Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

Christmas at the Princess was a magical experience a few years ago, this year was not. We ate at Bourbon Steak house and it was absolutely terrible. The service was very slow but only to our table, the table next to us had multiple servers and were always taken care of. The food was abysmal, DO NOT go for the Lobster PotPie, not worth the $135. The wagyu steak also came out cold. The restaurants fix to that was giving us a shot of tomato soup? The server we had was disrespectful and inadequate. Now back to the actual hotel, the room stayed a cool 75 degrees so if you run hot then you will sweating during the night. Overall the princess is a good stay but please do not go to Bourbon Steak.

Major disappointment! Staff is rude, wait times are equivalent to Disney rides, lights were not impressive and everything is ridiculously priced. Save your money, not worth it.

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!