Spent President's week at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa... the hotel, not the timeshares.

What an AWESOME stay we had!!! I had to wait a few days to begin writing this review because my head would explode with superlative after superlative when I tried earlier. I'm warning you now, this is an embarrassingly gushing accolade to what I now think is one of the best hotels in the Country! ^

The whole thing started on this very forum. Many moons ago, I read a positive review of the Kierland here and made plans to go there with my family on vacation. After telling our friends of our plans, family after family decided to come along with us. We wound up with six families in all.

In that Flyertalk thread I mentioned, a person (make that wonderful person!!) named Jami Champagne, the Experience Director, posted a response. We contacted her to tell her about the large group (25 people in all) and ask what, if any, accomodations could be made for all of us to be somewhat near each other in the hotel (it's a very large place). We also asked about things to do for the kids and the adults.

Since we had so many children with us, they made a special Kids Camp session for us. It was timed out of synch with the normal Kids Camp to accomodate the fathers playing golf and the mothers going to the Spa.

OMG!!! The things they put together for us! We all felt like VIPs. We had provided our children's names and we arrived to find the inside of all the tubs painted with their names saying "Welcome -----!" There were fresh baked cookies and some pool toys in all the rooms!! The kids went wild! Running from room to room looking at the tubs and showing what they were given.

The fathers all got a cap and golf balls, the mothers all got caps and a Spa goody bag.

A large convention (Chick-Fil-A) was checking into the hotel the same day we were. We were contacted a day or two before we arrived to say special accomodations were made for us to check in with the valet... no need to stand in line with the convention people.

The entire time we were made to feel like VIPs! It goes down in the books as one of my best stay experiences... EVER. I've stayed at GREAT Hotels in Europe and have been upgraded to some spectacular suites, but the manner in which we were treated at the Kierland has everything beat.

People fell all over themselves making sure we had everything we needed. Their suggestions for activities, like horseback riding and things to do on the Apache Trail were absolutely excelent. They helped us hire a private tour bus (just our families) for a trip to Sedona and Jerome. Set up the kids with tennis lessons (Instructor was fantastic with the kids).

The rooms were pristine and emaculate. We had kids literally tearing these rooms up... and every day they were emaculate again.

The service at the pool was exceptional. One of the kids spilled a Mom's Pina Colada and before we could even ask for a replacement, the guy was coming over with it at no charge. He must have spied the mishap from across the pool area and had another made immediately.

The food was superb, the people were gracious-supportive-helpful-nice... arghh!... my head is gonna explode because I can't think of enough superlatives to adequately express myself.

^ SERIOUSLY!!! YOU GOTTA GO THERE!!!!! NO KIDDING!!!! ^