The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
A luxury Westin resort in the Kierland area of Phoenix, Arizona, offering accommodation, spa services, golf, dining, and extensive event facilities.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa is a large luxury resort in the Kierland area of Phoenix, Arizona, associated with the Westin hotel brand. Although its mailing address is commonly identified with Scottsdale because the property lies in the 85254 ZIP code, the resort is located on the Phoenix side of the Phoenix–Scottsdale boundary. It forms a central element of the broader Kierland mixed-use development, positioned between the Kierland Golf Club and the Kierland Commons lifestyle and retail center. The resort was developed as part of a 730-acre planned district that began taking shape in 1989 with residential, retail, office, and hospitality components. Development was led by the southwest division of Dallas-based Woodbine Development Corporation, with Starwood Hotels & Resorts participating as an investor and agreeing to operate the hotel under its Westin brand. Other development participants included Cook Inlet Region Inc. and Herbergar Interests. Hill Glazier Architects designed the property, Barry Associates handled interior design, and Sundt Construction carried out the building work. Construction began in 2000, and the resort opened in 2002, reportedly five months ahead of schedule. At opening, it was described as Arizona's largest and tallest hotel, with interconnected wings ranging from five to eleven stories and approximately 750 rooms. Reference descriptions identify the property as having about 735 rooms and approximately 60,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including the Kierland Grand Ballroom. The resort was intended to serve both leisure travelers and groups, combining destination-resort amenities with conference, wedding, and corporate-event capacity. Its offering is built around upscale lodging, wellness, recreation, food and beverage, and event services. The resort's setting provides access to golf and the surrounding Kierland commercial district, while the property itself includes spa services, pools and other resort amenities, restaurants and bars, and substantial indoor and outdoor gathering space. These elements position it as a full-service Arizona resort rather than a conventional urban or limited-service hotel. The property was initially operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Marriott International completed its acquisition of Starwood in September 2016, with the resort subsequently becoming part of Marriott's hotel portfolio and operating environment. In January 2021, an AC Hotel by Marriott opened on a portion of the Westin Kierland parking area, adding another Marriott-affiliated hotel presence to the surrounding development. The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa remains an active resort property and a prominent hospitality component of the Kierland district.
History
The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa was conceived as the hospitality centerpiece of the Kierland development in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The broader 730-acre project began in 1989 as a mixed-use district incorporating housing, retail, office space, and hospitality. Its location between the Kierland Golf Club and the Kierland Commons lifestyle center gave the resort a built-in connection to both recreational and commercial amenities. Development was led by the southwest division of Woodbine Development Corporation, a Dallas-based developer. Starwood Hotels & Resorts participated as an investor and was selected to operate the hotel through its Westin brand. Cook Inlet Region Inc. and Herbergar Interests were also identified as investors. Hill Glazier Architects was selected for the architectural work, while Barry Associates designed the interiors. Phoenix-based Sundt Construction began building the resort in 2000. The hotel opened in 2002, five months ahead of schedule. At opening it was described as Arizona's largest and tallest hotel, with approximately 750 rooms distributed across connected wings of five to eleven floors. The property also included about 60,000 square feet of meeting and event facilities, with the Kierland Grand Ballroom serving as a principal gathering space. These characteristics established the resort as a destination property capable of serving vacationers, conference groups, weddings, and other large events. The resort's business model combines luxury lodging with destination amenities. Its offer includes guestrooms and suites, spa and wellness services, golf-oriented recreation, dining, pools and other leisure facilities, and extensive meeting space. The resort's relationship with the Kierland Golf Club and Kierland Commons reinforces its role as part of a wider destination rather than a standalone hotel. Reference material describes the property as having approximately 735 rooms, while historical opening descriptions cite 750 rooms; the differing figures may reflect changes in inventory or reporting conventions. Starwood operated the property during its initial period. Marriott International completed its acquisition of Starwood in September 2016, after which The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa became part of Marriott's portfolio. The resort continued to use the Westin identity while operating within Marriott's corporate structure. In January 2021, an AC Hotel by Marriott opened on part of the Westin's parking area, adding a separate Marriott-branded hotel to the immediate Kierland environment. The resort is frequently described as being in Scottsdale because of its Scottsdale mailing address, but its physical location is on the Phoenix side of the municipal boundary. It remains an active luxury resort serving the Phoenix-area leisure, golf, wellness, and meetings markets.
