Resorts near Houston with amenities to wow you

Keep reading for seven resorts in Houston and the surrounding area break the mold in terms of the amenities they offer their guests. Whether you're looking to book your honeymoon, a family trip or a relaxing weekend getaway, you can consider these stays worthy of your cash.

Margaritaville Lake Resort

Jimmy Buffet’s empire of beach-themed spots has an outpost near Houston at the Margaritaville Lake Resort in Lake Conroe, which aims to blend the best of lake life and island living. On its own little peninsula, you’ll forget you’re just a short drive to the airport.

Beyond its 300-plus hotel suites, there are 32 lakeside cottages, offering both pool and lake access. The resort has a scenic, 18-hole golf course and a kid-friendly mini-golf course, too. Also for the younger set, there’s an arcade, a water park with water slides, two splash zones and a lazy river, plus ample lake activities like boating, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. Grown-ups can also take advantage of cabanas, infinity pools and live music from an in-pool stage.

The resort also has tennis, pickleball, a fitness center and a spa, but don’t feel like you need to do anything but lounge with a cold marg in hand. As you might expect, Margaritaville has plenty of places to eat and drink (seven places to be exact) whether you want poolside bites like chips and salsa or fresh seafood, all washed down with a tropical drink, of course.

Find it: 600 Margaritaville Parkway, Montgomery, TX 77356; 936-448-4400

The Woodlands Resort 

Some hotels will count free Wi-Fi and an in-room Keurig machine as amenities—but how many have goats?

Among the perks at Houston’s Woodlands Resort is a unique Goats & Good Nights package that includes goat yoga on the lawn followed by brunch. On 350 acres in the Texas Piney Woods, guests can also play golf on two championship courses, stroll, jog or borrow a bike to ride the miles of paths around the resort, pick up a tennis match or grab a cabana and spend the day poolside.

The Forest Oasis pool features a collection of heated, year-round pools with waterslides, a lazy river, cabanas, guesthouses, hot tubs and adults-only spaces (there’s even an underwater mural and a treasure hunt). The Cool Water Cafe serves poolside drinks and eats, while after dark the pool deck offers s’mores around the fire pit, live music, crafts, games and dive-in movies. With all that activity, you’ll sleep like a kid.

Find it: 2301 North Millbend Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380; 800-433-2624

Spread Oaks Ranch

Set on 5,500 acres and just 90 minutes from Houston, Spread Oaks Ranch is an oasis with an authentic Texas feel right on the Colorado River. The ranch has a long and storied history, but in the past decade has been reinvented as an all-inclusive guest ranch that has both conservation and ranching projects at its core.  

Book a stay at one of their private casitas, featuring king-sized beds and a luxurious bath, for the ultimate getaway. The pool deck, with an infinity pool and jacuzzi, are just mere steps away from the casitas, game room and Main House. Enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail in front of the fireplace before having a candlelight dinner in the wine cellar. 

Spread Oaks Ranch is big on outdoor experiences which range from conservation tours that kayak through their inspiring landscapes to salt water fishing and game hunting trips, but couples can also enjoy a farm-to-table cooking class using some of the organic produce and meats raised on the premises. If you’re craving a luxe retreat away from it all, Spread Oaks Ranch fits the bill. 

Find it: Spread Oaks Ranch, Markham, TX 77456; 210-863-1857

Four Seasons Hotel Houston

Houston’s luxe Four Seasons Hotel may be right in the heart of downtown, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play a round of golf there. In 1908, Houston became the first Texas city to have a professionally designed golf course, so it only seems fitting that the Four Seasons Houston is the first hotel ever to have a Topgolf Swing Suite.

Four Seasons Hotel Houston

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Two golf simulators can be sectioned into separate areas for six guests each or opened together for larger groups. The immersive virtual experience allows for a variety of other games (baseball, hockey, carnival games and even zombie dodgeball), topped off by food-and-beverage service from in-house eatery Bayou & Bottle.

Other exclusives to the Houston Four Seasons resort: private cooking classes for the whole family with a professional chef, personalized bourbon lockers, high-end toiletries, the state’s first Krigler perfumery and 24-hour room service—not to mention that the concierge can accommodate virtually any request.

Find it: 1300 Lamar St., Houston, TX 77010; 713-650-1300

The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston

Houston’s traffic is notoriously congested, but you can skip the gridlock (and the bustle at check in) and arrive at the Post Oak Hotel in style in a twin-engine Bell 430 helicopter straight to the resort’s helipad.

The choppers are equipped with soundproofing, leather upholstery throughout the cabin, modern conveniences and seating for six. They offer airport transfers, custom charters and will give you a lift to the Gold Nugget Lake Charles Casino, too. If you do decide to brave the roads, you can do it with serious class, as Post Oak Motor Cars is an on-site, two-story showroom featuring vehicles from Rolls Royce, Bentley and Bugatti.

The Post Oak also boasts a wine cellar with vintages dating back to the 1800s and it offers packages for one-of-a-kind experiences on and off the resort, like a private guided tour of its art collection including works by Frank Stella and James Rosenquist, or floor tickets to a Rockets game including jerseys and VIP lounge access.

Find it: 1600 West Loop South, Houston, TX 77027; 844-386-1600

Marriott Marquis Houston

Texans are known for being a hair prideful when it comes to their state, and what better way to commemorate it than building it into your architecture?

Houston’s Marriott Marquis Hotel bypasses the cookie-cutter pool deck for a truly one-of-a-kind rooftop experience. The resort’s sixth floor encompasses Altitude Rooftop & Pool, offering an infinity pool overlooking the downtown skyline and a lazy river in the shape of the Lone Star State.

The surrounding space has plenty of lounge chairs, daybeds, cabanas and pergolas stocked with towels and drinks, and you can blow up your Instagram with cocktails from the Sky Bar and bites from the High Dive, the rooftop bar and restaurant.

Find it: 1777 Walker St., Houston, TX 77010; 713-654-1777

The Villas at the San Luis Resort Spa & Conference Center

The San Luis Resort is a well-known destination in Galveston, but their five villas make the ultimate private getaway for two. Each of the 800-square-foot villas are tucked away in the lush landscape on a corner of the resort and include a private entrance and check-in, butler service, a welcome bottle of Champagne and a private veranda with a jacuzzi. All of the villas also have king-sized beds with luxe linens, a separate seating area and a spa-like en suite bath.

If you're looking for ways to turn your weekend getaway into a romantic one, the San Luis staff can help plan your weekend itinerary from start to finish — from a surprise proposal setup, to in-room candlelight dinners to personalized anniversary signs, room decorations and sunset dinners on the pool deck. Their on-site restaurants are also the perfect backdrop for a romantic interlude. Choose from The Steakhouse, a AAA Four Diamond Award winner, Grotto, an Old World-style trattoria serving classic Italian favorites with an ocean view, or The Cove, where you can enjoy live music, a dip in the adults-only plunge pool and selections from the sushi menu.

Find it: 5222 Seawall Blvd., Galveston, TX 77551; 409-744-1500