The Official Blog of the Chief FUN Officer

10.30.2011
FUN for Fall/Winter… In the Scottsdale SUN! 

Sing along – Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the… wait…
well, maybe where YOU are the weather is frightful, but here in Sunny Scottsdale, the only thing frightful is our Halloween celebration!  The FUN Team has put together quite the spectacle of FUN Halloween events and activities for kids of all ages including Kierland Klue, Mad Scientist Classes and FUN outdoor games and challenges.  

Once Halloween passes, then we are onto our Fall/Winter FUN .  By the way, it may be called Fall/Winter, but the weather still screams of sun and gorgeousness.  I’m not trying to rub it in my East Coast and Midwestern friends, I’m just sayin’… that’s all.  Juuuuust sayin’.  There’s plenty of sun to share, so come for a visit anytime. 

In fact, our good friend, Mr. Kringle will be vacationing here himself all throughout December.  While he is staying with us, he has volunteered to join the FUN team for events and activities that your family and Kids will love each and every weekend throughout December!  Check out our special December holiday packages and FUN Paks for details.  In fact, he likes it so much here, that he is staying right up to Christmas Eve, then he’ll go off to his one night of work of the year, only to return Christmas morning!  That fella certainly does rack up his SPG travel points each year with us here at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa.  But then again, I can hardly blame him!

Be well,
Josh – Chief FUN Officer (Who, you say?? Scroll to the bottom for my awesome picture. See you soon!)
FUN for all and all for FUN! 

6.2.2011
SUMMER HOLIDAY FUN IN SCOTTSDALE!

 Hello Westin Kierland friends!

We are on the heels of our most successful Westin Kierland Memorial Day Weekend EVER!  It was so wonderful to see so many familiar, returning, faces in Scottsdale for the summer holiday.  I can’t believe how big the kids are getting year after year.  Guess it’s a good thing that THEY are the only ones getting any older, right?  Riiiiiiiiiggggghhhht?!

Thank you to all of you that found me to say hello and express how much FUN you were having.  I’m glad you enjoyed our newest summer holiday activities like Laser Tag, Gamez on Wheelz and the Kierland Family Challenge.  It’s funny because after months of preparation and hours of planning and organizing for Arizona summer activities, one of the kids told me that their favorite thing was the “Sno-Cones and inflatable slide!”  HA-HA.  (Wait, so that’s all we had to do to impress you?)  So funny. Well, the reward for good work is …MORE work, so off I go with the FUN Team to get ready for an exciting Westin Kierland July 4th holiday! 

Thanks again for the wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  We couldn’t have done it without you.  Well, I suppose we COULD have, but it would have been pretty boring with all the staff standing around waiting.

Be well and HAVE FUN!

4.21.2011
Happy Holidays to all! 

Passover has come and gone and now Easter is almost here. 

Our Easter EGG-stravaganza is, by far, our biggest singular FUN event of the year.  I mean, seriously.  We have 23,000 Easter Eggs, 3 age-specific hunts, facepainters, bounce houces, slides, Petting Zoo, arts & crafts, 1000 guests and oh yeah, a HELICOPTER with the Easter Bunny in it!  So I guess what I am saying, people, is that you best get yourselves over here on Easter Sunday morning by 9:00am.  If you feel like an Easter Brunch,  we have an amazing new culinary experience in our brand new Trailblazer’s Ballroom.  Reservations may be made at (480)624-1202, if you are interested.

This time of year is always so amazing here on property as we have all of our Spring Breakers and Vacationers from all over the country with us.  Hundreds of returning kids year after year give me and my team the perfect excuse to think up new and different activities and events.  You have already read about the Kierland Family Challenge, but more is on the way!  Here’s a tease….anyone like Laser Tag or IMAX movies or 3D gaming?   That’s all I’m gonna say.  So HA.

Family FUN Tip of the week – Spring Break Season for the Westin Kierland is, more or less, March and April.  If you know your plans ahead of time be sure to call ahead to make reservations for your favorite FUN activities.  We have so much going on, but there is limited space for certain activities.  The things that fill up months in advance are…. Cabanas, Westin Kids Club, Digital Kids Club, Kids in the Kitchen.  These are HOT events that fill up fast and are limited in capacity due to space and safety standards. 

Call ahead to FUN Headquarters – The Kierland Mining Co. at (480)624-1268, to ensure you are not disappointed upon your arrival. Calling ahead for availability may also even effect your decision to choose your dates of travel.

- Dr. FUN

4.1.2011
Spring Break 2011!

Greetings  from your CFO!

It’s official, Spring Break is here.  As our guests trade in their Blackberrys for pool towels, and their work calendars for our PATHFINDER activity guides,  we’re getting ready by resurfacing our waterslide and stock ing our OK Corral with arts & crafts and oversized chess pieces!

