5 Reasons to Stay at Schlitterbahn Beach Resort ~ South Padre Island, TX

If you are looking for something new to try this summer, look no further than the Schlitterbahn Beach Resort in South Padre Island. I was recently invited to visit the less than one-year old resort and was so pleased with our stay. It was our first trip to South Padre Island as a family and I can't wait to come back.

We took a long walk on the beach the morning before we left and a couple, seeing our Schlitterbahn wristbands, stopped and asked us what we thought of the new beach resort...."is it worth it?" they asked.

Oh yes! And here is what I told them:

5 Reasons to Stay at Schlitterbahn Beach Resort

1. Location, Location, Location: Schlitterbahn Beach Resort is located right on the beach. Like right on the beach y'all. With the private beach access, you will not have to schlep a bunch of beach stuff down a mile boardwalk to the beach, it honestly took us less then a minute to pop down there. Beach amenities are close by, with a small shop and SeaSide Grill featuring breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and drinks on the boardwalk. And you can rent a set of chairs and umbrella for $25 a day ($30 non-resort guests). It was so convenient to take a nighttime stroll along the beach and hunt for seashells in the morning, just right down from our resort room.

2. The Connecting Tunnel: It wouldn't be a Schlitterbahn without a few slides, now would it? The Schlitterbahn Beach Resort has it's own Indoor Waterpark located on property. Open to all Schlitterbahn WaterPark guests, there are special hours for Beach Resort guests. Like having the waterpark to yourself y'all.

The Indoor Waterpark is open year round and has a retractable sides and roof for the summer time. There are two 5-story tube slides, a fast-moving torrent river, a Pirate's Cove kids area, and two beautiful "beach" areas. We loved the convenience of having the waterpark at our doorstep. Plus, as we were there the beginning of May, it was nice to have the option of indoor when the outdoor park got cold.

And speaking of the outdoors....Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark is right next door to the Beach Resort. Nestled between sand dunes on the South Padre Island beach, this park is outstanding. I will full coverage of our time spent there soon, but let me tell you, with theming, creativity, and variety, this Schlitterbahn is outstanding. I loved how very different of a water park it was from the New Braunfels park we go to regularly. Yet it still has the family friendly feel the Schlitterbahn brand is known for.

So what's with the tunnel?? Promised to be opening soon, there will be a tunnel (maybe a water ride???) connecting the Indoor and Outdoor Parks together...... So cool!

3. This view: I'm a sucker for a beach, so give me a room with a view of the beach and I'm sold. Schlitterbahn has many ways to see this view from their beachfront SeaSide Grill to their Sea4Ever restaurant and event patio.

4. Family Friendly Affordability: One of my favorite things I love about Schlitterbahn parks is how affordable they are for all the fun they offer. They offer free parking and allow you to bring your own coolers with food into all their parks. And the resort is no different. Each room has a refrigerator and microwave (some suites have full kitchens too). Our family of 5 slept comfortably in our 2 queen bed room with a roll-away. And again....the view......ahhhhh

Also, if you stay at the Schlitterbahn Beach Resort, your ticket to Schlitterbahn WaterPark is only $25. With their Stay and Play package, you will have access to both waterparks on the day you check in through the day you check out. So affordable.

5. Dedication to Texas: Not the typical reason to stay at a resort, but there is a pretty cool story here, so stay with me. The devastating fires that Central Texas endured in 2011 made a lasting impression on the Schlitterbahn family. Three separate fires burned over 34,000 acres of land over Labor Day weekend. As the area began it's recovery, most of the scorched trees had to be felled and turned into mulch, however, Jeff Henry with Schlitterbahn, envisioned a better use for them.

He offered to take the trees, mill them and use them throughout the new Beach Resort. And the result is one of the prettiest hotels on the coast of Texas. Each piece of furniture in all of the 221 rooms have been made from the Loblolly pines from the Bastrop Area (with the exception of the chairs). You will find large, gorgeous tables peppered through out the resort. The siding on the outside walls of the resort are made from the pines as well.

The Schlitterbahn family is also very dedicated to sustainability as well. The large retractable roof that covers the indoor waterpark area is repurposed from a Schultz nursery greenhouse. Over 3 miles of mooring rope has been stretched around giant concrete structural poles comes from dozens of former ships. And even 2 waterslides in the Indoor park were recycled from an Ohio park.

90% of the wood at the Schlitterbahn Beach Resort is refurbished and it is beautiful. It is easy to say that this is one of the most refurbished family fun resorts in America!

To summarize, what I told the couple on the beach was YES! You should bring your family back!! You may have great views and beach access elsewhere, but you won't have close access to TWO waterparks. It's perfect for a family vacation to the beach.

More Information about Schlitterbahn Waterparks:
Top Ten Reasons You Should Go to Schlitterbahn ~ New Braunfels
Yes! You Can Take a Toddler to Schlitterbahn

Texas Travel Facts for Schlitterbahn Beach Resort:

Location: South Padre Island, Texas

Good to Know: Suites available; free parking; free WiFi; 3 restaurants on site; no pets; minimum 2 nights stays on weekends

Website:http://www.schlitterbahn.com/spi

My family and I were invited to visit the resort and were provided our stay. I was not financially compensated for this post. All opinions of Schlitterbahn Beach Resort are strictly my own based on my experience.