Christmas at the Princess is a magical holiday resort experience at the AAA Five Diamond Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.
Each year, the luxury resort in North Scottsdale pulls out all of the stops to help families get in the Christmas spirit.
This year’s Christmas at the Princess event will run from November 22 to December 31.
Activities & Amenities for 2017 include –
- 3 million dazzling LED lights and displays
- 6,000 square-foot skating rink (made with real ice!)
- An animated holiday light show
- Frosty’s Ferris Wheel, Christmas Carousel, and Polar Glide ice slide
- A 4-story Christmas tree with 70,000 LED lights and a 5-foot snowflake tree topper
- meet-and-greet with Santa + special friends
Guest Rooms
Standard guestrooms sleep 4 people per the fire code (okay to have a baby in a crib as a 5th person).
If you have a bigger family or are traveling with a group, you’ll want to book a casita, which sleeps 6 since they have a pullout couch. The casitas also accommodate rollaways.
Another option for a bigger family would be to book two connecting rooms in the new Sunset Beach wing.
Hotel Activities
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has plenty of activities for the whole family. On-property you will find SIX heated swimming pools, five restaurants, two fitness centers, two golf courses, a spa, three boutiques, and a kid’s club.
The Sonoran Splash Pool is a particular favorite for families since it has a beach-entrance pool, a simple splash pad, and two big waterslides. Kids must be 42″ or taller to ride the slides.
The Sunset Beach Pool also has big appeal since there is white beach sand to play in. With palm trees swaying and plentiful lounge chairs, you’ll feel like you made a trip to the coast.
Dining
There are five restaurants at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess – Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina ($50-$100+ entrees), La Hacienda by Richard Sandoval ($25-$45 entrees), Ironwood American Kitchen ($16-$25 entrees), Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar ($16-$20 for breakfast/lunch, $30+ for dinner), and The Plaza Bar. Kids 5 and under eat free at all Fairmont restaurants (one child per paying adult).
Breakfast and Lunch are only available at Ironwood American Kitchen and Toro. Dinner is available at all restaurants.
Children’s menus are available at all of the resort restaurants except The Plaza Bar (which is really an adults-only venue). Children’s entrees at all restaurants are $8, with the exception of Bourbon where entrees are $10-$16. Kids (12 and under) who dine at Bourbon also have the option of ordering off the adult menu for 1/2 price.
Fairmont Gold
Fairmont Gold is an upgraded room category in the Fairmont system. In most Fairmont properties, it is a wing or floor of rooms (similar to a concierge floor or club level at other places). Because Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort is a sprawling property, Gold is its own section in the northeast part of the property.
The Gold Lounge and all its benefits are available to anyone staying in a Gold room. Fairmont Gold is typically a $150 upgrade over the standard room for the first 2 adults, then $30 each for any additional adults (no extra charge for children).
The Fairmont Gold Lounge at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is a luxurious add-on that will make your trip even more comfortable and stress-free. The Lounge features deluxe complimentary breakfast every morning (6:30am-10:30am), complimentary coffee and beverages all day long, complimentary hors d’oeuvres every afternoon (4:30pm-6:00pm), and complimentary desserts in the evening (7:00pm-9:00pm). The Lounge is elegantly decorated for the Christmas season and the service is top-notch. We highly recommend that you upgrade to gold if you are able.
Christmas at the Princess Highlights
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess does a truly phenomenal job in transforming the resort into a winter wonderland.
Families will enjoy wandering through the Lagoon Light Displays – which include graceful swans floating on the water, Peter Pan’s pirate ship, a candy cane forest, the Grinch, singing trees + snowmen, and a giant rocking horse. You can also enjoy these sights by climbing aboard the Princess Express Train, nightly between 5-9pm.
S’mores Land is where you will want to be if you have young children (10 and under). Fly high on Frosty’s Ferris Wheel, pick an animal to ride on the Christmas Carousel, or slip down the Polar Glide ice slide. Blazing fires are situated throughout the amusement area, where you can get warm or toast marshmallows (s’mores kits are available for purchase).
An animated holiday light show is projected on to the resort’s facade every night between 6:00pm-9:00pm. The show lasts 5 minutes and is accompanied by 17 cheerful holiday songs.
Near the light show, you will find Santa’s Secret Headquarters where kids can write a letter to mail to Santa. After putting your letter in the oversized mailbox, you can walk thru an enchanting hall of snow-trimmed trees to Santa’s Workshop. Photo packages are available and range between $35-$55. You can opt to get printed photos or a flash drive with hi-res images.
For a quiet and reflective experience that will prepare your hearts for the reason for the season, you can walk over to the Nativity Garden. Bleacher seating is provided for the 10-minute narrated light and music show.
The Desert Ice Skating Rink is another popular attraction. It’s a 6,000 square foot rink made with real ice, but there’s probably no need to bundle up too tightly. This is still Phoenix, after all.
Tips for Christmas at the Princess
Christmas at the Princess is a magical, upscale, warm, and enchanting experience. Many families return every year to kick off their holiday celebrations.
Here are some of our top tips for getting the most out of Christmas at the Princess in 2017 –
- Bring your camera! One of the best things about Christmas at the Princess is that there are dozens of photo spots throughout the resort. Be on the lookout for Graham the S’more, Shivers the Yeti, Princesses Noel & Angelica, Selfie Elfie, Peppermint Penguin, and Santa’s Secret Elf Squad. Don’t be shy about asking for a photo! They’re all friendly and ready to strike a pose. During our recent visit, the lines were super short for character meet-and-greets. The trick is to finding each of the characters. The princesses are located near the lobby, Graham is most often in S’more Land (of course!), and Santa’s Secret Elf Squad can be found at Santa’s Secret Headquarters.
- Arrive early with your camera. Don’t wait for the festivities to start at 5:00pm! Wander the property and you’ll find tons of photo opps – put your face in an elf cutout, snap a family photo in the lobby, or explore the rose gardens.
- Better yet, hire a photographer. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is gorgeous this time of year. Invite a photographer to capture some family memories on-property. Your holiday photo card? Done!
- Stay at the resort for added amenities. Overnight guests receive up to 2 adult and 3 child VIP Express Wristbands (with VIP line access at the attractions) and one-hour early access to amenities.
- Upgrade to Gold if you can (see above). The Lounge is absolutely magnificent this time of year and the food is quite good. The complimentary breakfast is filling and delicious, the hot d’oeuvres are enough for a light dinner, and there are plenty of included drink options (sparkling water, soda, fruit juice, coffee, tea). Alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase.
- If you’re driving in from another resort or live locally, the Dining Experience is your best best. Spend $75 at any of the property restaurants and receive complimentary valet parking and wristbands for up to six people.
Resort Snapshot
- Address: 7575 East Princess Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
- Phone: 480-585-4848
- Parking: Self $15/night | Valet $24/night
- Check-In: 4:00pm
- Check-Out: 12:00pm
- Resort Fee: $30/daily (Includes complimentary half-day admission to Trailblazers Family Adventure Center for up to three children)
- Distance from Tucson: approximately 2 to 2.5 hours
- Social Media: Like Fairmont Scottsdale Princess on Facebook. Follow Fairmont Scottsdale Princess on Twitter. Use hashtag #atthechristmas.
- Book A Room: See the Fairmont Princess Scottsdale website.
