This AAA/CAA Five Diamond resort encompasses 65 acres in the heart of Scottsdale with views of the McDowell Mountains and next to the Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale Stadium golf course, just 30 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
This wonderful Christmas tradition began in 2010 and has grown to include over 4 million lights, an ice skating rink with real ice, train rides, a carousel, Ferris wheel, ice slides, special sittings with Santa and holiday characters. The resort transforms into a winter wonderland and invites you to visit for the celebration of a lifetime. The festival has various event and activities scheduled to ensure you create the best holiday memories with your family as well as friends and enjoy this wonderful time of the year in splendor. This is the most incredible Christmas display you will ever see and it runs November 20- December 31, 2018 at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.
Partnering with Cox Charities a portion of some of the room sales and Desert Ice Skating Rink passes will be donated to this charity #LoveUp Foundation to help the more than 14,000 children in the Arizona foster care system.
This year, you can anticipate all the sip and savor of a perfect holiday tradition and you will discover winter can be more enchanting than you ever thought possible. Some of the festivities include:
Nightly Plaza Shows features animated holiday lights including the resort’s four story Christmas tree with 70,000 twinkling LED lights and the music of holiday classic songs. Think beauty and you think the enchanted Plaza where the facade of the resort is a scintillating projected HD video show.
Holiday Lagoon Lights cannot be missed. This is truly a WOW moment. Stroll along the lagoons and enjoy the magic of incredible lighting including a pirate ship, mermaid, 3D whale, skating penguins just to name a few. There are hundreds of special displays all lit up for the evening.
Nativity Garden is in the Fragrance Garden where you can see an 88-foot narrated light and music show about the story of Christmas.
Princess Express Train takes you through the resort and through the Lagoon Lights.
Desert Ice Skating Rink is the resort’s 6,000 square foot real ice rink. Here you can rent luxury rink-side V.I.P. fire pit tables, roast s’mores and enjoy a visit from Coca-Cola bear.
Santa’s Secret Headquarters is where Santa is busy mapping out his flight plan and making toys. There is a mail room to send your wishes and have the opportunity to have your photo taken with Santa. Pets included!
Friends of Santa including Shivers, Princess Noel, Angelica, Peppermint Penguin, Selfie Elfie, and Graham will also be featured among the festival Holiday Character Appearance.
In S’mores Land you can roast marshmallows, ride the Christmas Carousel and Frosty’s Ferris Wheel, adopt a friend at Build-A-Bear and slide down the Polar Glide Ice Slide.
Explore everything the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has to offer:
Bourbon Steak – a AAA Four-Diamond chef Michael Mina steakhouse with a 3,000 bottle wine cellar which offers the finest cuts of beef, poultry and fish.
La Hacienda – known as the “father of modern Mexican cuisine” Chef Richard Sandoval’s fine Mexican dining in this rustic Spanish restaurant creation featuring a beautiful outdoor patio, private dining room, chef’s table, flaming coffees, signature cocktails and more than 240 different varieties of tequila.
They even have their own Tequila Goddess Katie Schnurr, a certified expert who will guide you through those 240 tequilas.
La Hacienda’s Executive Chef Forest Hamrick offers a menu which includes these favorites :
Guacamole Sampler - Esquites, Cerditos and Sandia
Lobster Tacos – Flour tortillas, maine lobster and arbol cream
Lime Margarita - blanco tequila, lime wheel and agave
House made Sangria - Red wine, brandy, curacao, lemon, orange and soda water
Carnitas Hacienda – Slow braised pork shoulder, chicharron, avocado salsa, sweet corn-habanero slaw
Tampiqueña – Skirt steak, cactus pico, guacamole, chile poblano potato gratin and mole cheese enchilada
Tequila Flight – sample the tequilas made by different families Blanco, Reposado and Añejo. They pair wonderfully with the carnitas and tampiqueña.
Café de Fuego – the glass is ignited with Bacardi and cinnamon-sugar is added to create the flame. The “Especial” is with Bailey’s Irish Cream and Frangelico. Thank you Samir
Thank you to Monty, Samir and Katie.
Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar – Overlooking the 18th hole of the TPC Stadium Course this Chef Richard Sandoval concept specializes in Pan Latin Cuisine, sushi and wok dishes with one of the Valley’s largest rum collections with 151 choices.
Ironwood American Kitchen – This beautiful restaurant with bi-folding glass wall overlooking the Princess Pool and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also have a children’s menu and accommodate special dietary needs.
The Plaza Bar- definitely the heart of the resort with water views, outdoor fire pits, V.I.P. bottle service and a wonderful variety of appetizers, classic cocktails, wines and local and international beers.
Provisions Coffee Shop has Starbucks coffee, gelato and lots of to-go items.
Photo courtesy of Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
Photo courtesy of Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
The Well & Being Spa located on the property is a 44,000 square-foot wellness facility offering massages, facials, manicures and acupuncture. The design incorporates river-rocked tile, sandstone interiors and waterfalls. They offer “Live It Well” programs customizing your fitness and nutrition experience. Here you can experience aerial hammock yoga, the Bod Pod body composition assessment, Havasupai Falls body treatment, eucalyptus inhalations room, singing bowl sound therapy, Himalayan salt stone massage and a scenic rooftop pool. During the holidays their offerings include a S’mores Body Treatment (a brown sugar and rum scrub with dark chocolate aging mask and marshmallow-scented moisturizing treatment) and a Mistletoe Pedi/Peppermint Mani.
Well & Being Fitness Center with weight and cardio equipment, fitness classes and personal training.
Salon at Well & Being offers full service hair and make-up, nail care, waxing.
But that’s not all. There are water slides, cabana rentals, Boutiques with designer wear, swim wear, shoes and accessories for men, women and the whole family.
There are six heated pools with water slides, cabanas, poolside service.
The Sunset Beach Pool has 830 tons of white sand, beach chairs and palm trees. This is Arizona’s only white sand beach.
Trailblazers Family Adventure Center keeps the kids (ages 5-12) busy with games and virtual reality experiences.
One of the canine ambassadors, Bixby, will great you on arrival.
Cecil the Desert Tortoise weighs about 100 pounds and hibernates from November – February so seeing him enjoying the sunshine in November was a special treat.
Deluxe View King with a view of the lagoon with high speed internet, a work area, soaker bathtub, wet bar and patio.
Top Ten Resort Experiences include visiting the Well & Being Spa, dining al fresco by the fire, enjoying the white sand beach, golf at TPC Scottsdale, spending Easter at The Princess, attending the Kentucky Derby Party, petting Bixby and Gibbs, spending time during the summer enjoying the pools, celebrating the Fourth of July during the annual Freedom Fest and the incredible Christmas at the Princess!
Download the Princess Navigator app to make restaurant reservations, book a massage, browse special events, receive exclusive offers or just find your room
Some photos courtesy of Fairmont Scottsdale Princess