Westin Kierland Resort

Monsoon thunder clouds rise above the resort

High rise and compact, the 11-story hotel and its cozy grounds occupy 37 acres – a small footprint compared to many other Phoenix and Scottsdale resorts.

But what this resort lacks in sprawl, it more than makes up for in amenities and service.

The Kierland's elegant Southwestern atmosphere and homage to Arizona's past - as seen in the Western and Native American art and artifacts found throughout the property - elevated what could be a typical hotel into a modern yet Southwestern experience.

Kierland Commons – a swank shopping venue just next door - is an added bonus to the resort's full menu of amenities.

Quick and easy access to Scottsdale Road and the freeway make Kierland a convenient home base for Arizona travelers.

Native American style art work adorns the gardens at the Westin Kierland Resort

The property is only a few blocks off Scottsdale Road – the busy north-south thoroughfare that bisects the community.

In spite of its "in town" setting, Kierland Resort creates a tranquil oasis with several peaceful gardens and courtyards.

Lush, shady trees, colorful flowers and plenty of benches encouraged us to sit and enjoy the grounds.

The Westin Kierland Resort is named after the Kierland family whose ranch once occupied all of the land the resort and surrounding residences and business centers now occupy.

While the Westin Kierland Resort may be the epitome of modern Arizona, the resort's theme is "Treasuring the Essence of Arizona."

Which means that everywhere you look, there are descriptive plaques and artwork that illustrates the state's rich history.

All of the hallways and lobbies have different Arizona themes, such as geology, history and Native American tribes.

The Westin Kierland Resort lobby

Arizona’s official state historian, Marshall Trimble, helped design the displays and train the staff to answer questions about Arizona’s history.

The frequent Native American touches include a huge reproduction of ancient petroglyphs decorating one exterior wall of the hotel.

The Sandpainter’s Courtyard features a large sand painting, drawn on the ground and modeled after those made by Navajo medicine men during religious ceremonies.

Inside, the Kierland Resort has a clean, elegant design with modern Southwestern touches such as marble and sandstone tile, dark wood furniture, Native American style fabrics, and paintings and sculptures by Arizona artists.

Our room at the Westin Kierland Resort

The room was decorated in warm Southwestern colors with Mission style furniture, a leather armchair and ottoman and a small mirrored vanity with a stool in the entry way

Large framed color photographs of the Grand Canyon, cactus and cowboys added to the Southwestern theme.

Our small balcony looked to the south and had a sweeping view of Camelback Mountain and southern Scottsdale.

Although the room was a bit on the small side it was comfortable enough for two people.

Westin Kierland Resort room amenities include a Heavenly Bed® pillowtop mattress with duvet cover, coffeemaker with Starbucks® coffees and Tazo® teas and two very plush spa robes.

Our bathroom at the Westin Kierland Resort

The bathroom was fairly spacious and felt opulent with its gold and black granite-topped sink and gold tile floor.

Kierland bathrooms also have a separate bath tub and glass-enclosed shower with dual showerhead.

A shiny chrome, ladder-like towel rack was an interesting design element that reminded us of the ladders seen in ancient Native American cliff dwellings.

Privacy seekers, take note: the Westin Kierland Resort offers complimentary turn down service nightly.

The flowing river ride at Westin Kierland Resort

The most popular is the 9,000 square foot Adventure Pool water park with its tropical party feel, sand beach entrance, striped cabanas, two hot tubs, poolside grill and high energy-pumping music.

Thrill seekers can glide down the 110-foot winding waterslide.

For those who like a slower pace, there's the 900-foot flowing river for a laid back float on an inner tube.

For the smallest tykes, there’s an interactive pop-jet water fountain, a shallow, zero entry children’s pool and a sand beach area next to the Adventure Pool.

The quiet, heated Aguamiel Pool is an adults-only lap pool next to the spa.

This pool also has private cabanas where spa goers can arrange to have poolside massages. Aguamiel pool is open 24 hours per day.

