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| - My husband and I stayed here over the 4th of July holiday for several nights. We are loyal to the Starwood family so it was a no brainer that we chose this resort. Having stayed at several different Westin properties, we had high expectations. After staying here, I can understand why the reviews are mixed. I am torn with the 4 stars, but it was a little better than 3.
The drive from the airport to the resort is a breeze. The drive into the property was lovely - lit up palm trees line the entry drive. We arrived after 10:00p and were totally disappointed to see that self-parking was $14 per night (valet was more). I assumed that as a Platinum member this would be waived as it is at many other properties. There is plenty of parking, so truly I think it's a huge scam that they charge to park anyway (it's not like they are in the city with limited space). Note - the $14 nightly fee applies to everyone - lame. We didn't find the front desk helpful at all - the young guy that checked us in was eating (chewing while he talked to us), didn't explain the property grounds, didn't tell us about the SPG Lounge hours, and just basically gave us our keys and sent us on our merry way. We upgraded to a suite prior to our arrival so we were looking forward to a spacious room - however, when we made it up to the room one of the doors didn't open and the lock-out portion was locked, so we only had access to a King room. I went back to the front desk to ask them to fix the keys, change our room, whatever... and again we talked the kid who was eating. Less than helpful - he just said oh you need to unlock the door in between. Now we are almost at 10:30p (I am tired and getting grumpy now) - Obviously I tried that. He then reprogrammed my keys and said he would send up housekeeping to make sure everything was fine. They new keys worked, but never saw housekeeping. We had to unlock the connecting door ourselves- no biggie at all, but just annoyed how we got to this point. Suites at Westin properties can vary, but mostly are a lock-out with a bed on one side and couch/seating area on the other. This one had a King on one side and a murphy bed on the other. When there are just two adults in the room, why the heck would you give them a room with a murphy bed and not a couch? Makes no sense. We have only been at the resort for less than 2 hours and I was already feeling like we made a bad choice to stay here.
New day, fresh start - now that it is daylight, we can see that the property is gorgeous and huge. Not having a map or have a sense of anything we went up to the lounge (thankful there was a note in our room telling us the floor and hours) to grab some coffee and get the lay of the land. The lounge was fine, basic continental offerings. I don't recommend paying extra for it if you are not Platinum. The woman who was working was the sweetest, most helpful. On our way out of the lounge we stopped to talk with the concierge - she was beyond helpful - gave us a property map, shared some general info, etc.. We were glad to run into her.
We spent several days at the adult pool and it was great. The staff works hard to keep you hydrated with water and whatever else you want - great pool service. We enjoyed the lazy river as well. The adventure pool offers a ton of activities for kids (and a few adult also), but we mainly stayed in the adults area as the adventure pool was quite crowded and of course lots and lots of kids.
The resort does offer several restaurants, but we didn't really eat on the property so can't speak to the food. The coffee shop and the nightly dessert cart in the lobby were both great. We did have a few snacks in the Saloon one night and eh, it was just fine - pretty basic bar food. There are bagpipes and live music nightly in the back courtyard area. The Concierge both outside the lounge and the lobby were beyond helpful - we chatted with them a few times to help us with a few recommendations (day trip to Sedona, restaurants, etc..). The spa was nice, we enjoyed the facilities and our massages and facials.
All and all this was a fine resort. It is in a good location - easy drive to/from the airport, walkable (or use the free shuttle) to Kierland Commons (shops and restaurants), not far from old downtown Scottsdale and an easy 2-hour drive to Sedona. Most the staff were awesome, but it is unfortunate that the young kid was our first impression. Whether you are a family travelling with kids or just a bunch of adults, I am certain you'll find some relaxation and fun that work for you.
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