Need help with Arlington and San Antonio, TX

[horseshowmom]

Okay, I know this has nothing to do with Orlando, but I need some help, and I'll bet somebody on these boards can give me what I'm looking for!

We'll be in Texas the last part of June. Part of it will be spent in Fort Worth for the American Paint Horse World Show, but we want to stay in Arlington, since we'll also be going to Six Flags over Texas.

Anybody have a good hotel to recommend that's really close to Six Flags? We prefer a suite type hotel that offers breakfast but are open to suggestions. Mainly, we want it to be clean and not run down.

We will also be in San Antonio for Sea World. After many, many trips to SW Orlando, this will be our first trip to the one in San Antonio. Again, I'm looking for hotel recommendations.

We'll be grateful for any help we get. My family will be me, DH, and DD. The other family will be a couple and 3 children.

Thanks!

 

[eeyoreforever]

We have found a place that we love to stay at when we go to Fiesta Texas. Stayed there a couple of weeks ago. It is a Best Western and the name of it is Hill Country Suites. It is about 9 minutes from Fiesta Texas. It is fairly new, so it is very clean. The rooms have like a sitting type area with couch, desk, coffee table and a tv. Then the next area has 2 beds, chair, another tv. The rooms also come with a microwave, refrigerator, coffee pot, blow dryer, ironing board. There is even a telephone in the bathroom. The rooms are I believe $89.00. They serve a "warm" breakfast which is usually pretty good. Eggs, sausage, english muffins, cereals, fruit, etc. The phone number for reservations is 1-866-suite-in. There is another number on my card that must ring directly at that hotel. It is 210-490-9191. The address is 18555 U.S. Hwy 281 North. Let me know if you have any questions and I will try to answer. By the way, if you've never been to Fiesta Texas, it is really fun. They have a ride called Poltergeist that is a blast. Superman and Scream are really fun too! Have a good trip!
Cathy

 

[tina95]

We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites about 3 weeks ago and loved it. It was about 5 min. from six flags, right near the huge Grapevine mills mall. They had a great breakfast, with meat, cereal, yogurt, fruit, french toast, and more. They also had an indoor pool. I think we paid about $89 per night. If you search the hampton inn site it comes up as the airport one. I did not haer any plane noise though.

 

[horseshowmom]

Cathy,

Is the Hill Country Suites pretty close to Sea World? Also, would it be fairly easy from there to get to the Alamo and the Riverwalk (which are the other two places we're planning on going in San Antonio)?

We won't make Fiesta Texas this time, because we're doing Six Flags over TX in Alrlington (specifically because they have show that features APHA horses - I think it's called Outlaws and Rangers). My DD shows a Paint horse, so we're partial to them! LOL


Tina 95,

I'm going to check on the Hampton that you referred to. Also, did you notice the Residence Inn, while you were there? They have a pretty good rate that I've seen. I also saw a Country Inn and Suites on the list.



The other couple's dd often stays with us (she and our dd show horses together) to give them more room, but that means my dh and I would rather have our own separate room for privacy (which is why we try to find suites if we can afford them).

The other couple likes it when breakfast is included, because there are 5 of them (but the husband won't just eat doughnuts - he's like my dh and wants breakfast with meat! LOL).

Thanks to both of you for your help!
Sheila

 

[Madangel32]

Hi sbclifton,

I live 10 minutes from Sea World. I am going to give you a couple of places to look into or I can get the info for you and send a message to you via e-mail. Just let me know.


Very Nice:

Hyatt Hill Country Resort (2 minutes from Sea World)

Radisson Resort (Also 2 minutes from SW)


Less expensive but still nice:

Marbach & Loop 410: Motel 6
Culebra & 410: La Quinta (Plus there is a Denny's right next door)

There is also a Quality in on the access road of 410 & Highway 151 that should be opening very soon.

Let me know if I can help you out with any other info. I can also get numbers for you if you need that info.

The suites that Cathy had posted earlier are not close to Sea World they are closer to Fiesta Texas.

Hope this helps.

 

[horseshowmom]

Madangel32,

Definitely a help! I'll be checking on them.

Thanks!
Sheila

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I live in Texas- but we stayed in a hotel for our vacation in San Antonio for 9 days last August. Let me "remind" myself where exactly it was we stayed- because we thought it was going to be "bad" since it was SO cheap, but it was very nice and we had adjoining rooms (2 rooms with door in between) -so it was almost like a suite. It didn't have a living room type situation but the rooms were bigger than the All Stars at WDW! LOL Had pool basically right outside the door to every room there (smack in the middle- all rooms going around it) and continental breakfast which included some hot things like hot donuts, hot cereal you could make and bagels with a toaster there to toast them (plus the regular fruits, cereals, milk, etc.) It was free.