Other Westin Kierland Resort amenities include:

• 2 lighted Gomeco-surfaced tennis courts
• volleyball
• Westin WORKOUT® powered by Reebok fitness center includes weight equipment, cardio machines, daily yoga classes and aerobics
• walking paths, jogging routes and garden courtyards
• s’mores roasting every Friday and Saturday night around the fire pit in the Sandpainter’s Courtyard
• Scottish Pipes at sunset - a master bagpiper serenades visitors each evening at sunset in the Dreamweaver's Canyon Courtyard, paying homage to the many contributions of Scottish immigrants to Arizona's mines, railroads and towns.

Just across the road from the Westin Kierland Resort is the 38-acre Kierland Commons.

This upscale outdoor shopping destination has more than 70 shops and restaurants.

Streets lined with tall palms and high end shops make it perfect for casual strolling and window shopping.

The Kierland Commons

Stores such as Ann Taylor Loft, Anthropologie and Barnes and Noble share space with small, locally owned boutiques.

There are also several popular Scottsdale restaurants including Zinc Bistro, Ra Sushi and North.

The Kierland Resort offers complimentary shuttle service to the Commons but it’s within easy walking distance.

If you have to travel with your pet, you’ll be happy to hear that the Westin Kierland Resort is one of the few Arizona pet-friendly resorts.

As a matter of fact, Kierland was named one of the top 20 luxury pet-friendly hotels and spas for 2007 by Doggie Aficionado magazine.

Their Kierland's Companion's Club program welcomes both dogs and cats.

Pet owners receive a complimentary Pet Welcome Kit upon check-in with a map that let's you know where your pet is allowed in the hotel.

Both kids and adults enjoy the waterslide at Westin Kierland Resort

The Club's programs incorporate Arizona culture and natural history into fun and educational activities such as scavenger hunts, swimming in the Flowing River Pool and keyboard and music activities.

Kids will also enjoy Pumpkinville - the shaded, fully equipped "children only" playground with slides, swings, jungle gyms and a sand play area.

If your kids like to help you in the kitchen, they’ll like the Westin Kierland Resort’s “Kids in the Kitchen” program - an interactive culinary program where children can put on “chef’s whites” and cook with the resort’s chefs.

The two hour program covers everything a budding chef should know including cleanliness, safety, cooking and baking. There’s also a tour of the kitchens, and at the end, everyone gets to eat what they’ve prepared.

This is the first interactive kids culinary program in the area and is open for children ages 5 – 10.

Note: this program is offered every Saturday morning from Labor Day through Memorial Day and on major holiday weekends. Available to resort guests only.

The recently added Teen Club is a cool space with overstuffed furniture that's technologically loaded for today's savvy teen, including:

• a flat screen TV
• DVD player with movies
• Xbox 30 with a variety of games
• IPod docking station for personal IPod
• computer with internet access.

The adults only lap pool outside Agave Spa at the Westin Kierland Resort

Agaves are spiky-leaved succulents related to lilies. There are several species native to Arizona and they’ve been used by Arizona’s Indian tribes for centuries for food, fiber and medicine as well as making tequila.

This full service spa has several signature treatments that use agave nectar or juice.

Paula tried the Blue Agave Paraffin Wrap and loved how it left her skin as smooth and soft as silk.

Agave Spa is in its own building near the front of the resort, making for easy access for resort guests and day spa goers. It has a full list of amenities including locker rooms with whirlpools, steam room and dry sauna, adults-only lap pool and spa juice bar.

The Kierland Golf Course

Arizona golf architect Scott Miller designed the 3 nine-hole courses – the Acacia, the Ironwood and the Mesquite, all named for native desert trees.

Though considered desert courses, these 27 holes don’t have cactus.

Instead, the courses have an almost park-like setting with broad swathes of grass edged with desert trees and shrubs and interspersed with washes and lakes.

There are no homes or condos in the interior of the course, so golfers have wide open views of the nearby mountains.

The Kierland courses are considered to be very “player friendly.”

