Starwood Preferred Guest - Phoenician vs. Westin Kierland?

Being in Canada, it would be nice to get some sun down in Arizona for a bit and finally decided to head into the scottsdale area. In being an SPG platinum, i'm planning to stay between the two excellent resorts. Basically, i'd like the one that has superb facilities including pool, spa, and whatever the location is like. Also, if discussing the westin kierland, should i go for the resort or villas. If anyone's stayed at these resorts before, drop a line and help me out. Thanks.
p.s. golf isn't all that important to me, even though i might play a round.

Cheers! BT87

Being in Canada, it would be nice to get some sun down in Arizona for a bit and finally decided to head into the scottsdale area. In being an SPG platinum, i'm planning to stay between the two excellent resorts. Basically, i'd like the one that has superb facilities including pool, spa, and whatever the location is like. Also, if discussing the westin kierland, should i go for the resort or villas. If anyone's stayed at these resorts before, drop a line and help me out. Thanks.
p.s. golf isn't all that important to me, even though i might play a round.

Cheers! BT87

I'd recommend the Phoenician over any resort in the area. The facilities and service are superb and the location is very convenient. If you choose the Kierland, definitely stay at the resort. My wife & I own at the villas, and while they're nice, I'd definitely rather be in the hotel. One bonus for the Westin is that it's next to the Kierland Commons, a large shopping area. There are some really nice restaurants in the Commons as well as plenty of stores. Just be aware that it's an outdoor shopping area, so no air conditioning!

Was just at the Phoenician a couple of days ago and it is no comparison, far nicer than anything else in AZ (and maybe the best Starwood property in NA). But you mentioned Platinum; don't expect much (certainly not meaningful upgrades in-season) -- however the worst room is so good that there really is no need for upgrades. Do need a rental car though (but that is true of anywhere in AZ). The current pricing is still USD 500/night but drops to USD 150 in July (care to guess why?).

don't expect much (certainly not meaningful upgrades in-season)

Well having auh2o as your last name when staying there sure as heck does not hurt you... :D

I have stayed at both properties and here is my observation :
Phoenician ; old money, older crowd
Kierkland : new money, younger crowd
I like the Kierkland a lot, have been treated very well there as a Platinum.

I have stayed at both properties and here is my observation :
Phoenician ; old money, older crowd
Kierkland : new money, younger crowd
I like the Kierkland a lot, have been treated very well there as a Platinum.

I'd have to say that although the Phoenician certainly caters to those who are much less budget-conscious, and therefore usually older (although the Kierland is hardly inexpensive), it attracts a lot of new money. Why? It is a place to splash money around and be seen doing it; in my book, that qualifies as new money behavior. Nothing wrong with that, but I wouldn't generalize the properties quite so much. Also, the Kierland caters heavily to business travelers, so I'd see it as a nice place to stay after a long day's work/convention-going, whereas the Phoenician is wonderful for a pure resort atmosphere.

Now that search is back (hallelujah!), I'd suggest running a quick search--you'll find several threads that answer this question. (Just stayed at Kierland in February and stayed at the Phoenician last spring, and I know I posted on at least one of the other threads. . . :) )

Had a fantastic stay at the Phoenician in late June... was 109 degrees that day in Phoenix, but between the misters over our breakfast brunch, the 8 pools, and the pool servers' dutiful attention to the ice in my water and the status of my and my gf's Mojitos ^, I hardly noticed.

Got upgraded to a Casita from a ~$130 rate as a Platinum. At just over $1 per degree of temperature, I thought this was quite a bargain--especially compared to the Kierland which was charging just about $2.50 per degree of temperature (I still haven't heard anything that would have pushed me to pay a $120 premium over this phenomenal property).

Anyway, summing up, was very pleased with that room and the hotel overall. Beautiful property. Restaurants were great (we ate at two, but couldn't make Mary Elaine's). Top notch service everywhere at this property.

We're officially adding it to our list of favorites... (currently sharing a spot at the top with the St. Regis Monarch Beach).

As a Plat. you will have access to the Royal Peaks Club Lounge, which has a very nice food selection for breakfast, and free drinks and appetizers in the evening. The Phoenician does not have a club.

