt hotels fall into one of eight categories. The higher the category, the more points it will cost to stay there. Wild Oak Ranch is a category 4 hotel, so rooms will normally start at 15,000 points, though you might be able to snag a 12,000-point night with an off-peak rate. A peak night will cost 18,000 points. Between June and September 2025, I found nightly rates between $160 for an off-peak night and $222 for a peak night.
The Grounds
The resort’s 39 acres feature a nature trail, a firepit area, an indoor/outdoor pool, a lazy river, and lawn games. Even though you can swim outside in an unheated pool for a lot of the year in San Antonio, I love that the pool is both heated and partially indoors. Even if it’s unseasonably cold when you visit, you’ll still be able to swim. Kids will also enjoy the slide. But my favorite feature, by far, is the lazy river. Even though it was a man-made pool, the trees lining the path reminded me of floating the Guadalupe River 45 miles north in New Braunfels. Sure, you won’t get quite as spectacular a view at the lazy river, but you also can’t order a cocktail while floating the Guadalupe. My only complaint: It was a little hard to snag an adult-sized tube.
You can order drinks at the pool and lazy river directly from your phone. I ordered a margarita and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the ingredients and overall taste. It’s rare to have a poolside drink that could rival something from a fancy cocktail bar.
Activities
Wild Oak Ranch also offers activities that kids and adults will enjoy. During my trip, we did a resin-making class, a wine tasting featuring Texas wines, and lessons on how to make guacamole and tortillas. Like any self-respecting Texan, I’ve been making guacamole since I was a kid (though I’ll never say no to making — and eating — more). But I loved the tortilla-making class. I’ve also made tortillas before, but they’ve always turned out pretty tough. The instructor taught us how to make softer, chewier flour tortillas by adding baking soda.
Is it worth visiting?
If you’re going to San Antonio for its rich history, staying downtown will be closer to the action and give you more of a quintessential San Antonio experience. But if you’re primarily looking for a quieter vacation, Wild Oak Ranch allows you to enjoy nature with all the convenience of staying in a city. Texans will likely feel immediate familiarity with this hotel’s design and activities, while people from out-of-state will get a slice of the Lone Star State without ever having to leave the grounds.
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