On most counts, the Westin Kierland surpassed my expectations on my last stay. Located near a large shopping area, the Westin afforded our family a relaxing vacation. Its location is perfect for dining and shopping, and the property itself is beautiful and well-kept. Nevertheless, certain inconsistencies were evident during our stay and the pressure to purchase into the vacation club was relentless.

Check-in went smoothly, and as a Starwood Gold member my wife and I were upgraded to a suite on the club level. A large patio with 2 tables looked out over the property and mountains. Shortly after we were settled into the room, a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries were sent to our suite.

After resting for a while, it was about 7PM so we headed over to the club lounge. The fantastic spread of food, beer and wine was only enhanced by the superb service we received from the staff. Lots of cold appetizers, including shrimp and smoked salmon. In the morning for breakfast, there were assorted cold cuts, breads, bagels, pastries, berries and cereals. If it weren't for club lounge access, we would not have eaten at the hotel at all. Food at the restaurant, coffee shop and room service were all overpriced. A bite-size muffin in the coffee shop was nearly $3. It seemed like the room service food was at the same price as the restaurant plus a 21% service charge. I had heard generally good things about Deseo, the restaurant at the Westin with Chef Doug Rodriguez, but we were never around for meal times. Apparently, you can sit and observe the preparation areas, which sounds like fun.

The pool area is well-kept although I noticed that the life-guarding staff tended to be mostly absent or distracted from their jobs.

While almost every aspect of our stay was excellent, there was one area that cast a dark shadow over the experience. I found the vacation club sales to be somewhat relentless. Prior to our arrival, we had received a call from the vacation club asking if we would be interested in touring the Villas. We said no, but she persisted and said a gift would be waiting for us at the concierge desk when we arrived at the hotel. It was nothing but a cheap calendar and another invitation to tour the villas. When we got our room after two nights at the property, I found a voicemail on our phone again inviting us to tour the villas. At check-out, the gentleman made another remark about the vacation club. Enough already!

Overall, this is a great property with wonderfully responsive staff. If you can make it very clear early on that you're not interested in the vacation club, maybe they'll lay off. We loved the location and would definitely return.

Posted at December 31, 2005 9:42 PM