There are plenty of challenging holes and constantly changing elevations but you won’t be losing dozens of golf balls here.

Besides great playability, this Troon-managed course is known for great service, air-conditioned golf carts and the La LaBauve Golf Academy.

The Kierland Golf Clubhouse

The Academy is under the direction of Mike and Sandy LaBauve who are rated as two of the top 50 golf instructors in the United States by Golf Magazine.

The Kierland Clubhouse features a gourmet restaurant and a 1,800-square foot retail center.

If you always wanted to get your kids interested in golf, you have the chance with the Family Golf Program.

The Kierland Golf Club offers the several clinics throughout the year aimed at kids 8 – 15 years old.

It’s a 4-day clinic with 3 hours of golf instruction per day plus on-course play. There are also lessons in golf etiquette, golf history and rules of the golf game.

Luckily one of our favorite Scottsdale restaurants - Deseo - is here.

Deseo is the resort's signature venue and has received rave reviews for its inspired Nuevo Latino menu created by Douglas Rodriguez.

The ceviche bar inside Deseo Restaurant at the Westin Kierland Resort

This James Beard award winning chef is considered to be the grandfather of Nuevo Latino cooking, which fuses Latin America cooking with a variety of ingredients and techniques.

His Caribbean and South American-inspired dishes burst with flavor and originality.

You have so much to choose from at Deseo that you can eat a standard 3-course meal or share a variety of small plates, all reasonably priced.

Ceviches are the highlight here with creative variations like the salmon with cucumbers, grapefruit, pink peppercorns, Thai basil and aji amarillo chile ($11).

Entrées such as plantain-crusted diver scallops with plantain sauce ($25) and churrascuro of beef with crab and herb chimichurri ($29) introduce diners to Latin flavors in an inventive way.

Read our full review of Deseo Restaurant

Nellie Cashman's Monday Club Café is the casual all-day dining spot at the Westin Kierland Resort.

Nellie Cashman’s Monday Club Café dining room

They have delicious food with a menu that is a mix of Southwestern and Mediterranean flavors, emphasizing locally grown produce and indigenous cuisine.

Dishes include:

• roasted corn chowder with sharp cheddar cheese and basil crostini ($8)
• prosciutto, asparagus, heirloom tomato and white truffle oil flatbread pizza ($14)
• orange-honey BBQ King Salmon steak with bacon and mashed potatoes ($27)

The restaurant is named for Nellie Cashman - an enterprising woman who brought food to miners, earning her the nickname of "The Angel of the Mining Camp." Arizona’s oldest club for women is named after her.

The portrait of Nellie Cashman

Diners can sit inside and see the exhibition kitchen or outside on the patio with views towards the golf course and McDowell Mountains.

You can also have your meal in the Dreamweaver's Canyon Courtyard which has a seasonal flower bed patterned after a Navajo blanket as its centerpiece.

We liked sitting in the dining room with its copper-topped wood tables and art-covered walls.

Every wall is decorated with old black and white photographs and large oil paintings of famous Arizona women like Viola Jimulla, who was the Chief of the Yavapai Indians from 1940 to 1966.

Besides being a talented basketmaker and translator, she organized the first Yavapai Prescott Tribal Council and succeeded in expanding the Yavapai Reservation to surround three sides of the town of Prescott.

If you have breakfast here, don't miss the delicious herbal margherita flatbread ($14) topped with a poached egg, sliced tomatoes and basil. It was absolutely delicious.

Other Westin Kierland Resort dining and drink venues are:

• the lodge-like Brittlebush Bar and Grill - with sweeping views of the golf course and contemporary American cuisine for lunch and early dinner. Inside the Kierland Golf Club

The Rim with its dramatic portrait of the Grand Canyon, for which the bar is named

• Edie's Range House - the outdoor grill located near the driving range at the golf club
• Waltz and Weiser - the Old West saloon style bar with microbrew beers, cocktails, light appetizers, billiards and shuffle board in a room with dark wood floors, low beamed ceilings and exposed mineral rock
• The Rim - a cocktail lounge in the lobby with a beautiful painting of the Grand Canyon
• Coffee Flats and SnowBowls - the coffee bar adjacent to the lobby which also serves sandwiches, pastries, ice cream and spa cuisine for a quick meal. We picked up some great cranberry scones here one morning.
• J. Swilling Grill - the outdoor poolside dining with sandwiches, salads and a kid’s menu.