Being in Canada, it would be nice to get some sun down in Arizona for a bit and finally decided to head into the scottsdale area. In being an SPG platinum, i'm planning to stay between the two excellent resorts. Basically, i'd like the one that has superb facilities including pool, spa, and whatever the location is like. Also, if discussing the westin kierland, should i go for the resort or villas. If anyone's stayed at these resorts before, drop a line and help me out. Thanks.
p.s. golf isn't all that important to me, even though i might play a round.

Cheers! BT87

Restaurants were great (we ate at two, but couldn't make Mary Elaine's). Top notch service everywhere at this property. The tasting menu is USD 125 and not great. Wine tasting to accompany it (3 oz portions) is USD 85, so a bit over USD 200. Unfortunately not the best food in Phoenix, and it really should be at that price point; probably not even in the top 10.

The best part of the Phoenician is the Canyon building with its separate pool and spa, almost like a separate hotel (even has its own parking under the building). And a great view of the "canyon" (side of camelback mountain). Makes up for having to put up with the other Phoenician silliness (croquet lawn, etc.).

The tasting menu is USD 125 and not great. Wine tasting to accompany it (3 oz portions) is USD 85, so a bit over USD 200. Unfortunately not the best food in Phoenix, and it really should be at that price point; probably not even in the top 10.

.

I recommend that you skip Mary Elaine's and drive about a mile down the road to T. Cook's. Better food, less stuffy but still very attractive atmosphere, and half the price.

I recommend that you skip Mary Elaine's and drive about a mile down the road to T. Cook's. Better food, less stuffy but still very attractive atmosphere, and half the price.Actaully Scottsdale has quite a few restaurants, maybe a dozen, that have exceptional food and at all price points. One end of the spectrum is Frank & Lupes (mexican that is 10% of the price -- and very good albeit peasant food, but that has its virtues). T. Cook at the Royal Palms resort is indeed superior and while expensive, not over-priced. Mary Elaine's lives up to its heritage (the unindicted co-conspirator of an indicted and convicted thief and embezzler who stole hundreds of millions of dollars, some of which went into the oppulence of the Phoenician). The restaurant makes up in square footage what it lacks in food quality.

The tasting menu is USD 125 and not great. Wine tasting to accompany it (3 oz portions) is USD 85, so a bit over USD 200. Unfortunately not the best food in Phoenix, and it really should be at that price point; probably not even in the top 10.

The best part of the Phoenician is the Canyon building with its separate pool and spa, almost like a separate hotel (even has its own parking under the building). And a great view of the "canyon" (side of camelback mountain). Makes up for having to put up with the other Phoenician silliness (croquet lawn, etc.).

I was planning a stay at the Phoenician in August with the Taste of Luxury Package (4th night free) but was informed that the Canyon building is closed during August. Are the Casitas comparable to the Canyon building?

I wasn't sure if PHX in August was the best idea anyway, and I might just cancel or stay elsewhere if the Casitas aren't up to par.

BTW, do Plat get free access to the gym?

Casitas are not in the least comparable to the canyon building, but are great if you golf or want to hang out at the spa or the golf club. The casitas are also much more suitable for families (the canyon building is really for couples). They are nicer than the regular hotel, and nicer than almost all hotels in the US (even in August). The heat really isn't bad if you plan your day properly and avoid golfing at 3 pm. By the pool you are liberally plied with ice and towels and anything else you would want. August weather can be tricky as the rains come and while it cools down to 100, humidity is up.

I was planning a stay at the Phoenician in August with the Taste of Luxury Package (4th night free) but was informed that the Canyon building is closed during August.

That's a shame. Any idea why? Renovation?

Got upgraded to a Casita from a ~$130 rate as a Platinum.

How did you get such a great rate? I've been looking to stay here this summer but the cheapest I've found is ~$180 per night..........

How did you get such a great rate? I've been looking to stay here this summer but the cheapest I've found is ~$180 per night..........

I was also able to find a rate of $129 for a few dates in the summer by using my companies SET code and the leisure option. I just looked for a few dates in August, but no availability. So… I think that rate is only offered when they have very high room availability (In my case over the July 4th weekend)

If you are looking to stay for 4 days the Taste of Luxury package with the 4th night free is a very good deal thru August. That’s what I used even with the $129 rate available.

BTW. Still curious why Canyon Building (my favorite) is closed for August.

