Curator’s statement
After the postponement of our Maui trip, my family and I decided we needed a long weekend trip that would satisfy our need for palm trees and blue skies. After brainstorming locations, we decided Scottsdale, AZ met our requirements: a lovely hotel with multiple swimming pools, stunning weather, and the opportunity to eat at two of our favorite places and indulge in more than one drink at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
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After an evening flight into Phoenix, we jumped in our rental car and headed directly to one of our favorite fast-food joints, In-n-Out Burger, which was conveniently located across the street from the resort. Upon checking in to the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, we were greeted by an extremely friendly valet team who not only parked our car, but took us on a golf cart ride to our room. Because the resort is so sprawling, there are golf carts available to taxi guests wherever they need to go.
Despite booking a standard Fairmont room, we were pleasantly surprised by a giant corner room with a large sleeping area and a patio where we could watch the rabbits (which was a highlight for my bunny-loving son) who have taken up residence at the resort. The beds were plush and comfortable and the bathroom was spacious enough for the four of us to utilize at the same time.
The next morning, we were delighted to find that our room was a very short walk from one of the six resort pools. During our three days at the resort, we spent time at the Sunset Beach pool, which features a real sand beach with sand flown in from Miami! The pool had an onsite bar, pool attendants to bring you food and drinks, and plenty of seating. We also visited the Sonoran Splash pool, which was busy with kids of all ages enjoying the two 200-feet waterslides. One evening, we visited the resort's centrally located Princess pool where we enjoyed having the pool to ourselves! We dined at the resort's delicious, upscale Mexican restaurant, La Hacienda. We enjoyed the dishes we tried and were pleasantly surprised that they offered a children’s menu so even our picky eater had a delicious meal.
Some other highlights of our weekend in Arizona included a trip to the OdySea Aquarium, having lunch at Lee’s Sandwiches, a Vietnamese chain with the most amazing Cà Phê Sữa Đá (iced coffee), and hanging out with the two lobby Golden Retrievers who are available to greet guests and receive lots of belly rubs.
While Scottsdale isn't exactly Maui, we enjoyed our time at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess and are looking forward to another trip to Arizona soon!
Need to know
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is a gorgeous resort spread out over 65 acres in the Sonoran Desert. The resort provides plenty of activities for guests of all ages to enjoy. A guys golf weekend, a girls spa trip, or special family time hanging out by the pool all can be enjoyed here!
This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Scottsdale. In need of further inspiration? Check out Brittney Vincent’s guide, Something for Everyone Guide to Scottsdale, AZ.
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