Westin Desert Willow vs. Mission Hills

[VacationForever]

I am planning on an exchange to Palm Springs area later this year. Can anyone share with me the pros and cons of Westin Desert Willow vs. Westin Mission Hills? I am looking at Oct/Nov period.

Thanks,
SP

 

[LisaRex]

I haven't been to either resort, but pictures might help:

http://www.starwoodvacationownership.com/starwood_vacation_ownership_resorts.jsp#AZ

 

[VacationForever]

Thanks. I have been to Palm Springs area several times but not to either resort. It looks like Mission Hills is older and Desert Willow is just completed last year. The amenities of Mission Hills seem better...

 

[SDKath]

WMH is larger and more spread out. There is lush, mature landscaping and a lovely brook with waterfalls, ducks, nice bridges, etc running through the villas. The main pool is gorgeous and HUGE and has a nice slide (that's not a 3 story one like WDW that little kids can't go on). I am not sure what the daily activity list is like at WDW, the WMH staff does a really good job of keeping the kids busy. I remember one weekend there were literally things to do every 30 minutes, like tie dye shirts, stuff bears, play pool games, etc. My kids adored it and I liked having some peace and quiet to myself.

By the way, the biggest downfall of WDW for me is that it's not adjacent to a hotel. The Westin Mission Hills is a gorgeous hotel with multiple restraurants, lovely spa and gym and a very nice pool of it's own that villa guests can use. My DH and I use the hotel's resources often when we are there.

That said, the villas are newer at WDW and the furniture is a bit more hip/modern. I don't think the rooms are bigger but if you like newer stuff, WDW has the edge.

Katherine

 

[VacationForever]

Thank you, Katherine. I figure Oct/Nov is a perfect time with not too many children around and nice temperature. Based on your feedback, I am leaning towards Mission Hills 'cos I tend to eat at hotel restaurants when I am not headed out somewhere. The kitchen is generally wasted on me while I am on vacation ;-)

 

[tropical1]

Just a few notes to add to Katherine. The 1 bdrm prem at WDW is smaller than Mission Hills, but the small 1 bdrm at WDW is larger or at least roomier more open. WDW is only half built there are only 5 buildings completed. There is a poolside restaurant (not fine dining) and is only open to about 8pm.
If tvs are important to you, WMH does not have flat screen tvs yet but WDW does.

 

[Cathyb]

November is cooler

Thank you, Katherine. I figure Oct/Nov is a perfect time with not too many children around and nice temperature. Based on your feedback, I am leaning towards Mission Hills 'cos I tend to eat at hotel restaurants when I am not headed out somewhere. The kitchen is generally wasted on me while I am on vacation ;-)

October it can still be pretty warm in the desert. If you have a choice, November might be nicer weather unless you like the heat.

 

[VacationForever]

Thank you, Cathy. Yes I am quite familiar with the area and Nov DOES sound better . I am pretty open on when I can vacation, but quite limited on where I can travel to. Because of work and that I must always be reachable, I am trying to limit my travel for the next couple of years to within 2-3 hrs of Pacific timezone. Sigh, there are only so many times I can go to Las Vegas and Palm Springs!

 

[lorenmd]

i am at the wdw right now in a one bedroom premium which is kind of narrow. not nearly as big as the wkorv. it is also dark. my view is over the golf course which is beautiful with the hills in the background. sunrise is behind me so i guess i will have sunset tonight. the place is quiet right now. the one restaurant does have a nice happy hour but the food was only so so. everything is pretty close with only 5 buildings. pools are open all night. my daughter is with me and she has stayed at both and she likes this one better. she thinks it's nicer and not so spread out. i am happy, i left seattle with pouring down rain and it is going to be in the mid to high 70s here and no rain.

 

[TDS]

I've stayed at both and would agree with much of what has been said here.

One of the most important factors is whether you will have kids with you. My kids (ages 4 and 10) liked WDW better, expecially the older one. Better water slide at WDW, a kids game room with free pool table and foosball, very good kids activities around the pool each day. I believe most families with pre-teen/teen kids may prefer WDW.

A second important factor is whether you can trade for a 1 Br Premium vs a standard 1 BR. As was stated earlier, the small 1 BR has a much better layout at WDW. If you get the 1 Br Premium, it will make less of a difference, but I love the decks on the 1 BR Premiums at WMH - large and with your own gas grill (no grills on standard 1 Br units). At WDW, you will have to use the community grills (surrounding each building) - no grills on the decks.

