Family Fun at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa

I recently had the chance to review the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, a AAA Four Diamond Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona as part of a stay-cation series we did over at East Valley Mom Guide.  You can read my review here.  My family had so much fun during our stay that I wanted to share the family-friendly amenities and activities with my Celebrating Family readers.  If you are ever looking for a family-friendly resort experience in Arizona, be sure to check out the Westin Kierland.

The fun started early in the morning when we stopped by the Mining Co. at the Westin and my children were each given The Compass which contains a scavenger hunt. This fun activity is an adventurous way for families to get acquainted with the property. At each stop in The Compass book, my children received a stamp just like in passport. When we got all the stamps we wanted we went back to the Mining Co. and the kiddos were given a unique lapel pin for each of the places they visited.

The resort grounds are beautiful and our family enjoyed exploring them and taking in the scenery. There is a fun area called the OK Corral which is pictured above. We spent a lot of time at the OK Corral since it had so much to do including lawn chess, basketball, game tables, and an RC car race track. There is also a fire pit which is the site of nightly marshmallow roasts and unique s’mores creations.

The Westin Kierland has two pools and lots of options if your family likes to swim. The Adventure Water Park pool area was a big hit with my family and my son really enjoyed the 900-foot long lazy river. We had a reservation for a pool cabana which included four bottles of water, frozen grapes, and chips and salsa. The cool, shady cabana was quite enjoyable and provided us with a much needed break from the Arizona sun. I wish I could have sent more time there but my children kept dragging me back to the lazy river and pool for more swimming. I appreciated that the pool area had a children’s play area and wading pool for the younger swimmers. There is also a small splash pad and a fun water slide. Another fun element at the pool is the activities they have throughout the day. My children participated in a water balloon fight and a hula hoop contest while at the pool. We had so much fun. Check out these beautiful pools.

We were pretty tired after spending so much time swimming so we went back to our fabulous casita and got ready for the evening’s activities. You can find out more about the casitas here. My husband and I had dinner at deseo while the kids went off to the Kids Club. My daughter went to the pajama party at Kids Club where she ate dinner, roasted marshmallows, played games, made a craft, watched a movie, and more. My son went to the Digital Kids Club and made an exciting and suspenseful movie trailer before joining in the fun with his sister in Kids Club. While the kiddos were playing and creating, hubby and I were at deseo enjoying the best food I have eaten in a long time.

The food was amazing and we enjoyed sitting at the Rail in deseo and watching the culinary artists at work. I ate more than I should have and each and every bite of my meal was exhilarating. I was literally ooing and ahhing with every bite to the point that I started to feel a little foolish (but I couldn’t help myself).  A great family-friendly perk of eating at deseo is that while parents enjoy dinner at deseo, kids ages 4-12 can go to Kids Club for dinner, games, movies and more for FREE! This is currently offered nightly, from 5:30 – 9:00 pm, based on availability and is valid only with proof of dining at deseo (up to two kids, additional children are $50 each). This is a great deal!  Mom and dad can take their time at deseo and enjoy amazing food while the kids are safe and having fun at Kids Club.

We also had the chance to dine at Nellie Cashman’s Monday Club Cafe for breakfast. Besides a full breakfast menu, Nellie Cashman’s also has an outstanding breakfast buffet.  I do not know what it is about buffets that gets my kiddos (and hubby) so excited, but they were giddy throughout breakfast. As a vegetarian, I appreciated the wide variety of breakfast options available on the buffet. All of the pastries are made on site and delicious. I had a dark chocolate croissant that was out of this world. One feature of the buffet that I loved was the customized omelettes.  I am not a huge fan of eggs but I could not resist a made-to-order omelette. I had mushrooms and spinach added in and it was amazing. The staff at Nellie Cashman’s was over-the-top friendly and made my children feel special and welcome. Here are a few of my favorite items from the buffet. For more information about dining at the Westin Kierland, visit Around My Family Table. Wendy has some mouthwatering pictures over there!

My children were sad to leave the Westin Kierland when checkout time came around. I had been worried about taking my children to such a nice resort, but the staff made us all feel welcome and like everything was planned just for our family.We had an amazing stay and I highly recommend the Westin Kierland as a resort destination for families.

Family fun !

Please check out the Westin Kierland on their site, facebook, and twitter.

Disclaimer: Westin Kierland provided my family with a wonderful staycation, including food. All opinions are my own.  Thank you for a wonderful stay!  Some of the photos used in this post were provided by the resort.