Family, Fitness and Fun with No Digital Distractions at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines

by Brook Benten Jimenez on April 14, 2022 in Lifestyle, Family, Wellness, Living Texas,
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The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa is an upscale ranch east of Austin, TX that offers unplugged entertainment for the whole family.

Arrive at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines’ rustic lobby and you’ll see a beautiful live edge table with an epoxy finish and ornate cattle statue on top. (Not familiar with a live edge? It’s a high end piece of furniture – typically a table – where the natural edge of the wood has been kept for a stunning rustic finish.) 

Hyatt Regency Lost Pines is a restful 405-acre retreat and spa that counters today’s disengaged, disenchanted, device-driven culture. Courtesy photo

You’ll be greeted by a friendly face with a nametag and cowboy hat with a “Hey y’all, come on in” attitude. We took a deep inhale of the Lost Pines scent of leather and whiskey and knew we were far from the land of SXSW that we left in Austin.  As Merle Haggard sang, the big city had turned us loose and set us free.

Hyatt Regency Lost Pines is a restful 405-acre retreat and spa that counters today’s disengaged, disenchanted, device-driven culture. I gladly slid off my Apple Watch for two days of tech-free living. As a family, we were there to enjoy each other’s company without digital distractions.  We settled into our newly-renovated junior suite with a king-size Murphy bed, sleeper sofa, and living room.  Even on a tech-free vacay, I dug the light that glowed with motion-detection sensing under the bed.

A multi-million dollar guestroom renovation was completed at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines in 2021, transforming the resort’s 434 guestrooms and 56 suites. Pictured here is a renovated patio suite. Courtesy photo

FITNESS

Fitness can be achieved in many ways at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines. The obvious go-to is hitting the gym.  The resort’s signature StayFit offers an impressive assortment of Technogym cardio and Life Fitness strength equipment, as well as functional fitness pieces, and two Peloton bikes. Included in the $40/night resort fee is access to Spa Django’s facilities. If you’re going to exercise at StayFit, I’d recommend following it up with a dry sauna, steam room, or whirlpool visit at Spa Django.

Trekking away from the obvious fitness amenities, here are movement opportunities that you may not have back home.

The entire family will have so much fun that they lose track of time, riding laps around the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines’ property on nostalgic cruiser bikes. Photo Brook Benten Jimenez

Rental Bikes

Pick up a bike between 9am-7pm and enjoy a nostalgic ride around the property.  The fee is included in your resort fee. There are balance bikes, cruiser bikes, and tandem bikes with a carrier for wee ones (up to 35lbs).  

Swim the Lazy River

Crooked River Water Park opens at 9am, and if you beat the crowd, you can swim 1,000 feet around the lazy river, with jets gently aiding you along. (Which is great preparation for the Spa Girl Tri, offered at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines every fall.)

Spa Girl Tri takes place Oct. 1, 2022 at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines. Get an edge on the competition by swimming the lazy river on your next overnight stay. Courtesy photo

Pickleball

Pickleball is the fastest growing outdoor fitness activity in the nation. It’s a fun option for the whole family, because the pace of the sport and energy expenditure are much less than similar paddle and ball sports.  Enjoy a game of pickleball at the outdoor court, adjacent to the tennis and basketball courts. Facilities and equipment for pickleball, tennis, and basketball are included with your resort fee.

The Wolfdancer Golf Club public course at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines offers tee-time on a championship course. Prices are approximately $200 for golf, plus equipment rental. Courtesy photo

Golf

Enjoy 18-holes of golf on a picturesque course that is home to the highest elevation in Bastrop County. (Happy kiddos enjoy the golf cart ride.)

Hike McKinney Roughs

McKinney Roughs Hiking Trail offers 0.7 miles of light-to-moderate hiking. There are a few grade changes on the dirt, out-and-back, trail, but it is a light, non-technical trail.  

We enjoyed stopping at the finish of the McKinney Roughs Hiking Trail to watch the cows from across the way grabbing a drink of water from the Colorado River. These are things you don’t see just every day back home. Photo Brook Benten Jimenez

Aforementioned fitness options are free or included with your resort fee.  Fee-based fitness activities also abound at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines. They include yoga (at Spa Django), golf, horseback/pony riding, zip line touring, guided wildlife exploration, and more.  

ACTIVITIES

Here are a few of our favorite family fun activities at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines — they’re less strenuous than the fitness options!

Meet the Mascots

Hyatt Regency Lost Pines has pigs, goats, alpacas, longhorns and a donkey on property. Animal handlers welcome guests in to pet the animals after feeding at select times.  

Meet Ribeye and T-Bone, two of the mascots at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines. Don’t take their names too seriously — these longhorns have lived on property for over a decade. One day, when they cross the rainbow bridge, it will be of natural causes. Courtesy photo

Art

Chalk art, DIY keychains, color-your-own tote bag, and DIY puzzles are a few examples of the art that can be made by all guests at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines. Supplies are provided.

Water Slide

Hyatt Regency Lost Pines has but one water slide, the highest point of Crooked River Water Park.  However, it spirals riders over 42″ into a pool. If you travel over spring break, as we did, expect a chilly dip into the pool, as it is not temperature-controlled. But you can quickly hop out of that pool into the adjacent heated pool or hot tub.  

The Crooked River Water Slide is the highest point on the property. Photo courtesy Hyatt Regency Lost Pines

Games

Daily games of UNO, yard games, billiards, cornhole, horseshoes, bocce ball, and shuffleboard are all available. Join a structured game or rally your family and create a game of your own.  

The Riversong Lawn offers green acres for playing tag, soccer, throwing the football, and cartwheels galore. Photo courtesy Hyatt Regency Lost Pines

FOOD

Hyatt Regency Lost Pines offers several restaurant options, including Firewheel Cafe (buffet), Sheller’s Bar (American Fare), McDade’s (coffee shop), and Stories (steakhouse).  Here’s where we enjoyed a bite and a sweet.

Old Bucks Place

This is the restaurant inside the water park. The food was easy, delicious, and served poolside.  Our favorite items were the Quinoa and Mango Salad, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, and Kids’ Menu Cheeseburgers. They were sold out of McConaughey IPA, but it was alright, alright, alright — we enjoyed the Pinthouse Electric Jellyfish instead.

Every night at 7pm, Riversong Firepit beckons those with a sweet tooth for graham crackers, chocolate and jumbo marshmallows. Roast ‘em or toast ‘em — we prefer a golden brown mallow. Photo courtesy Hyatt Regency Lost Pines

S’mores

Nightly s’more roasting takes place at Riversong Firepit. Grab a kit from the concierge desk, load your skewer, and let the gooey good times roll.

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Cover photo courtesy Hyatt Regency Lost Pines

Brook Benten Jimenez, M.Ed., is a fitness professional, passionate about helping other mothers lift the mother lode. Connect on Instagram @BrookBenten.