The spa staff was truly exceptional, making us feel right at home.

Favorite Features: Agave Spa, Deseo and Nellie Cashman’s restaurants, Arizona history displays and look and feel of resort.

What We Didn’t Like: We have no complaints.

Nearby Amenities and Attractions: Kierland Commons shopping center has upscale shops and a variety of restaurants.

Good for Kids: Yes, very kid friendly. Year round kids club for children 4-12 and Teens Club Room.

Pet Friendly: Yes. Kierland has a complete pet program. Both cats and dogs are allowed.

Location: North Scottsdale, 10 miles from downtown Scottsdale and 20 miles from downtown Phoenix and Sky Harbor International Airport.

Address: 6902 East Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85254

Management: Starwood Hotels and Resorts

Style: Contemporary Southwestern

Room Types: 732 rooms, 55 suites and 32 casitas

Cost: In Season: $$$ - $$$$
Summer Season: $$ - $$$
Go to Cost Key

Extra Fees: Unlimited internet access in room: $12.95/day. There is free WiFi in the main lobby and in the library.
$20/day charge for resort guests to use spa facilities and fitness classes without booking a spa appointment.

Costs for Westin Kid's Club:
Half-Day: 9am - 12pm $35 per child
Half-Day: 1pm - 4pm $35 per child
Half-Day w/lunch 9am - 1pm or 12pm - 4pm: $45 per child
Full-Day: 9am - 5pm $75 per child (Includes Lunch).
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Room Service: Available 24 hours per day. 21% service charge plus sales tax.

Views/Setting: City and distant mountain views / city-golf course setting.

Pools: One water park style pool area and one adults-only lap pool.

Restaurants: 9 dining and drinking options:

• Deseo Restaurant: gourmet Nuevo Latino fusion cooking from star chef Douglas Rodriguez; Muddle Bar with exotic cocktails; dinner only. Dish prices range from $7 - $30.
• Nellie Cashman’s Monday Club Café: casual atmosphere with Southwestern and Mediterranean food; open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and Sunday buffet; prices range from $8 - $32.
• Brittlebush Bar and Grill: lodge-like atmosphere serving contemporary American cuisine and full bar; located in the Kierland Golf Club; grab ‘n go breakfast: 7:30 am – 10:00 am, lunch: 11:00 am – 6:30 pm.
• J. Swilling’s Pool Bar: at water park; serves lunch, cocktails and smoothies.
• Edie’s Range House: located the golf course’s driving range; burgers, sandwiches and beer.
• Coffee Flats and SnowBowls: located adjacent to lobby; serves pastries, sandwiches, cookies, coffees and teas, ice cream and spa cuisine; open daily 6:00 am – 8:00 pm.
• Waltz and Weiser Saloon: Old West style saloon with drinks and appetizers; open 11:00 am – 1:00 am.
• The Rim: lounge located in the lobby; serving cocktails, premium tequilas and wines; open 4:00 pm – 11:00 pm.
• Agave Spa Juice Bar: serves a variety of freshly made smoothies and juices; open 6:00 am – 8:00 pm.

Spa: Yes. Agave Spa is a full service spa offering massages, facials, body treatments and salon services. Spacious locker rooms with whirlpools, steam room and dry sauna; juice bar. Treatment prices start at $125.

Golf: Resort guests can play at the Kierland Golf Course next door to the resort. 27 holes of golf on three courses, golf clubhouse and La Bauve Golf Academy.

Activities: Swimming, tennis, volleyball, fitness center, billiards, jogging paths, bagpipe performance at sunset,children's playground

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