- 2021
Nearby AC Hotel by Marriott opens
[1]An AC Hotel by Marriott opens on a portion of the resort's former parking area, adding a neighboring Marriott-affiliated property to the Kierland development.
- 2016
Starwood is acquired by Marriott International
[1]Marriott's acquisition of Starwood places the Westin Kierland property within Marriott's hotel portfolio.
- 2002
The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa opens
[1]The resort opens five months ahead of schedule as a major hospitality anchor of the Kierland area, with approximately 750 rooms and extensive event facilities.
- 2000
Resort construction starts
[1]Construction begins under Sundt Construction, with Woodbine Development leading the project and Starwood participating as investor and future operator.
- 1989
Kierland mixed-use development begins
[1]The broader Kierland district begins development as a large mixed-use project incorporating residential, retail, office, and hospitality uses.
Products and positioning
Luxury destination resort combining wellness, golf, dining, leisure accommodation, and large-scale event facilities in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Resort accommodation · 2002
Guestrooms and suites
The resort's core offering is full-service luxury accommodation in interconnected hotel wings ranging from five to eleven stories. Historical opening descriptions cite approximately 750 rooms, while other reference descriptions identify approximately 735 rooms. The inventory is designed for leisure guests, golf travelers, families, and group visitors using the resort's event facilities.
Wellness · 2002
Spa and wellness services
The property operates as a resort and spa, offering wellness-oriented services alongside lodging and recreation. The spa component supports the Westin positioning around relaxation and restorative travel, complementing the resort's pools, leisure facilities, dining, and golf setting.
Recreation · 2002
Golf and leisure amenities
The resort is situated beside or near the Kierland Golf Club and uses its location within the Kierland district as part of its destination proposition. Golf access, resort recreation, and the surrounding retail and lifestyle environment broaden the property beyond conventional hotel accommodation.
Food and beverage · 2002
Dining and beverage
Restaurants and bars form part of the resort's full-service offering. On-site dining supports both overnight guests and event business, while the property's location near Kierland Commons gives visitors access to additional retail and dining options in the surrounding development.
Events and hospitality · 2002
Meetings and events
The resort includes approximately 60,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including the Kierland Grand Ballroom. This infrastructure supports conferences, corporate gatherings, weddings, social functions, and other group events, making meetings an important complement to the resort's leisure business.
Brand decisions
2016
Transition into Marriott's portfolio after the Starwood acquisitionM&ABackground
The resort was originally operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts under the Westin brand. Marriott International acquired Starwood, changing the property's corporate portfolio affiliation.
Action taken
The property continued operating as a Westin resort while becoming part of Marriott International's hotel portfolio.
Aftermath
The resort remained an active Westin-branded property within Marriott's broader hospitality system.
Recent events
- 2021
AC Hotel by Marriott opens near The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa[1]
Product launch
An AC Hotel by Marriott opened on part of the Westin property's parking area, expanding Marriott-affiliated accommodation within the Kierland development.
- 2016
Marriott assumes portfolio relationship following Starwood acquisition[1]
M&A
Marriott International's acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts brought The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa into Marriott's broader hotel portfolio and management environment.
- 2002
The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa opens as a major Kierland development anchor[1]
Other
The resort opened in Phoenix's Kierland area after construction began in 2000. It was presented as the centerpiece of the surrounding mixed-use development and as one of Arizona's largest and tallest hotels at the time.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/the-westin-kierland-resort-and-spa · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled