I just recapped my recent stay at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess and need to add a separate post about its indoor/outdoor bar, The Plaza Bar. Over the 5 days we spent at this gorgeous Scottsdale hotel, I must admit that we spent a considerable amount of time at this bar. Why? Several reasons:
The Space
As I mentioned earlier, The Plaza Bar is an indoor/outdoor bar that offers several spaces to fit any moods. There’s the typical bar with comfy stools where we had lovely conversations with the mixologists and watched a couple football games. There are sofas with fire pits reminiscent of a home outdoor living rooms. There’s also a modern indoor bar with floor-to-ceiling glass walls/windows that overlook both the central hotel plaza and the backyard/golf course.
Photo by Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
The Drinks
This property has invested in the right bar program. The mixologists are awesome and personable and have developed a craft cocktails menu offering house made bitters, infusions, syrups and powders that are used to make some pretty spectacular drinks. To my hubby’s delight, there are many craft, seasonal beers with some local favorites. There are also many wines by the glass.
My favorite cocktails during out stay were the #1 – vodka, lime, chili-anise shrub, basil, grapefruit segments and ginger beer ($15), Salted Cucumber Gimlet – gin, lime, cucumber and salt ($14) and French ’75 – gin, lemon, sparkling wine ($14).
The Food
The Plaza Bar has a nice bar food menu which features items like chips and onion dip, deviled eggs, burger, chicken Caesar salad and wings. It’s a good alternative to doing a full meal which enjoying drinks or while watching the games.
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
7575 East Princess Drive, Scottsdale, Arizona, United States 85255
I’ve visited the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess over Thanksgiving for the last two years. I’m in the travel industry and see MANY nice properties in the course of a year, yet, this gorgeous resort is at the very top of my list.
About the Property
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is a AAA Five Diamond resort situated in the Sonoran Desert. The property features 750 guest rooms, six pools, two newly-renovated TPC championship golf courses, five top-ranked restaurants and lounges, an award-winning spa with a salon and a wellness facility, catch-and-release fishing lagoons and the popular Trailblazer’s Kid’s Club and Family Adventure Center.
Standard Room
Living Room & Patio
Top Notch Food & Drinks
Having a solid food and beverage program is something that’s a must for us when staying at a hotel. The Princess excels in both with award-winning restaurants and specialty lounges/bars.
For a casual breakfast or lunch, we like Ironwood American Kitchen which serves classic American cuisine in a casual indoor/outdoor bistro atmosphere. The all-day offering ranges from flatbread pizzas, sandwiches and salads.
Our dinner favorite is La Hacienda, celebrity chef Richard Sandoval’s modern Mexican restaurant. We adore the classic-yet-refined Mexican cuisine and the tequila bar that features 240+ varieties of tequila from 36 different labels presented by a Tequila Goddess – amazing mole, guacamole and margaritas!
My golf-avid husband loves to lunch after playing at Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar located at the Clubhouse overlooking the 18th hole of the famed TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course. The restaurant has a Pan Latin menu and he enjoys lunch of ceviche paired with one of the 151 varieties of rum available.
Another restaurant I’ll be dining at on my next visit is Bourbon Steak, a Chef Michael Mina restaurant.
Spacious Bathroom
Soaking Tub
Well & Being Spa
When my guy’s at golf, I’m at Well & Being Spa. This place is AMAZING and I’ll write about it in more details in a future post, but it includes more than 70 treatments to choose from, has a top-of-the-line fitness center and tons of daily fitness classes. I love starting the day with a yoga class then enjoying a few spa treatments.
Seasonal Experiences at the Princess
One of the reasons I enjoy visiting this property over Thanksgiving is because of its Christmas at the Princess event. The place transforms in a winter wonderland, yes, in the desert, complete with ice skating rink, giant decorated trees and millions of twinkling lights. The place is festive and beautiful and sets the tone for the holidays to come – I highly recommend it.
The resort features seasonal and holiday experiences complete with specialty menus, decadent brunches, concerts and family-friendly activities. Here’s a bit of info about the four main seasonal experiences:
Note that there’s a daily resort service charge of $30 per room, per night (plus applicable tax). Resort service charge includes half day access to Trailblazers Family Adventure Center for up to three children (ages 5-12, lunch fee additional), self-parking, basic internet access, access to the hotel gym (not the spa fitness center) and more.
Who Should Stay at This Property
The best part of this property is that it truly caters to all: foodies interested in dining at four top-ranked Arizona restaurants, meeting/conference attendees, spa fanatics (like me) looking to partake in the innovative spa and fitness programs at Well & Being Spa, sun worshipers ready to soak in the sun at one of the six sparkling pools, and golf enthusiasts ready to tee off at two newly-renovated 18-hole championship golf courses, including one that’s home to the Annual PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open.
There are two fitness centers: one within the spa (more about the spa in a future post) and one near the lobby.
Fitness Center at Well & Being Spa
For customers scheduled for spa treatments, the state-of-the-art fitness center located within the spa premises is complimentary. For non-customers, the spa access fee to the facilities is $55.
Well & Being Spa offers an array of fitness classes and personal training regiments to suit every guest. From yoga (aerial and standard) Pilates and Zumba, ideal for all guests, to more advanced classes like Boot Camp, body sculpting, Krank Fusion and TRX, the schedule of classes is varied enough for beginners to experts. I enjoyed an open-level yoga class that was wonderful.
Fitness Activities and Class Schedules
The fitness center at the spa is open from 6AM to 8PM.
Hotel Gym Cardio
Hotel Gym Weights
Fairmont Fitness Center
24-hour access to the hotel’s fitness center is included in the $29/day resort fee charged to hotel guests. I visited this gym at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess twice and liked the space and the equipment both times.
Address: 7575 E Princess Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Phone: (480) 585-4848.
For guests who want to keep healthy on their stay in Scottsdale, the Fairmont Princess has two solid fitness center options.