We had the same option -- Westin Kierland or the Phoenician, and we chose Westin Kierland. The whole time we said we had wished we chose the Phoenician. Westin Kierland is definitely for the masses. The Phoenician is so much nicer. One good thing I will say about Kierland though -- their club lounge is pretty darn good. Wide variety of papers, computers free for use (they charge for computer use in business center if I remember correctly), excellent food all day long in the club lounge plus just a fridge full of waters which you need in the summer (we were constantly popping in to grab a water on the way down to the pool or when leaving the hotel), and the service at this lounge is incredible. They have basically your very own concierge up there who will help you with whatever you need. Had it not been for that service, we would have SO felt like the masses staying there. The club lounge was the saving grace of the hotel. The spa wasn't bad either -- good facials.

I was treated very well as a PLAT at the Kierland. I was upgraded to a suite and was able to spend one night at the villa ( per my request). I enjoyed the hotel and their service much better than the villa. I had my best experience as a plat. there.

I have stayed at both properties and here is my observation :
Phoenician ; old money, older crowd
Kierkland : new money, younger crowd
I like the Kierkland a lot, have been treated very well there as a Platinum.
I’d generally agree with you.

What made the Phoenician unacceptable in my opinion is that there were not enough chairs around the pools. :td: :td: :td: :td: There were many people who were outside the gates on chairs and not by choice. If I'm spending that much per room, I at least want a chair IN the pool area.

That being said, we did enjoy the Phoenician overall more than Kierland but not by much.

Being in Canada, it would be nice to get some sun down in Arizona for a bit and finally decided to head into the scottsdale area. In being an SPG platinum, i'm planning to stay between the two excellent resorts. Basically, i'd like the one that has superb facilities including pool, spa, and whatever the location is like. Also, if discussing the westin kierland, should i go for the resort or villas. If anyone's stayed at these resorts before, drop a line and help me out. Thanks.
p.s. golf isn't all that important to me, even though i might play a round.

Cheers! BT87

Hands down it's all about the Phoenician! Whenever I stay at a hotel out in PHX, its there... Fabulosu service and Fabulous property.

-Vincent

If you are looking to stay for 4 days the Taste of Luxury package with the 4th night free is a very good deal thru August. That’s what I used even with the $129 rate available.

BTW. Still curious why Canyon Building (my favorite) is closed for August.

The Taste of Luxury package includes breakfast and taxes, so in addition to the 4th night free, it seems like an excellent value.

According to the Phoenician, the Canyon Building is closed in August due to low occupancy and renovation, but it due to reopen in September.

After reading the glowing reports about the Phoenician, I'll keep my reservations there and hope for a Plat upgrade to a nice suite or villa.

The Taste of Luxury package includes breakfast and taxes, so in addition to the 4th night free, it seems like an excellent value.

According to the Phoenician, the Canyon Building is closed in August due to low occupancy and renovation, but it due to reopen in September.

After reading the glowing reports about the Phoenician, I'll keep my reservations there and hope for a Plat upgrade to a nice suite or villa.

BTW, you can also have room service breakfast with the TOL package. Shame the Canyon Building will be closed. The suites there are so very nicely designed.

Do Platinums receive complimentary access to the hotel gym or is it run by a 3rd party?

I will start by saying my husband's a Starwood Platinum.

We stayed 4 nights at the Phoenician over 4th of July. We really had a nice time, but I would say it was crowded. We woke up early Friday and found out ABC7 was doing their weather segments from the hotel. We ran out and watched. They opened the slide for a couple of kids to demonstrate. A couple of women demonstrated yoga during a different segment.

With a 22 month old, we tried to break up the heat. It was very difficult to get chairs after early morning!!! Not fun when your child wants to run in the pool.

A point to note -- I believe the Hyatt Gainey Ranch is the only resort that "waters" the sidewalk. Your stuff gets wet if you put it on the ground, but your feet stay cool!

We really had a nice time. We were told we were in a casita. I believe we were in the B building (VERY close and VERY convenient to the pool -- bonus!) We were on the ground level. Just to note there were 8 hotel rooms in the casita. You do not get the whole casita to yourself. Do I assume there are casitas that you do? Our room was nice, but by no means HUGE. The bathroom was amazing!!! Huge tub and separate shower. Great for putting the child to bed and hiding out in for a while.

Ordered kids room service, which is VERY cheap! Great value for the little guy. We had thai takeout from ThaiFoon.

