The Westin Kierland Villas

This was our first visit to the Westin Kierland Villas. I would like to mention that we do own a week in a 2 bedroom villa. However, I do not think that made a difference in what room or the service we received.

The villa resort is located in a home development and on a golf course but it was easy to find. We happened to have a GPS but the mapping software online gave the same directions to get there.

First the grounds were impeccably landscaped and taken care of. The flowers and flowering trees were all in bloom and it was so pretty. The photos that I took really do not do the landscaping justice.

Second, the staff was attentive, polite and seemed genuinely nice. The only time there was a problem was when you tried to call for service or the front desk. I called on three occasions. The first they did not answer, the second they took 10-15 rings before they answered but were very responsive when they did. The third they answered then put me on hold for at least 5 minutes. I hung up and went found someone to assist me.

However, this is a pro and a con; the room was only accessible by going through the pool/gardens. This meant that you needed to carry all your groceries through the lobby and common areas. It is a little uncomfortable. The bellmen will bring all of you goods to your room for you if you pull your car to the front and unload on to the bellman cart. They are SUPER helpful....

Next the room was, well I want to say clean but the main kitchen counters were not. I always travel with the kitchen disinfectant wipes (I take them out of the plastic container and put them in a zipper closed plastic bag for travel) because of past experiences. They came in handy this time. Also, the rugs were stained with dark marks. I didn't give the rooms a 5 because of the stains and the counters.

The bathrooms are fantastic. We LOVED the master shower. It was huge and both the master and the second baths had dual shower heads. Tiled floors, very large sink areas. The master bath had a jet tub to relax in as well. They were so nice.

Everything else was well taken care of. The beds were delightfully comfortable and the furniture was reasonably comfortable. The design of the room and furniture was urban chic; straight cuts, modern art, and glass in the doors... it was very nice. We heard the people above us a few times. They must have been super heavy walkers and slammers because after they left we never heard anyone else.

Bringing a cell phone if you have one is a good idea. Making calls from the room is $1 plus whatever the call itself costs. This can add up quickly if you are checking times and directions to local places. We have nationwide cell service so we bring ours wherever we go.

There are two pool areas (at the villas, there is full access to the resort which is physically located a short distance away). One area is where the water slide is and all the activities are held. There are a lot of activity with children and games. The bellman said they were at 95% occupancy. You would not have known it. There was plenty of room and plenty of pool chairs.

The second pool was for adults and you were supposed to be at least 16 to go into that area. It was open 24 hours and was very relaxing. The lounge chairs had red flags that you put up if you want one of the wait staff to come by and you can place and order for food or beverage. That was kind of neat. We had lunch at the pool one day it was very good but as you would expect fairly pricey.

The villas are located reasonably close to main roads so getting to attractions was easy. Nothing in Phoenix is close so be prepared to spend some time in the car to get to the things you would like to see.

If pools and lying about are what you like then the villas are great. Or if you want to take the shuttle bus (a very short 5 minute ride) to the resort (which villa occupants have full access to), then there is a huge pool complex there that includes a lazy river. It is a fabulous looking place. We did not stay in any of the rooms, it is a hotel, but the grounds were beautiful.

Overall this is a beautiful resort but expensive if you use the onsite services. We had a great time and plan on going there again.

Purchased four years ago and never stayed there. Traded the first two years (St. john and Harborside) and turned in for points in year 3. Can't take full advantage until my wife retires from teaching next year but went with a buddy for a golf trip. Could not be happier or feel more validated by our purchase.

The place was just about perfect. The units are amazing, with an incredible amount of privacy for two travelling couples. I would have no problem spending a week in either side altho the larger one is certainly amazing. The Westin campus is magnificent and everyone you come into contact with could not be more pleasant or helpful. And what can you say about Scottsdale golf??!!

Can't wait to go back year after year.

We enjoyed our stay at Westin Kierland Villas last year (2007), and purchased an "Explorer Package" because we were actually considering purchasing, but couldn't afford it last year. Unfortunately, we were far less impressed this year. On the good side, the front desk staff was friendly and efficient. The 1-bedroom villa was clean (albeit small) and everything was in working order. The McDowell Restaurant/Store was well-stocked and menu items were generous and tasty.

The negatives, however, outweighed the positives this year. (1) The "activity pool" was very crowded and very loud at all times (2) the "relaxation pool" was fine during the day, but was over-run with noisy teenagers and children after 8PM (when the "activity pool" closed). (3) There were frequently no clean towels available at either pool by mid-day (4) Only one computer functioned in the business center, and waiting to print boarding passes for our flight was interminable (5) Barbecue facilities were limited, and wait times to get a grill were long (6) Charges for childrens' program activities were very high ($50 per child for a 3-hour "kids night out" are double what we've seen in Marriott and other timeshares)

On a side note (which did not factor into my 3-star rating), I'd strongly advise AGAINST the "Explorer Package." We bought it for $2,000 last year - which included a return 4 night stay and a promise to apply the full $2,000 to the purchase price should we choose to buy during the 18 month period of the "package." We were promised a large one-bedroom ("Premium" one-bedroom) of the 2BR lock-out (950 sq ft w/full kitchen). What we got was the small 1BR (500 sq ft w/limited kitchen), and we were told on-site that that's "all you get" with the Explorer Package. I met people on-site who were staying for other reduced-rate promotional packages who were provided with the large 1BR. It didn't make me feel too "special" that I paid a lot more and wound up with very close quarters for my wife, me and our 2 daughters. And this is OFF-SEASON time in the height of August heat!!! Furthermore, during the sales pitch, we discovered that only a percentage of the $2,000 would be applied to a purchase. Overall, we felt "duped" by the whole thing, and decided not to purchase.

This resort is one of our favorite places to stay! This is not a 5 star HOTEL property (not the same level of service)--but with the addition of room service they are getting close! Not sure why the previous reviewer experienced noise, but maybe it was a flight pattern that time of year(?) We have enjoyed visits in September, February and March--and have never noticed the planes really. They DO seem to use the leaf blower here on multiple days.

This resort is in the middle of local area action, so it is not as quiet as The Boulders for example (or something equally remote). But it also is not a hotel overrun with convention crowds either. One thing unusual here is that some buildings/balconies face only Northerly, others face only Westerly/sunset. There is also the 'activity' pool & the 'quiet' pool--so ask for what you prefer (depending on season?) It is a beautiful property all around (with really good on-site food) and we love the supreme accessibility to other area features. I should mention that the rooms are in the usual Westin contemporary design --high quality, but not a lot of local flavor (see photos).

This timeshare is very upscale in line with Westin Hotels. The rooms are very nicely appointed, very modern. The two bedroom lockoff is very private for two couples. The location of the resort is very close to great restaurants, shopping, and golf.

However, the resort was very noisy. Our room was located by the recreation pool which can get loud at times. The staff was very loud in the morning. The resort is located by the Scottsdale Airport and planes/helicopters were flying constantly. Not a good place for peace and quiet. We would not come back to this resort because of the location.