With The Westin Kierland's Lobby Closed, Its Patios And Lawns Are Carrying The Fall
October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026
"At its core, this resort has always been about connection," Derek Ellis, general manager of The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, told AZ Big Media in April, when the resort announced the renovation it calls one of the biggest in its history. Six months later, most of the indoor rooms where that connection used to happen are closed. The lobby is shut, and the lazy river and waterslide closed on September 8. The Rim and the Scotch Library are dark.
The resort is still open, and Marriott says it will stay open through the work. For anyone who lives within walking distance, the useful change is where the Westin is active right now. This fall the resort runs mostly outdoors, on its patios, its event lawns and the golf club side of the property. Nearly every event on Kierland's calendar between now and Thanksgiving is booked into one of those spaces.
The closed areas are the indoor social rooms, which used to be the obvious first stop for a drink or for guests visiting from out of town. Here is where each one stands as of mid-October.
| Space | Current status | Reopening |
|---|---|---|
| Lobby | Temporarily closed | No date posted |
| The Rim | Temporarily closed | "This fall," per Marriott |
| The Scotch Library | Temporarily unavailable | "This fall," per Marriott |
| Adventure Water Park, lazy river and waterslide | Closed starting September 8, 2026 | No date posted |
| Adventure Pool bar | Being renovated | "Later this fall," per an April 2026 announcement |
| Adults-only pool | Upgrades finished in April | Open |
None of the "this fall" promises comes with a date. The pool bar forecast came out in April, months before the water park closed, so it is a target and should not be read as a schedule.
The plans themselves are specific. According to AZ Big Media's report on the announcement, the new arrival area opens into a three-tier lounge bar with outdoor views. The Scotch Library moves into its own room, with floor-to-ceiling cabinetry holding nearly 450 bottles in individual display lockers. A new speakeasy will sit behind what the resort describes as a nondescript architectural feature, serving rare pours and craft cocktails. It has no published name or opening date yet. The renovation also updates the resort's three ballrooms and 45 meeting spaces.
Until those rooms reopen, the evening crowd that used to fill them has to go somewhere. The resort's own materials point to the patio.
AZ Big Media's report on the renovation calls Antidote the resort's outdoor bar, with "the largest patio in Scottsdale," and says it "continues to serve as a high-energy gathering space," with cocktails, open-air sports viewing and social programming. Marriott lists food service from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and drinks until 11 p.m., with a mountain view. With The Rim and the Scotch Library both closed, Antidote is the resort's main bar for the season.
The rest of what still runs on the main property:
The resort's pages don't spell out non-guest access for every venue, so call ahead before planning around the pool or the spa. That goes double for weekends when a big event is on the lawn.
Across the property, The Westin Kierland Golf Club runs on its own seasonal calendar. The 2026 overseed runs September 14 through October 31. During that window 9 of the 27 holes are closed and 18 stay open. Nine holes went cart-path-only on September 28. Starting this Wednesday, October 14, all 18 open holes are cart-path-only. The club says all maintenance dates are subject to change. Tee times are booked online through the club.
The clubhouse restaurant is still Brittlebush Bar & Grill, with a patio and a private dining room. Marriott's dining directory lists it Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. An image labeled "Golf Club Restaurant Rendering" appeared in the April press materials, but the renovation descriptions that came with it gave no schedule or new name for the restaurant.
That patio is where Kierland's best-known sunset tradition takes place. Wheaton McClanathan's "Bagpipes At Sunset" is listed for Fridays and Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. on the Brittlebush Patio. It's a 30-minute show open to the public. The patio has a full menu and wait staff, golfers can practice on the driving range, putting green and chipping area during the set, and dogs are welcome on the patio. His calendar lists shows in November and December and notes that the patio and resort were under construction in September and October. Check his schedule before planning an October visit, and expect the regular Friday and Saturday sets to pick back up in November.
With the lobby and lounges closed, Kierland After Dark, the resort's event series for guests and locals, is running a busy outdoor season. AZ Big Media described the series as setting "the rhythm of the district after sunset." Add Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter, and the next seven weeks look like this:
The weekend of November 6 through 8 is the busiest of the season. It has the Fall Festival on Friday, the art festival on both weekend days, live music at Scottsdale Quarter on Saturday, and, if the piper's November schedule holds, bagpipes on the Brittlebush Patio at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. All of it is within the Kierland district.
The resort plans to reopen The Rim and the Scotch Library this fall. Until it posts dates, the reliable places to meet at the Westin are the Antidote patio, the Grand Vista Lawn and the Brittlebush Patio at 4:30 p.m. on a Friday or Saturday.
At David Tucker and RTT Home Group, we watch what happens around the Westin Kierland and Kierland Commons because it shapes how this neighborhood lives day to day. If you own near the resort and want to know how this fall's changes fit into what your home is worth, start with an Instant Home Valuation and we'll take it from there.
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