5 All-Inclusive Family Vacations in Texas

When it comes to true all-inclusive resorts of the all-you-can-eat-and-drink variety, there aren’t many in the U.S.

But if you’re planning a visit to Texas and looking for an easy vacation option that rolls in the price of at least some of your food and activities, there are several options available to give your family an enjoyable trip.

Here are a few of our favorite all-inclusive family vacations in Texas, including luxury boutique properties, rustic hotels and super family-friendly resort options.

1. Great Wolf Lodge – Grapevine, TX

Great For: Families with younger elementary-aged kids

Kids are wild about Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine for many reasons: the over-the-top water park, MagiQuest interactive wizarding game, onsite arcade and seasonal programming throughout the day, such as scavenger hunts, crafts and story time (in pajamas, of course). The resort, located near the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, makes it easy for moms and dads to stay put throughout their stay with several dining options such as the Loose Moose Cottage buffet restaurant, Buckets Incredible Craveables, Grizzly Jack’s Bar and Grill and Lodge Wood Fired Grill.

All-Inclusive Options: Many of your onsite activities (such as the water park and Great Wolf Lodge programming) are included with your stay, with add-on options like MagiQuest, Build-a-Bear and arcade credits for an extra fee.

Good to Know: If anyone in your family has food allergies or sensitivities, chefs at the onsite restaurants are extremely careful to prepare options that meet your needs.

2. Moody Gardens – Galveston, TX

Great For: Families with active upper elementary-age kids

Moody Gardens is located on Texas’s Galveston Island, 50 miles southeast of Houston. Visitors know they’ve arrived when they see the three iconic glass pyramids, which house a rainforest, an aquarium and a museum with art, science and nature exhibits. Though the pyramids have more than enough to keep visitors busy throughout their stay, there’s also a ropes course and zipline, a lazy river at Palm Beach and a paddlewheel boat, plus other seasonal programming. Plus, Moody Gardens is next door to Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston. The Moody Gardens onsite hotel offers an indoor pool, spa, two restaurants and three bars.

All-Inclusive Options: Some package options roll in the cost of all Moody Gardens attractions with the price of your hotel stay; some include resort credit toward dining at the onsite restaurants.

Good to Know: Moody Gardens is a nonprofit educational organization that invests in the rehabilitation and conservation of wildlife.

3. Lake Austin Spa Resort – Austin, TX

Great For: Families with teenagers (as there’s an age restriction of 14 and up)

The only true all-inclusive resort in Texas, Lake Austin Spa Resort overlooks the Colorado River, 23 miles from Texas’s capital city. Guests can swim in the indoor and outdoor pools and book spa treatments—with options to enjoy them outdoors when the weather is nice. There are also a variety of activities scheduled, including Beditation (meditation set to live flutes), guided hikes and lakeside yoga that could offer some good bonding time with your teen.

All-Inclusive Options: Rates include all meals and most activities.

Good to Know: The resort welcomes pets for an additional fee, and there are packages that pamper the family dog, too, including doggy paddleboarding, canine massages, yappy hours and paint-your-pet classes.

4. Doves Rest Cabins – Canyon, TX

The views of Palo Duro Canyon don’t get any better than your front-row seat from Doves Rest, which offers a peaceful place to relax and reconnect with your family in one of nine home-like cabins that sleep up to seven guests. The canyon offers a bounty of activities, from hiking to ziplining and trail riding on horseback, and from May through August, you can catch a production of “Texas,” an outdoor musical performed right in the canyon, the second largest in the U.S. (behind the Grand Canyon).

All-Inclusive Options: You can customize your stay to include the service of a private butler and chef, spa treatments, activities and more—just inquire upon booking.

Good to Know: Palo Duro Canyon is 25 to 30 miles from major Amarillo sites and attractions, including Cadillac Ranch, where your kids can spray paint the iconic sunken cars.

5. Inn at Dos Brisas – Washington, TX

Great for: Multi-generational getaways

Located on a 313-acre luxury ranch in Washington, Texas, about an hour northeast of Houston, the Inn at Dos Brisas offers a luxurious stay at its Relais & Chateaux Spanish-inspired property, with just nine rooms. There are several family-friendly activities offered here, including carriage rides, horseback riding and nightly campfires accompanied by S’mores fixings.

All-Inclusive Ooptions: The Lone Star Luxury Package includes a wine reception, four-course dinner, made-to-order breakfast that is delivered to your room, afternoon lunch (or brunch on Sundays), a wet bar stocked with nonalcoholic beverages and your choice of activities, from a farm tour to archery, fishing and bicycling.

Good to Know: The five-star onsite restaurant sources its ingredients from the organic farmland and orchards on the property and also features a 7,000-bottle wine cellar.

Cynthia J. Drake is a travel writer based in Austin, Texas, where she lives with her husband and two sons. Since becoming a mom, she’s been stranded at sea with her family, gotten lost in the Rocky Mountains, dealt with more than her fair share of public vomiting, and still can’t wait for the next trip. She writes regularly for AAA magazines, Austin American-Statesman, Texas Highways and Cruise Critic. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

What to Pack for Your Next Trip