I only stayed at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess for one night so I didn’t get to experience all of it but I did experience enough to discover the top 9 reasons why you would want to stay here.

  1. The scenery: The resort is set against the backdrop of Arizona’s McDowell Mountains and with its Spanish colonial-style architecture, expansive plazas and lush, flower-filled gardens. The resort reflects its Southwestern setting so you actually feel like you are in Arizona.
  2. The service: There’s a reason why this resort has kept its AAA Five-Diamond rating for the last 21 out of 23 years. All of the employees I encountered are super friendly and seem happy and get this… there’s over 1,100 of them!
  3. The rooms: The resort has 649 oversized guest rooms with either a private terrace or balcony. I’m Fairmont Gold so I was upgraded to a Junior Suite where I had two flat-screen TVs instead of one and the same comfortable bed as everyone else. I also loved the fact there’s free bottles of water, a state of the art coffee machine and the bathroom is stocked with real Q-tips and soft towels.
  4. The pools: There are five heated swimming pools. Enough said.
  5. Restaurants: They have a bunch of fine restaurants including La Hacienda by Richard Sandoval who’s considered the father of modern Mexican cuisine. I enjoyed guacamole made tableside and a trio of tacos fireside. La Hacienda also offers tastings from a choice of 240+ artisan tequila selections. Then there’s the AAA Four-Diamond BOURBON STEAK by acclaimed Michael Mina who actually spends time in his restaurants, unlike many other celebrity chefs. I didn’t eat there but he did offer to make me some appetizers although I was too full from La Hacienda to enjoy them.
  6. Golf: You can tee off on two championship golf courses, one of which plays host to the PGA TOUR’S Waste Management Phoenix Open. Such a bummer I didn’t get to tear up the course myself.
  7. Meeting Space: After some research for this post, I now know why the place was packed with conference attendees. The Fairmont Princess has 72,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space.
  8. Fire: The resort is on 65 acres and at night they have fire features everywhere from tiki torches to fire pits to lit water features. It’s truly special.
  9. The Spa: The luxurious 44,000 square-foot Willow Stream Spa is like Disneyland for adults. It has sandstone interiors and waterfalls inspired by the Grand Canyon’s Havasupai Falls. Bring your bathing suit because there’s a relaxing rooftop pool and the waterfalls are coed. Since the spa closes at 10 pm I had their signature Desert Serenity Wrap (90 minutes) at 8 pm. Gotta love a late spa treatment to help you sleep. It’s a traditional full-body massage using Arizona jojoba oil (according to the booklet it “blends essences of wild chaparral, sage, canyon pine and mountain arnica”). It’s followed by a light wrap and a soothing scalp massage. Not a bad way to end the night or my trip, eh?

A room now is $399-$499, but summer (May 23-September 5, 2012) is their “deal” season. Their “Sip, Savor & Splash package” is just $159 and includes a $50 resort credit, which can be used toward dining, spa or tennis. For more information log on to ScottsdalePrincess.com.

Bourbon Steakhouse in Arizona. Credit: Johnny Jet
Bourbon Steakhouse in Arizona. Credit: Johnny Jet

 

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