Is it worth the money?

This weekend we took a short trip to Phoenix to see an amazing comic, Kristin Key. Quick trips are not something we used to do in the past, but we have started adding them to our agenda because of things we want to see and do, along with the time constraints we have with work and other life choices. Usually, these trips are a short distance away to either the mountains or Denver, but we now have credit cards with point systems that can get us free flights. Historically, we have chosen the cheapest stay for the night. This time though, we decided to live like we have never lived before and booked two expensive hotels just to see if it was worth it.

Even though we live less than an hour from the airport, we came down the night before our flight to stay at the Westin located at DIA (Denver International Airport). This hotel is on the south side of the airport and looks like a pirate ship even though it was created to look like a bird. When coming into the airport, it appears to be a wall of windows on all four sides of the building. We did eat at their restaurant to experience that as well, but did not partake in the valet parking because of the price, sticking with Spot Parking and being shuttled into the airport instead.

The Westin was built in November of 2015, and this was evident by some of the wear and tear of the building. It was beautiful, and the sun coming in from everywhere was incredible. We ended up in a corner room facing the parking garage and a terminal of mainly United planes. In the distance there was a view of the mountains and a smog-covered Denver with the prairie between the airport and the mountains. This was awesome for Krissy and me to watch planes, people, and nature. The windows were tilted downward so that we could see everything without direct sun. On the other hand, our son visited us and thought it was a horrible view of a cement universe.

The room was large and very pretty, yet there was a lot of wear and it was not completely clean. The bathroom had a shower-bath combo with a large vanity and a toilet next to a floor-to-ceiling window so you could watch airplanes take off while taking care of number two. There were two queen beds that had massive space around all three sides of both beds, along with a desk and TV stand with drawers and a refrigerator. A closet was on the side of the room which had a safe.

Amenities included an amazing gym and pool/hot tub area. Free water and coffee were provided in the room along with an essential oils vial to help with sleeping. There was room service, a bar, and a restaurant, none of which were included in the cost. I am starting to realize that the more expensive the stay, the fewer things are actually included. I love a good continental breakfast! That was not seen here. The location was great to get in and out of the airport.

Overall, the Westin was a nice place and very beautiful. The people that seemed to be staying there were business people and people who appeared to have expendable money. We saw a total of two children, both older and more of the seen-than-heard variety.

After the night at the Westin, we took a plane ride to Phoenix, AZ. Side note, we took a Waymo (self-driving car) to our next destination. Such a cool experience, and I will discuss this more in a future post. We ended up at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa. This was not without complication… we found out on the way to the resort that we had reserved a spot at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in California, not the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Arizona. After being told it could not be transferred or cancelled and being scared we would be out 750 dollars, we called the resort directly and got it cancelled, with them telling us it happens all the time. We had to look up what makes something a resort, and we found out that a hotel is a place to sleep when visiting a destination, while a resort is a place where you go as the destination and enjoy the things at the location.

JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa is beautiful and HUGE! There are so many rooms, places to sit, bars, restaurants, pools, and so much more. You walk into so many workers from luggage attendants to check-in staff, groundskeepers, cleaners, valet workers, and I could go on forever. The grounds were beautiful and perfectly taken care of, minus a dead lizard that Krissy almost stepped on while walking through a parking lot from the pickleball courts.

One of the first things that felt weird to us was that this is also a conference center, and there was a huge conference going on. Therefore, we were in our comfies or swimsuits while walking among people dressed to the nines in suits and dresses. I loved the noises: quiet instrumental music mixed with tons of conversation and clanking bar dishes. So much people watching.

The room was very normal for what you see at resorts. The bathroom had a separate shower and bath with a really great rain shower. The bathroom was large and had a lot of light. The room had one big king bed with lots of room all the way around it, an L-shaped couch, and a table with a chair. There was a TV stand with a refrigerator. A balcony with two chairs and a table overlooked the garden and a grassy nook. The room was extremely clean!!

Again, there was free water and coffee. That was the end of the free amenities, but there was a ton of stuff to entertain yourself. There were six restaurants with different food focuses ranging from Chinese food to health-focused options. They were very expensive, and the food was good but nothing exceptional to us. Just for price comparison, a can of soda was 6 dollars plus taxes and a service fee.

Multiple bars were spread throughout the inside and outside areas. A Starbucks was on one side of the building. If you are a water person, there were three water slides, a lazy river, and five pools. Two pools were normal pools, one was adults only, one was reservation only, and one called Revive was more calm and serene. There were loungers around all the pools with about half of them being reserved. One cool thing was that each chair had a code on it to order food directly to your chair. They use a sliding scale for pricing, so it changes with demand. The cheapest one we found was 50 dollars for the day, and prices went up to over a thousand dollars for a cabana for the day. All prices also had a service fee and taxes tacked onto them.

Among the pools were open fields to play in with yard games, walkways, fountains, and lakes. Everything was absolutely beautiful, clean, and filled with places to sit and enjoy. There was a spa (really pricey) which had a large gym and shopping area in the same building. Bikes were available to rent. A garden was outside the building which appeared like it would have classes during parts of the year. There were three tennis courts and sixteen pickleball courts. These were used by people from the community as well, but people who had reservations at the hotel got one free hour per day.

Overall, JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa was a great place: extremely clean, friendly, huge, and beautiful. The people that seemed to be staying there were business people or people who appeared to have expendable money. There were a lot of people on their own for the conference, but also tons of families and many children of all ages. The look and feel were a lot like resorts in Mexico, but not much was included and the price was more expensive.

Both of these hotels will have tours on Krissy’s Youtube Krissy Freirose Tours (@KrissyFreiroseTours) soon and some fun posts at them on our YouTube Team Freirose (@TeamFreiroseFun).

So where did we land on staying at expensive hotels and resorts? We are so happy we got to experience both of these places, but it will not become our normal. I just do not know if it is worth the money for me to have a place to lay my head at night. Mostly I want to have a clean and safe place. Other than that, I can provide my own entertainment. I would prefer to use that money on other things and experiences.

Also…….I really like a free/included breakfast.

Where do you like to stay when you are away? Do you have a maximum or minimum price line? Do you prefer a resort, hotel, or Airbnb?

Hope you always have a great place to lay your head!

Anne