They did a lot over the fourth. I do not know if they monitored "friends" who were not resort guests, crashing the hotel. Unlike other hotels, the wonderful, amazing staff constantly replenishes the towels on chairs as people come and go. There is no way to tell if the person requesting is a guest or not.

I know personally that large groups of people were not guests. Basically because at 6PM as they were leaving, they said to their resort guest friends, "Hey, thanks for inviting us over. Maybe we will drive back over tomorrow!"

The problem with the B building was a lot of the time there were not parking spaces for our one rental car outside of it, because all of these crashers parked there, given its proximity to the pool. Very frustrating when your child falls asleep and you are trying to run him in the hotel room in the heat!

Overall we had a nice time.

Now we are moving on to the Westin Kierland for Labor Day! Cannot wait to try!

With a 22 month old, we tried to break up the heat. It was very difficult to get chairs after early morning!!! Not fun when your child wants to run in the pool.

What made the Phoenician unacceptable in my opinion is that there were not enough chairs around the pools. :td: :td: :td: :td: There were many people who were outside the gates on chairs and not by choice. If I'm spending that much per room, I at least want a chair IN the pool area.

That being said, we did enjoy the Phoenician overall more than Kierland but not by much.

How did you get such a great rate? I've been looking to stay here this summer but the cheapest I've found is ~$180 per night..........

Apologies, but I'm not sure which rate I used. I don't think it was my Corporate rate, though...

We booked week-of, in late June. Hotel wasn't that full, and the weather was 109 degrees, so probably some cancellations, if I had to guess...

Just completed a 4 night stay..

-- Gym Access is complimentary to Plats, would otherwise be $20/day
-- If you're not a Plat, you may pay $25 for gym and internet access
-- I found free WiFi in my Casita, not sure if it was a mistake or usual.
-- According to the front desk, the Phoencian was running at near capacity with the closing of Canyon, which meant no Suite Upgrade
-- Service was good, though housekeeping was not.
Half-used bottles of toiletries in room upon checkin.
Hair in the bathtub
-- Had a problem with mosquitoes in my Casita
-- Taste of Luxury Package includes a $50 breakfast credit which may be used in-room or in the restaurants.
-- Parking is a non-existant near the Casitas, but there is an underground lot nearby that looks like it's used mostly by employees. I had no problem parking there instead.

All in all, a decent stay, but I'll probably try another resort next time I'm in Scottsdale.

Westin Kierland stay. 2 lines dedicated to gold/plat elites at check-in. Elite checking in next to us asked for a casita upgrade for a large family, and this was immediately found for them. We were asked if a room with club access was ok for us, we did not ask for anything. The room turned out to be a large 2 room good view suite with 1 1/2 bath. Amenity choice card was in the check-in packet. There is a single comp computer in a small area next to the elite check-in, they need to buzz you in, and also 1 on the club. There was a daycare activity program outside the restaurant on the weekend. Lazy river, water slide, and covered playground. Small table area for the kids with some activity books on the club to keep them busy. Comp. beverages on club with good appetizers. Excellent staff.

Well having auh2o as your last name when staying there sure as heck does not hurt you... :D

Just got it. Clever.

Alright, just stayed at both properties. Here are my thoughts:

Platinum Recognition
Westin Kierland
Pre-blocked into corner one bedroom casita suite. Upon checked in, agent recognized my platinum status, offered amenity, told me about the Royal Peaks Lounge, my suite upgrade :D, then walked out of counter, took my bags, and escorted me to the main entrance where she fllagged down a golf cart and told the gentleman: "This is Mr. BlissWorld, one of our very important Platinum members. Can you please show Mr. BlissWorld our resort and take him to his private casita please?" :eek: :D ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Phoenician
Pre-blocked into Grand Deluxe room :rolleyes: However, upon check in, the agent found me a 1,200 sq. ft suite with a rediculously large terrace with amazing view :eek: ^. The agent was familiar with the SPG program. However, she didn't really "recognize" my status per se like Kierland did. I had to ask for everything, including Platinum amenity (fruit and water).

Room/Suites
Kierland
Very cozy condo like suite. It had half a kitchen (with a sink and full size fridge), patio overlooking pool, fireplace, and a cozy bedroom. The suite was nice but not amazing by all means.

