Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

Christmas at the princess is truly magical. The activity’s and Christmas decor all over the resort are top tier. Service and accommodations at the hotel are amazing per usual. This is an experience that my family will remember and cherish forever. The amount of work they put into the Christmas theme is truly unbelievable. I don’t think even Disney puts this much effort into the Christmas theme. We have made it tradition to spend thanksgiving week at the princess and it just seems to get better every year. The thanksgiving day brunch was truly spectacular as well. The service is always where this resort shines. Keith at bell services, Filasita at fire and ice, and Justin in VIP services all did a phenomenal job with accommodating us and making us feel like family. We are already planning our next year’s trip to Christmas at the princess.

As far as resorts go, this one seems very nice and is probably one of the nicer places to stay in the area. We like Fairmont hotels, but this experience clarified that we’re hotel people more than resort people, as we prefer the Empress to the Princess. That said, the room was nice and bed was comfortable. We had a very nice little balcony with a beautiful view. Service at the restaurant for breakfast was great. I think we had the same server three days in a row, but she was awesome and even let me order somewhat off the menu due to some dietary restrictions. She was great. Service in the bar area in the evening wasn’t as good. We went down because my husband wanted to investigate the cigar selection. We ended up finding menus and taking a look at the humidor on our own without anyone coming or offering to assist us. That was really the only blemish to the experience though. The staff in the entry/valet and in reception were all very kind and helpful. Overall I would recommend this as a nice place to stay.

I cannot say enough good things about our experience at the Fairmont! There was such great attention to detail in every way, right down to the exclusive signature toiletries. We stayed two nights in the Private Casitas, and I don’t think I would do anything differently for future trips. First off, the staff makes the experience exceptional. Everyone was amazing and it was clear that guest satisfaction was their top priority. The room was so comfortable and spacious. I normally don’t sleep well away from home, so the comfort of the room was a big plus for me because I was able to get some good sleep. Each day in the Privado lobby, there’s an assortment of snacks to enjoy between meals. In the morning we had a lovely assortment of pastries which included a savory scone that I can’t stop thinking about. Afternoons there’s a sweet & salty trail mix and a charcuterie in the evening. The food we ordered from room service was perfection. We had the garlic hummus, wings, burgers, and more. We had our kiddo with us, so during the day we had a chance to try the Sunset Beach and other pool areas. Every little detail was perfect. In the evenings, we went to Christmas at the Princess and our seven year old was delighted. We were thoroughly entertained by the singing trees and penguins! We also had a great train ride through a thoughtfully decorated Christmas light display throughout the property. There were lots of rides for all ages. We even tried a little ice skating. We won’t be going pro anytime soon, but it was a blast!! We finished the evening with s’mores and a grand finale light show on the water. It was truly a magical experience of a lifetime that everyone should try at least once!

While this property is absolutely stunning and the Christmas at the Princess event was great, I am disappointed at the customer service in various sectors. Upon arrival at front desk no one offered to provide the wristbands I needed for my reservations to the Christmas hotel, I had to ask the agents if I received wristbands and what was included but they could not help me and didn’t know much about my reservation or the event itself. The concierge was very helpful, Andrew was great. Once we went to our room there were dirty plates, glasses, and napkins on the floor in front of our door. We went to have a drink at the main bar and no one greeted us. We sat for a good 5minutes until we were finally greeted. We asked for an old fashioned and they filled the cup with ice! It tasted terrible and was extremely watered down. The drinks were not worth the value at all, and the lack of customer experience made it even worse. We finished our drinks and not once were we offered another one! Missed opportunity to keep us there. The best parts of our stay were Chateau Champagne where Emery was awesome and extremely attentive, and dinner at Bourbon Steak. Robert was absolutely amazing! Very attentive and offered us so many delicious items from the menu. Overall, while the resort is stunning the staff needs better training on elevating the customer experience.

I was scheduled to stay at the Fairmont Princes 12/1 - 12/4 for a conference. I have stayed at the Fairmont Princes on other occasions. The day before my stay, several family members tested positive for covid. In an effort to not be a carrier, and possibly infect other guest I canceled my reservation. At that time I was told that there would be no refund, and no credit for my $1000 deposit. It seems like a very poor policy, and treatment for someone trying to be socially responsible and not risk any other guest!