WindyCityBrother

Kevinsac:

Thanks for that clarification. We were not told there was a charge for maid service. But then again, we were there for a timeshare presentation and they didn't charge. Thanks for the heads up though. That definitely is a need to know!

leftist

I'm looking to take a vacation the week after labor day, and am wondering if this Westin is the place for me. I want a place where I can read a book, relax, have a non-screaming children pool- and just a "chill" kind of place.

Is this a good bet? Other suggestions?

2. I would really prefer not to rent a car for the four days I am there. Is this doable? Or is a car utterly necessary.

3. I am a lowly gold, but will be PLT probably in the next three months. I don't care about a room upgrade, but would love to be on the club floor. If I request it- what is the hotel staff's attitude on that stuff?

Thanks!

california09

1. I think Kierland should suit your interests just fine. Granted, there are parts (the main pool, for sure) where there are kids running around, there are also plenty of places where adults can relax. I stayed at the Villas and had a great time - there were way fewer children there than at the main hotel.

2. We rented a car, and I would definitely recommend it. If you dont want to leave the hotel/villas/resort the whole time, you dont need one. There is also a mall within walking distance that has some restaurants, etc. That being said, I very much enjoyed going around the Scottsdale and Phoenix areas and would have felt bored after a couple days without a car. Public transit is a big NO.

3. Unfortunately, cant answer this one as I stayed at the villas (I too am a gold).

babsjvd

I juxt booked this today ^- the promotion for 4 nights -total with taxes $424. With $75 resort credit. I am sure it will include the sales talk. Thats ok. We were given a villa as there were no promotion rooms available.

I take it a villa is much better than the hotel????

I am looking forward to our trip. Using a travel voucher for one airline ticket and miles and dollars for the other. By March is will be a nice little getaway from the cold and snow!

My next question is would you rent a car if you plan just to hang at the resort? I am originally from Phoenix, and dont see that we would want to head north or anything like that. Being in a villa we would probably not eat breakfast out etc.

thanks

stevens397

Being in a villa is MUCH more comfortable than being in a hotel room. But you will have a 5 minute walk or a very short shuttle if you want to go over to the hotel.

I would take the villa in a heartbeat!

WindyCityBrother

We visited using the same offer you had a few years ago. The villa beats the hotel room anytime, hands down. The villa is basically an apartment. On the downside, I do think they are more attentive to service at the hotel. We were there for a visit in July and stayed at the Villa. We came back for a 2nd visit to determine if we wanted to buy a timeshare. We were quite disappointed the 2nd time around. Service at the villas left a lot to be desired. We had to call each day to make sure they would clean our room as no one showed up the 2nd day we were there. If you call the Express Service and someone answers, you are doing quite well. I would also call in the morning to make sure you get extra towels. We had to wait an extraordinary amount of time for someone to show up to do that as well.

I rented a car and thus did not have to deal with the shuttle, but I felt it could be a pain having to wait for the shuttle. There are no restaurants at the villas, so you have to take the shuttle to the hotel where everything is. All the "fun stuff" is at the hotel as well. But if you just want to relax, then you should be fine at the villas. There is a supermarket down the street from the complex, and you can save a bit by getting your groceries there if you so desire. When I stayed at the hotel for my initial visit, we spent a ton on food as the prices are a bit steep.

Just my 2 cents.

Have a great trip!

babsjvd

thanks so much..so I should probably go with the rental car, to help save on the meals dollars. Did I read that correctly- high prices in the restaurants?

thanks for replying, Leaving Wisconsin during the winter is a must.

Da5id

There are two or three restaurants at the hotel including the delicious but pricey Deseo (one of my all time favorites). Nellie Cashmans is more of a family style restaurant with a breakfast buffet etc. There is also the Kierland Commons shopping area which the shuttle goes to. It has a Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, a couple of local upscale seafood and Italian eateries etc. Theres a very reasonable Cuban place called Havana Cafe at 6245 Bell Rd.

As far as daily cleaning services, it's not a hotel. It's made quite clear that twice a week a maid will come in. They don't have room service but there is a deli there and a kitchen in each room. Platinums are not treated any differently than Golds, to my knowledge anyway. There are two styles of rooms.... Deluxe and Premium. The Deluxe is a little smaller and has a queen size Heavenly Bed, the Premium a King. No suites or any of that stuff. I'd much rather stay here than in the hotel unless it was an extraordinary room ( and I like the hotel a lot). High speed internet is free in each room as is wireless in many common areas.

