Recently returned from a 3 day conference trip to the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. Since I could not find a lot of information on this resort on FT prior to my departure, I wanted to fill others in on my experience. Sadly it rained the whole time I was in Scottsdale but this is a review of the property and not the weather.
Arrived 2/16/05 and took a cab from the airport to the resort. Cab fare was $58 with a tip. I will give information later on the correct way to get to and from the airport.
Greeted by the bellman by name which was a very nice touch. I assume he got the information off my luggage which he had gotten out of the trunk of the cab. Check in was quick in the Fairmont Premier line. I had previously called the resort to request a suite upgrade using one of my vouchers and this request was met and I was given a Casita King Suite. FYI, the resort charges a one time $12 luggage handling fee and a $2 a day cleaning fee. I thought this was high but it never actually showed up on the bill when I checked out.
Taken to the Castita by a golf cart, since the Casitas area is all the way at the back of the property. Casita had a living/dining room area with sofa, chair, table, fireplace, dining table with 4 chairs and an entertainment center with tv, mini bar, coffee and tea service. There was also a patio with a table and four chairs overlooking the golf course. Bedroom area was very spacious with a king bed, entertainment center and a bedside Bose like CD player. Great mattress!! Bathroom included a seperate closet, toilet area, double sinks, a huge tub and a wonderful large tiled shower. Amenities included Fairmont bath products, fresh fruit, chocolates and slippers. One nice touch was that there was even bath salt and a natural sponge incase you wanted to take a bath. Casitas area has its own pool and hot tub so you do not have to use the main facilities. The main pool was also very nice and directly behind the main building on the lower level. In my opinion the gym could have used more equipment but this is something common in most hotels and resorts.
Since I was there for a conference and the weather wasn't great, I didn't use the pool or play any golf. I did take advantage of the Willow Stream Spa and had a 1.5 hour massage/treatment. If you schedule a spa service, you get to use the spa area for the whole day. All I can say is WOW!!! What a great facility!! There are seperate men's/women's areas containing locker rooms, private showers, lounging area, steam room, hot tub, cold dip pool, sauna and a massage jet shower area. Common areas include a rooftop pool, a waterfall pool and a seperate gym. Services are not cheap but I would say they are worth every penny!
Departed on 2/19/05 and took a car service to the airport. Evidently this is the way to go in Scottsdale. Cost was $50 plus $10 tip so it was only a little more than the cab on my way in. Evidently you can also call the hotel and they will schedule a car pick-up for you when you arrive. Riding in a Lincoln Town Car is definitely much nicer than riding in a crappy cab.
Overall I would recommend the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess to anyone. The Willow Stream Spa is a must!!! Believe me as a guy I was a little hesitant at first but there were a lot of other men in there having services done. Only negative thing during the stay was that I had asked for a late check out, since I am a Fairmont Premier but they said the resort was full and I thus had to check-out at 12. Hope this review helps others looking at the Fairmont. Oh...the regular rooms looked nice and spacious too. Evidently there are regular rooms in the main buildings and then there are also King Casita Rooms. A co-worker had a King Casita room and it was a very large room with a sitting area, fireplace and a huge bathroom.