I'll try to remember to post it on this thread in the next day or so, unless you've already found a place.

 

[horseshowmom]

Please do! We can always let the other girl stay in the room with her parents if we get a regular room (they could always get a cot). Or if we got a connecting room, I wouldn't mind splitting the cost of the extra room with the other parents if it was cheap enough. Also, if we get a cheap enough rate, we can always go out for breakfast (or we could just send the DHs out for their meat, and the rest of us eat there! LOL).

All suggestions are appreciated!

 

[Madangel32]

Hi Sheila,

I did some searching for you. If you go on the Sea World San Antonio site they have "Shamu Approved Hotels". Now the only problem with this site is that they list hotels all over San Antonio. And if you have ever been to San Antonio, you know that we are really big and under MAJOR highway construction.

The site names many hotels but the closest ones I could locate were the La Quinta Ingram and Quality Inn Sea World (it is now open).

The rate for the Radisson Hill Country is about $190 a night. This place is on the site as well, under book a package.

Also, where are you coming from? Do you know San Antonio? Well just to let you know we are already topping high 90's. I am already melting.

Let me know how else I can help. If you want to stay close these places loook to be the closest.

Mad is out.

 

[horseshowmom]

I had printed off the page you mentioned (Shamu approved hotels), but there were so many of them that I was going to have to spend a lot of time working through them. Thanks for cutting down the list for me. I've got those two marked to check on.

It's going to be a hot time to be there, I know, but we're locked into that timeframe, because of the American Paint Horse World Show that will be held in Fort Worth. The other family will probably be headed down to Corpus Christi after San Antonio, but I'm not sure about us.

 

[Piglette]

You asked whether certain hotels were near the Riverwalk or the Alamo. Anything near Seaworld is going to be pretty far from downtown (which is where the Alamo and Riverwalk are). That being said, as long as you have a car, nothing's hard to get to around here. Traffic isn't bad and drivers are friendly. You're probably looking at about a 20 minute drive from Seaworld to downtown.
Have fun while you're here. Dress cool - it's hotter than Disneyworld!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Oh yeah, she's right- be prepared to MELT. We went there last August and we are all Texans since birth (except DH) and we were about to DIE from heat/sun. LOL I guess it's different walking around Sea World/etc than sitting in your a/c house whenever you get too hot outside. LOL
Don't know about San Antonio right now- but they sure were a bit hotter there than where I live about 4hrs north of there last August.... and we have been in the low 100's this week. I sure hope they aren't hotter than that- but I bet they are quite a bit in the summer. Summers here will make or break you- even if you are a native Texan. Dress cool, bring lots of water and mister fans, any form of shade for the children you can possibly think of (stroller shades, hats with visors) etc etc.

Ooops, I am supposed to find that info for you and I totally forgot. Sorry! I'll get to that ASAP.

Oh and btw- native Texan or not... I still didn't know my way around San Antonio before we went. I mostly looked up where I wanted to go on mapquest.com and printed out exact directions to/from places/hotel/etc and it worked great. The hotel was great about giving us accurate precise directions to any place we decided to go that wasn't on my list to get directions and print them out beforehand. LOL

Nothing is "super close" to anything basically here in Texas- not even in small towns. LOL Pretty much things are spread out except if you only do things in the downtown area. Sea World is kinda set off to the side- so if you don't stay near SW and instead stay near all the other stuff in and around downtown- you'll have a drive to SW but not too bad of a drive- atleast not in MY mind. Then again I'm used to everything being a 30 minute drive (atleast) here in Tx. LOL

 

[VickiVM]

There's a nice new Red Roof Inn on 410 right near the Ingram Park Mall exit that is just minutes from Sea World. They're very inexpensive, but do not serve breakfast.

In Arlington, we stayed at AmeriSuites which is quite roomy with a micro and wet bar. They have a pretty decent breakfast as well. Just down the street from Six Flags. Around $99/night.

Enjoy your stay in SA and

GO SPURS GO!!!

 

[Madangel32]

Sorry Sheila,

I know this post is for your info. BUT! I couldn't help it! I saw a fellow San Antonian!


Sheila let me know if I can get you any other info.


GO! SPURS! GO!

 

[horseshowmom]

Thank you to everybody! You've helped a lot.

This was a last minute trip. We just last week acquired a registered Paint (to add to our collection of Quarter horses, a Thoroughbred, a Saddlebred, and a Shetland pony). We decided to go watch the Youth World Show with the hopes of actually showing there next year. Since we were going to be "in the neighborhood" (well, at least compared to Mississippi), I wanted to do both SFoT and SW. The other family doesn't do that type of thing much, so I know they'll have a wonderful time.