There is an adult pool at the hotel and at the villas, although this policy seems better enforced at the hotel. We like to have our room face the golf course because it's a bit quieter than facing the pool. There are also grills for the use of guests.

WindyCityBrother

There are also quite a few places to eat within 5-10 minutes of the hotel. We saved a bundle by renting the car and not having to eat at the hotel. (Not complain about the food quality, but the prices seemed out of whack to me and I live in Chicago where restaurants charge a pretty penny.)

babsjvd

Thanks for the info.

LvBird

Just a quick clarification on maid service. If you are staying at WKV on an "Explorer Pkg" to consider becoming a Starwood Vacation Owner, you DO have maid service each day. The same is true if you book your nights directly with WKV, as if you were booking a hotel room.

If you are an SVO owner, or you are staying at WKV thru a trade of another property, or you have rented your week from another owner, you get the typical once a week tidy.

LvBird

Aha! So YOUR kids were the ones running around screeching at the pool all day! Thanks for letting us know.

In all seriousness, though, I am hoping that parents DON'T normally have that attitude. Unfortunately, when we were there this summer, there were many children running around, screeching and yelling with no parents in sight. I saw the staff tell them to quiet down a bit, more than once. (I'm not talking about the happy laughter of kids playing in the pool - I don't mind that. I'm talking about that ear-piercing, otherworldly screeching that only children can do!) And even though the pool area wasn't full, it was still distracting and a bit irritating.

That said, we did have a nice time - we just had to move chairs more than once due to truly noisy kids. The adult pool is definitely quieter, but we do like the lazy river!

Overall, we like the Westin Kierland, but it's not our favorite hotel by any means. The bar staff at the pool has definitely improved, although the pool servers are hit or miss. And yes, the lifeguards play - they don't really lifeguard. I watched a kid slide down the slide, barely come up for air, and then get hit by an adult coming off the slide - all within 3 feet of the lifeguard, who missed the whole thing b/c she was distracted by the other cute lifeguard chatting with her. Yikes!

We enjoyed the lobby area one night, and we especially like the Waltz and Weiser (sp?) Saloon downstairs. It's kind of a fun atmosphere, the leather chairs are quite comfy, and the service was great! However, the next 2 nights the lobby was ridiculously loud and noisy due to a convention at the hotel. We gave up on it b/c we literally couldn't hear ourselves to chat, so we moved to a quieter couch in a corner of the ballroom area lobby.

That is our one big disappointment when we have stayed at the Westin - we like "quiet", and while the lazy river is a big draw for us and especially fun in summer, I have found that the resort overall isn't very "romantic". I feel this way partly b/c I am partial to smaller, more boutique style hotels and resorts when celebrating anniversaries, etc. (Ex. The Royal Palms and the Hermosa Inn are two of our favorites in Phx.) However, most families we met loved the WK, and they have added kids' programs and "nights out" for parents.

Different hotels offer different things, and I don't mean to knock the Westin Kierland. Just trying to give a clear picture of our experience. We like variety, too - we stay at everything from tiny B&Bs to 5-Star resorts - which is why we sometimes stay at WK and play in their pool.

PHX_SOUS

I will be staying at the Westin Kierland for 4 nights over Thanksgiving and currently have 23 stays this year. Is it worth spending $80 on a "mattress run" to make Platinum before making the trip???

There don't seem to be any suites available - can't find them on the sight anyway. Basically it seems I will get 500 pts and club access...

Even without suites available will I get a better room as a Plat than as a Gold?

Never stayed here and any thoughts would be appreciated!

WindyCityBrother

As long as you do not stay in the Villas, you should be fine. I thought the service at the Villas was absolutely horrid. We stayed at the hotel section and the service there is wonderful. The atmosphere is quite relaxing, and I sure it will be great this time of year. You also have plenty of shopping & golf around.

Enjoy!

bsdstone

I would say YES, make the run...if you drink any alcohol, or if you eat breakfast, the $80 will pay for itself. The staff at the club room is great, and very helpful with local things to do as well as being great hosts. As far as no suites available...don't be so sure...I have looked and seen no suites available, but when I check in...PRESTO, I'm in a suite.
I would suggest emailing/calling the property and let them know of your arrival and your platinum status...being polite and asking has always worked for me at this property...truly one of my favorites!