The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

The honest review

The Westin Kierland Resort is consistently the recommendation I give to families who want a top-tier Scottsdale family resort but aren't sure they want to commit to full Fairmont Scottsdale Princess pricing. It's 20-30% less expensive, has comparable family amenities, and has one structural advantage the Princess doesn't: walkability to outside dining.

Kierland Commons is the adjacent shopping center — a 40-acre outdoor mall with a good restaurant selection (True Food Kitchen, North Italia, Kona Grill, and more). It's literally walkable from the resort property. For families who get tired of resort restaurant pricing after three days, being able to walk 10 minutes to a True Food Kitchen for dinner at half the price is legitimately useful. This is rare for a Scottsdale resort.

Pool complex is the family anchor. The lagoon pool system has a 900-foot waterslide (genuinely long — kids love it), a lazy river, zero-entry sections for toddlers, and enough pool geography that family zones and quieter zones coexist. The waterslide isn't as elaborate as the Fairmont's WaterSlide Mountain, but it's a proper resort waterslide that beats most competitors.

Cactus Kids Club (ages 5–12) runs supervised programming with drop-off available. The programming includes desert nature education, arts and crafts, pool activities, and seasonal themed events. Half-day and full-day options are available. Pricing is comparable to other Scottsdale resort kids clubs (~$70–90/child/day).

Marriott Bonvoy integration is a real advantage for families with existing point balances. The Westin Kierland is a category 6 property, typically bookable at 40,000–50,000 points/night (vs. cash rates of $350–700/night). For families with accumulated Bonvoy points, this is one of the best redemption values in Arizona.

Agave Spa is full-service with an Arizona desert theme — 10 treatment rooms, couples suites, and a menu heavy on desert botanical treatments. It's not as large as Willow Stream at the Fairmont, but it's a genuine spa with quality treatments. Combined with the kids club, parents can get real time off.

Dining: Westin Signature restaurants handle breakfast and dinner, with the Kierland Commons adjacency covering the rest. The resort has a pool bar, lobby bar, and primary dining restaurant. It's adequate but not destination dining. The location advantage is going outside.

Golf: 27-hole Kierland Golf Course on-site. The resort is adjacent to the Scottsdale Ranch residential area and Kierland neighborhood, which is more residential and quieter than Old Town — different atmosphere than the nightlife areas but great for families.

Who shouldn't pick this: Families who want the most elaborate on-property setup (the Fairmont Princess and Hyatt Gainey Ranch have more pool infrastructure). Families who want a desert wilderness feel — Kierland is in an urban-suburban corridor. Families who want to stay in-property exclusively will miss the location advantage. The Westin Kierland is the pick for families who want solid resort amenities plus practical flexibility.