 

[jenjenmouse]

Hello,
I'm from San Antonio and live about 5 miles from Sea World and 5 miles from Fiesta Texas.
First of all my advise would be to check out Hyatt Hill Country and The Radisson Hill Country(sp?) first. Also the Comfort Inn is near Fiesta Texas but would be only a 15 minute or less drive to Sea World and it is near I10 and that goes straight to downtown where the Riverwalk and Alamo are. The Hyatt and Radisson are both really nice and very close to Sea World. Second, I'd stay away from anything near Ingram road area. It is close to Sea World but not a very nice area. The same with the 410 and 151 area. Just stay on the 1604 side of Sea World.
That Best Western Hill Country that someone mentioned earlier is on the other side of Six Flags down 1604. Here's the deal, the airport is at hwy 281 and 410. You take 281 to 1604 and there's the Bestwestern, go about 10 miles on 1604 to I 10 and theres Fiesta Texas and the Comfort Inn. Go about 5 miles more on 1604 and there'll be a sign to turn to go to Sea World and it takes you to hwy 151 and about a mile down it is Sea World. The Hyatt Hill Country and the Raddisson is right there. The Hyatt Hill County is a resort with a lazy river ride and great pool and very beautiful grounds. There is also La Cantera near Fiesta Texas but that is also very expensive resort atmopshere.


Also, we went to Six Flags in Arlington last month and was very disappointed. It was dirty and small and hard to get around. We stayed 2 hours and left.

Fiesta Texas is much better. Clean and the water park is part of your admission. But if you are going to Arlington for a specific reason then I bet your experience will be better. Did you know Sea World has the Clysdale horses there?

Also, as you may have read in the news, San Antonio is the fattest city in the nation. We also have resturaunts (sp?) everywhere. In the Comfort Inn area you would have the I10 resturaunt row and the 1604/ Bandera road resturaunt choices. Jim's is great for breakfast and is on the way to Sea World. The McDonald's in front of Sea World is really gross.

I hope I didn't confuse you. If you need any more of my weird advise just let me know.

I hope you have a great time here.

Go! Spurs! Go!

Jennifer

PS.

I'd love to hear about your trip and how Sea World here compares to Orlando. We never go when in Orlando because it's here.

 

[horseshowmom]

Thanks again to everyone!

Jennifer, thanks for what you said about SFoT. After all of the posts, I've been rethinking whether or not to go there.

We've been to Disney many, many times, but I would never plan a trip to Florida at the time of year that we will be in Texas (because of the heat and the length of the lines). I'm afraid that's going to factor in here greatly.

MY DH HATES standing in line (the heat will make it worse). I've probably ruined him by making sure that we've always been in the Orlando parks when the lines were small (and sometimes nonexistant). Many of the Arlington hotels are completely booked, so I'm sure the park will be very crowded. I've found that Sea World in Orlando isn't as affected by crowds as other parks (with the exception of the rides, of course), so I'm hoping that SW/SA will be similar.

DH and I spent a week and a half in Arizona last June on a field course in geology (finishing up our master's degrees). It was hot, but we managed pretty well. However, a theme park environment (on hot asphalt) will probably be much worse.

 

[Dis#1]

Unfortunately, I don't have any lodging tips for you, but I just wanted to send best wishes for your trip to San Antonio. My aunt lived there for more than 30 years and many of my BEST vacations were spent in that city. Although the heat can be exhausting, I would hop a plane right now to get out of NE Pennsylvania if I could, I need sun!!!!!!!!

 

[MOM POPPINS]

I live in the Dallas area and we prefer driving to San Antonio. Like others have said Six Flags in Arlington is always crowded and in the summer hot hot hot. We love Sea World and the water park is a bonus. We have stayed at Hyatt Hill country resort and we love it!!!!!!! Go to www.biddingfortravel.com before bidding on www.priceline.com I always bid on a resort in San Antonio there and you will get either the Hyatt or the Radison for around 80$ they are both nice resorts and right across the road from Sea World! Good Luck!!!

 

[horseshowmom]

Thanks, Mom Poppins! That is very useful information.

Can you answer another question for me (since you live in the DFW area)? After I decided to drop Arlington from the trip, I started looking for hotels near the Will Rogers Complex. Plain hotel rooms are $125 and higher. I would prefer not to pay this much.

Are there some areas that wouldn't be too far out (15 - 20 minutes) that would be good areas to stay? Safety and being pretty new would be high on our list. We can drive in for the show if it will save us a significant amount of money.

Thanks!