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| - The Westin Kierland Villas (not to be confused with the adjacent Westin Kierland Resort) provide great accommodations for small families looking for a Spring Break or Spring Training trip. The kids will fall in love with the waterslide and pool, and you will fall in love with the fact that you don't have to share a room with your child.
PROS:
-- Golf course view from our 1-bedroom, top floor villa. In addition to golfers, we saw bunnies in the morning and nice sunsets in the evening.
-- The villa was nice and quiet. We didn't hear noises from any of our neighbors.
-- Plenty of space for a small family of 3 with the bedroom for the grownups and pull-out couch for the younger one.
-- The kitchen had enough space for us to make breakfast (mini-fridge, toaster, stovetop, dishes, cooking implements all included) and included soap and towels.
-- All the usual Westin amenities you expect - clean rooms, heavenly bed, heavenly shower, Westin toiletries, etc.
-- The bathroom can be accessed from the living room or bedroom so kids sleeping in the living room don't need to waltz through your bedroom in the middle of the night.
-- Washer and dryer in the villa with laundry soap.
-- Plenty of on-site activities for the whole family - pool, waterslide, putting green, ping-pong, foosball, bar, etc.
-- No pressure to buy a timeshare. We were asked once upon check-in, said no, and they didn't ask again.
-- No resort fee and free WiFi.
-- Free continental breakfast on Mondays. They have folks talk about different activities you can pay for (golf, Jeep tour, etc.) but no pressure to do anything.
-- Easy access to the Westin Kierland Resort right next door. It's about a 7 minute walk or a quick shuttle ride away.
-- Easy access to Kierland Commons (shopping and dining) via quick shuttle.
-- The concierge got us reservations at North in the Kierland Commons on a night when there were plenty of people waiting. The food was a hit for the whole family.
-- Housekeeping gave us a 6-pack of Pacifico when people down the hall checked out and left beer in their room. Score!
CONS:
-- The pool can get really crowded. People grab towels and reserve chairs shortly after the pool opens making it very difficult to find an open chair (let alone enough for a small group to sit together).
-- The Villas have moved up to SPG Category 6 (20,000-25,000 points per night). This obviously makes it much tougher for SPG members to enjoy.
-- The Villas are a fair distance away from Old Town Scottsdale, downtown Phoenix, and Tempe. Take that into consideration if you want to be more centrally located.
-- There is no window or deck access from the living room without going through the bedroom. Not a big deal but something to consider.
TIPS:
-- Make sure you ask for a higher floor and a room facing the golf-course. There are a number of rooms facing the pools, so if you are planning on being in your room during the day the screaming/laughing kids may annoy you.
-- If you are healthy enough to walk around, walking to the Resort may be faster than waiting for the shuttle. It is a quick, pleasant walk as long as it's not 100 degrees outside.
-- The pools at the Resort are much larger and have much more deck space than do the pools at the Villa. They also have a larger waterslide, a lazy river, and the Flowrider (wave machine). If you have kids you may want to skip the pools at the Villa and just head straight to the Resort once you eat breakfast.
-- Even though you have to check out at 10:00 a.m., you can still use the facilities at the Villas and the Resort, which means you can still get an extra day of sun and fun before you head home.
-- There are plenty of grocery stores within driving distance so no need to load your car with food. Just make a quick trip to the grocery store and stock up your villa.
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