Phoenician
Think Vegas. Very flashy, white/gold colors throughout the suite. The suite was huge! There were 6 closets!!!! :confused: 2 full baths (one with a jetted tub and windows overlooking the city!), 2 plasma TVs, sitting area, dining table, wired entertainment system throughout suite including bathroom, 2 huge terraces. The luxury collection bed was heavenly and blew Westin Heavenly or W bed away!!!!! I should've bought that bed and their sheets instead of W!! It was at the very end of the hall way with a semi-private double door entrace which offered a lot of privacy as I couldn't hear anything outside my suite! ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ One of the best Plat upgrades ever.

Hotel Amenities
Kierland
I LUV'd their adult only pool that opened 24 hours. The casitas were next to both pools so was perfect for stumbling back to the suite after a beer or 10 in the hot tub at 1 am :D. The Royal Peaks lounge was lovely with good food and free booze in the afternoon. There was a very nice and popular mall with restaurants right next to the resort. The resort overall was very nice and pretty. I didn't have any issues with kids since I hung out at the adult only pool and the casitas offered a lot of privacy! ^

Phoenician
I think the Phoenician was a bit bigger than Kierland. They had a few large pools at the front of the hotel. I didn't try them out thanks to my jetted tub in the room ;) There are a few shops on the lobby level of the hotel but none worth visiting, really.

Food
Both Kierland and Phoenician had great restaurants and room service items. However, I'd say the food I had at Phoenician tasted slightly better than Kierland ;)

Service
I thought Kierland offered far superior service than Phoenician. The staffs at Kierland were exceptionally well trained. They were very friendly. The Platinum recognition at check in was amazing. Upon entering my suite, the front desk agent called me to ask if everything was to my liking ^ Later the evening when I ordered room service, after my meal arrived, I received a call immediately from the service director asking me if the meal was prepared to my liking! :eek: Superb! ^

Not that the service at Phoenician was bad at all, but they did not go out of their way to make me feel special like Kierland did.

Crowd
I really liked the people at Kierland. There were more laid back, friendly, and fun people around the resort. In fact, I made a couple of friends at the hot tub :) Phoenician was a bit more stuffy filled with middle aged golfers and spoiled frat boys.

Overall
I really liked Kierland! Everything about the resort was just great. Not that there's anything wrong with the Phoenician, but I enjoyed Kierland much more!

Here are some pictures:
Westin Kierland (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunkindonuts/sets/72157601113345123/)
Phoenician (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunkindonuts/sets/72157601112307852/)

I just have to say that Kierland should really be recognized as one of the best Starwood properties that also have the most well trained staffs in the Starwood family as well as the entire industry. Even before my stay, I previously had a small issue with the property. The general manager personally called me to resolved the issue and apologized for the confusion. ^

Upon entering my suite, the front desk agent called me to ask if everything was to my liking ^ Later the evening when I ordered room service, after my meal arrived, I received a call immediately from the service director asking me if the meal was prepared to my liking! :eek: Superb! ^

To each his own I guess. Such calls seem unnecessary and mildly annoying to me. Same goes for being thanked for being an important platinum guest (Being told I have been given an upgrade to a suite due to my status… now that’s a wonderful thing!).

Enjoyed the photo of all the rabbits at the Phoenician as I saw all of them during my stay there too. Was told by the head grounds keeper that there used to be coyotes in the area that kept the population of rabbits down. But the coyotes have disappeared in recent years.

Anyway, thanks for the nice comparison. Based on what I was reading I was sure you were going to vote for the Phoenician as your favorite… a surprise ending!

Thanks for the update Blissworld considering the last posts were 05. Are there any resort fees for these 2 hotels and does both hotels charge for parking?

Thanks for the update Blissworld considering the last posts were 05. Are there any resort fees for these 2 hotels and does both hotels charge for parking?

Not a problem. No resort fee. No parking fee :) Valet costs about $30 a night at both property. However, self-parking is easy enough. At Kierland, they have an open self-parking lot. It's pretty big. At Phoenician, they have an underground lot (which is very nice in hot weather), free of charge. ^

Food
Both Kierland and Phoenician had great restaurants and room service items. However, I'd say the food I had at Phoenician tasted slightly better than Kierland


Great review! I was just wondering if you had a chance to try afternoon tea and/or Sunday brunch at Phoenician. These were my favorites - food, service, and presentation!