I agree that the grounds at WMH is more lush and beautiful, partly because of the presence of the hotel. The landscaping hadn't matured yet whe we were there (last spring), but even when mature, the grounds aren't as extensive as WMH.

Parking is a little easier at WDW. At WMH, you often have to park a fair distance from your villa, especially if its one with a golf course view.

In summary, if its just me and my spouse traveling, we would likely prefer WMH. When we have the kids with us, WDW will usually get the edge.

 

[VacationForever]

Which resort has the better golf courses? (No kids with me...)

 

[TDS]

At WMH, I've played the Dye Course but not the Player Course. At WDW, I've played the Mountain View course, but not Firecliff. All in all, I wouldn't say either is "better" - they are both outstanding courses. If pressed, I might give the nod to Desert Willow.

One key difference is that Desert Willow is not part of the WDW resort - the resort just sits in the middle of the course. As a result, there is no resort transportation to the course. You can walk there - its about 1/4 mile or so. But I would imagine most people would drive rather than carry clubs that far. You can get slightly discounted tee times for Desert Willow at the WDW concierge.

The Dye course at WMH is much more integrated into the resort. The pro shop sits immediately behind the hotel and you can have someone pick you up at your villa to take you to the course. I think you can store your clubs at the pro shop between rounds. They also have reasonably priced group clinics several afternoons during the week for resort guests. I did one and I think it was $20 for an hour and there were only 3 people there. It ended up being almost like a private lesson. The Palmer course is not located right on the property - you can take a resort shuttle or drive there. Not really walkable.

When in Palm Springs, I try to get discounted tee times and that's easier with the courses at WMH over Desert Willow. If you plan ahead, you can get really good prices on www.ezlinks.com for the WMH courses. Desert Willow doesn't participate with EZ Links. Both resorts work with www.standbygolf.com, another discount tee time service, but the discounts don't tend to be as significant as with EZ Links.

 

[Fredm]

Which resort has the better golf courses? (No kids with me...)

Both have great golf.

WMH has 2 signature courses. Pete Dye and Gary Player.

WDW has 2 award winning courses. These are quite unique, and owned by the City of Palm Desert. Firecliff and Mountain View.
Firecliff is tournament level play.

Edited to add:

October is when over-seeding occurs on the golf courses. Although it will be staggered so one course remains open, November will be better for selection.

 

[Maui_ed]

We stayed at WMH last Oct 20-30. Weather was fabulous - in the low 80s. We stayed at the east end of the resort which had its own pool. Somewhat isolated and not well serviced if you want someone waiting on you and bringing drinks and what not. But very quiet, practically empty until after lunch, and just as sunny as the main pool area.

We visited WDW and were disappointed to find that some of the units are a long way from the pool, lobby, and just about everything.

We also like that WMH is very close to a lot of shopping - Costco, Walmart, fast food eateries. WDW is a bit further away it seemed.

 

[jarta]

Maui Ed, ... "We also like that WMH is very close to a lot of shopping - Costco, Walmart, fast food eateries. WDW is a bit further away it seemed."

I bought at WMH 2 months ago. I'll be at WDW next week (at FS Aviara ths week).

What you say is true, but WDW is in Palm Desert and much closer to the El Paseo and all the upscale restaurants and shops in downtown Palm Desert.

WDW is also only about 2 blocks from Bristol Farms - best supermarket in the Palm Springs area. Bristol Farms is like Wegmann's (out East) or Whole Foods. WDW is more granite and marble construction - like Kierland.

WMH is stucco over frame. WMH is closer to the casino (Agua Caliente) and is a more relaxing atmosphere. For me major drawbacks at WMH (not enough to keep me from buying there, though) are parking, no elevators and the fact that the buldings are mostly built in 3 rows (one faces the golf course; the others look only at each other over a 50-60 foot wide parkway). I'd be very unhappy if I didn't get a golf course view.

I like both WMH and WDW. But, they are different in style and feel. ... eom

 

[ocdb8r]

no elevators

Hmmm, both times we've stayed there our building has had elevators....

 

[Ken555]

Hmmm, both times we've stayed there our building has had elevators....

WMH does not have elevators; WDW does.

 

[tropical1]

I have been told by the front desk there are 2 buildings at WMH that have elevators. I think they are 37 and 38 or something like that. If you stay in the villas on the east side of the pool they all have golf course/mountain views. These buildings are 42-47. I have never stayed in any of the buildings on the west side of the pool so the elevator statement is not from experience.