Excitement is in the air and all around us here on property.  We reconnect with families from the year before and marvel at how the kids have grown!  Some kids are excited to rejoin our Kids Club while others have now graduated to the Digital Kids Club ranks. As their creative sides come out, the movies, music videos and more that they create will stock the memory shelves back at home in Chicago, Wisconsin, or even New Jersey. (Yes, we let Flyer fans visit.  We just don’t tell the Coyotes!)  You’ll also see our FUN Team in a brand new look this season.  Our new logo and uniforms are in and we certainly look snazzy in true Westin Kierland fashion.

One of the newest and greatest successes here on property in the Kierland Family Challenge.  We started it last Labor day and have continued into our Spring Break season.  WOW, what a hit!  Families are having such a great time competing against other families all trying to earn that coveted prize and WIN A COMPLIMENTARY ROOM NIGHT!   But the truth is, they’re just having a wonderful time making new memories with their families and entertaining all of us while doing it.  Join us every Saturday Evening for this FUN Event. 

I hope we get to see you soon here on property!  Email us  at FUN@kierlandresort.com or join us on Facebook.com/WestinKierland before you arrive for more details on FUN happenings at the Resort during your stay.

Be well and HAVE FUN!
Josh

3.14.2011
Good day to you all!

We are all very excited here at the Westin Kierland.  Why, you ask?  Well, for starters, our Spring Break season is here and FUN is here with it.  That means the return of the Kierland Family Showdown, The Kierland Kids Talent Show, The Phoenix Zoo here on property and much, much more.  You can check out all of our activities will be available on our “Family Fun“ page!

There is one FUN Team member who is particularly excited…our MASCOT!  He realizes that in just a short while, he will have a brand new name as a result of our “Name  The Westin Kierland Mascot” contest!  I mean, imagine having to walk around without a name?  That would not be FUN.  Not so much. 

So come join the FUN Team and join in on the FUN this season via email, tweet, facebook or better yet, come HERE and join us!  More FUN to come, so stay tuned.  Same FUN station, same FUN time, same FUN people!

Your Chief FUN Officer
A.K.A – Josh

2.25.2011
“NAME The Westin Kierland Mascot” CONTEST!

In keeping with unique Scottish traditions of The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, we are excited to introduce our bagpiper mascot as the newest member of our FUN Team… but he needs a name!

We need ideas from our Westin Kierland friends, so we’re offering a GRAND PRIZE for the BEST NAME:  WIN a Westin Kierland Weekend Getaway this summer if your name is chosen by the selection team!

Submit your mascot name idea along with contact information (used only to contact the winner) at MASCOT@KierlandResort.com

Hurry – deadline to submit your name and enter for your chance to win a weekend summer getaway isTuesday, March 15th!

Prize includes two-night stay (Fri. / Sat.) between  5/31/11 – 9/2/11, excluding holidays.  Based on availability.

08.20.2011
What’s a Kierland Compass??

Guess how many kids came to the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa last year…….almost 32,000!  I suppose we must be  doing something right, huh?  Well, at the risk of bragging, we are!  Part of the excitement of our nationally award-winning FUN Program is the Kierland Compass.  It’s a super-cool, interactive, family inclusive, snickerdoodle of FUN!   Every kid that stays with us receives “The Compass.”  Once they get it, they journey all over property completing tasks, having adventures and earning prize collector’s pins as they go.  Coming back year after year?  No problem as each year there are NEW collector’s pins to earn, so the FUN never endsThe Compass is just one small part of our FUN Program.  Check out www.kierlandresort.com/fun to see more, and also view our calendar of events so you can plan your very own adventure!  Need some assistance planning your adventure?  Email us at FUN@kierlandresort.com! If you would like to speak to a FUN Ambassador, you can simply dial (480) 624-1268 and you will be connected to our FUN Headquarters, the Kierland Mining Co.  There you can find out anything and everything about our FUN offerings.  You might even get ME on the phone. That is, if I am not outside having FUN with the families staying here right now!  Today, it’s RC Boat races in the lazy river – gotta go!!  See ya…….come on, I said SEE YA!

 

8.10.2010
GREETINGS!!!

Hello Friends and Family of The Westin Kierland! My name is Joshua Riffe and I have the honor of being The Westin Kierland Resort’s Chief FUN Officer.  Yes, I promise, it’s a real job.  In fact, it’s a part of my job to keep all of YOU informed about all the wonderful experiences The Westin Kierland has to offer you.  This is similar to what I used to do in my previous job.  I used to be a Cruise Director for several major Cruise Line companies for 10 years.  So, for those of you who have ever been on a cruise before, you are aware of the kinds of FUN experiences that are offered there.  Basically, my business is FUN and every business needs a CFO, right?

As we wind down the summer here in Scottsdale, we still have a full array of activities for all ages.  Whether you are nine years old  or ninety years young, we have something for you to enjoy that will become a lasting memory.  From Digital Kids Zone to Kierland Campfires, we will be sure to keep you busy and laughing.  

Debuting this Labor Day weekend will be the Kierland Family Challenge. This will be a series of events where families will compete together against other Kierland families for cool prizes and bragging rights!Keep checking here on my weekly blog for more FUN.  Until next week….see ya…aww come on…I said…SEE YA!

Your Chief FUN Officer
A.K.A – Josh