 

[lorenmd]

well, unfortunately we have to leave the wdw tomorrow and it has been exceptional. love it here. very relaxing. probably because it only has 4 buildings, there aren't a lot of people here which makes it nice. conveniently located, short drive to el paseo. we ate at all the nice restaurants during their fabulous happy hours and hardly spent anything. never made it over to wmh, but many of the people who work here use to work there and say they like it better over here at wdw because it is smaller and less chaotic. i'm sure they're both great places, and palm desert has been wonderful.

 

[VacationForever]

Thanks to all! I have exchanged into a 2BR unit in WMH in middle of Nov! :whoopie:

 

[blahblah18]

We're heading to the Palm Desert area this coming winter, and we're debating WMH vs WDW.

Any recent updates or experiences here?

We're a family of four, with our two boys ages 7 and 9 (so keeping them occupied and entertained is important!)

It seems like WDW is newer, which is appealing. But it sounds quieter, and seems to have fewer amenities.

I like that WMH is adjacent to the full-service Westin hotel, which sounds like it would give villa guests access to more amenities and options.

- Which is best for a young family?
- Is there anything within walking distance of either hotel (shops, restaurants)? We really like places (i.e. Kierland) that have lots to explore on foot)
- At WMH, do Villa guests have access to all of the pool amenities . . . like the hotel's pools?
- Our boys are big fans of Westin Kids Club. Does either Kids Club have better programs or amenties? (ie is it a better program at WMH, simply because hotel + villas is a bigger property)

 

[grgs]

We're heading to the Palm Desert area this coming winter, and we're debating WMH vs WDW.

Any recent updates or experiences here?

We just got back from our annual summer stay at WMH. They are in the middle of renovations. We were fortunate to stay in one of the newly renovated units. I think it was done well. One thing that I really liked was that they replaced the weird (European?) washer & dryer in the large one bedroom with a regular stacked washer & dryer. I could never get the old one to work.

I like that WMH is adjacent to the full-service Westin hotel, which sounds like it would give villa guests access to more amenities and options.

We enjoy having access to the hotel at WMH. If for nothing else, we take the walk along the golf course from the timeshare to the hotel daily.

- Which is best for a young family?

I think either would be fine. WMH might be nice for younger kids if you get bottom floor unit. The parents can sit on the patio, while the kids run around on the grass. Also, they might enjoy the ducks that are around.

- Is there anything within walking distance of either hotel (shops, restaurants)? We really like places (i.e. Kierland) that have lots to explore on foot)

There isn't much within walking distance at either place. I would guess it might be a bit easier to get to non-resort restaurant options from WDW. The best shopping is a short drive away from either location.

- At WMH, do Villa guests have access to all of the pool amenities . . . like the hotel's pools?

Yes, unless occupancy is very high. The pool slide at WDW is much taller/longer than either the timeshare or hotel slide at WMH.

Really, I don't think you can go wrong at either location. If you haven't already, you may want to review this thread:

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228173

What size unit are you getting? One thing that would push me over to WDW instead of WMH is if I was staying in the smaller one bedroom unit. The smaller one bedroom is very dark at WMH, which I wouldn't like. I think the lighting is better in the WDW one bedroom units.

Glorian

 

[blahblah18]

Great info -- thanks. (And sorry for resurrecting such an old thread. I did search for other more recent ones, but the link you included didn't come up in my search results!)

We are planning on the smaller one bedroom -- giving us the ability to stretch two vacations out of one year's worth of points. Kierland has almost the exact same (dark) standard one bedroom layout as you describe at WMH, and it's bearable!

Leaning to WMH, simply for the added hotel amenities!

 

[lizap]

I don't know anything about the small side at WMH, but at WDW, it is a very nice size with a separate sitting area and small kitchen area. We normally don't stay in the studio side, but are planning to stay in one here for several nights in December.

Great info -- thanks. (And sorry for resurrecting such an old thread. I did search for other more recent ones, but the link you included didn't come up in my search results!)

We are planning on the smaller one bedroom -- giving us the ability to stretch two vacations out of one year's worth of points. Kierland has almost the exact same (dark) standard one bedroom layout as you describe at WMH, and it's bearable!

Leaning to WMH, simply for the added hotel amenities!

 

[chemteach]

We used to go to WMH every year when my kids were younger. It is a fantastic resort for families with kids 2-12. We always requested a ground floor unit with the patio on the inner court grass area near the pool with the slide. Many families bring scooters or small bikes, and kids can run/ride around a long circular path from the pool to the far buildings. Our kids always made fiends with other young children at the pools and in the grassy area.

You should enjoy the trip!