Before we checked out of the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, we already were planning our next trip. The five-star resort is one of our favorites; an ideal destination for a warm weather, family-friendly vacation. This was our second time here, and it certainly won’t be our last!
We recruited some friends for this trip. Their daughter is one of Carter’s besties, and we love traveling with them. We booked our trip over Father’s Day Weekend, so we could celebrate the dads and keep the rest of the family happy. This time of year is typically pretty toasty — often topping 100 degrees — but with some strategic pool time and shady cabanas, we managed just fine. Plus, prices at the hotel are a bit cheaper during hotter months.
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has numerous pools, great restaurants, world-class golf, and plenty of activities for the entire family. They always have a summer theme, and this year it was all about adventure with a scavenger hunt, treasure hunt, rock climbing, laser tag, and zip lining. What sets this hotel apart is its top-notch service and attention to detail. Whether it’s room service, restaurant staff, poolside waiters, or the concierge — every person we encountered was helpful and friendly. The concierge even helped me arrange some golf time for the dads.
So many pools, you’ll never get bored!
There are six pools at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. With that many options, it feels like you always have something new to try out. Here’s a little rundown of each of the family-friendly main pools, and what we like about each one.
Princess Pool
This is the quietest of all the kid-friendly pools, and one of our favorite spots. The absence of waterslides, splash pads, and sand means fewer attractions for kids. With fewer kiddos, it’s a little quieter and not nearly as crowded. That means you have plenty of space to play in the water without getting splashed by a cannonball. Plus, this pool has a large bar with plenty of shade, misters, and tables where you can relax with a tasty beverage. The cabanas have great amenities, including sectional sofas, loungers, tables, and TVs. Additionally, they’re stocked with drinks, a large water jug, fruit plates, and sunscreen.
Tip: The servers will continue to bring more ice and will even inflate your pool floaties. We bring some from home for the pool, and especially the dive-in movie nights around the pool.
Sonoran Splash
This is a fun spot to visit, though we don’t often rent a cabana here. The cabanas are close to the edge of the pool, which is nice when watching kids but also means lots of traffic right outside your cabana. We usually swing by the Sonoran Pool for a few hours so Carter can enjoy the splash pads and waterslides, which offer different speeds to accommodate all thrill levels. Plus, during the summer, the hotel hosts fun glow parties here with a DJ at night.
Sunset Beach
This spot has an amazing walk-in pool with the softest, and only, white sand beach in Arizona. When you’re at this pool, its towering palm trees, a large fountain, and beach make you forget that you are in the desert. This pool gets busy, and often it can be hard to find a spot to settle down, which is why we usually splurge and rent a cabana. Having a dedicated shady area to use as a home base is invaluable. The cabanas here are a bit more spread out, which means a little more privacy, and they come with dedicated chairs in the sand.
Tip: If you rent a cabana here during the day, you can reserve it for an additional $75 to use during a dive-in movie that same night. That means you can leave your things in your cabana and have a dedicated spot for the movie, which I highly recommend. Cabanas at all the pools have ranged between $300 – $425/day when we have visited.
Summer Activities at The Princess
One of the most unique things about the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess are their themed activities. They put on incredible Christmas festivities, and, from our experience, they also deliver so much family fun each summer. This summer’s adventure theme was visible not only in the activities, but through the décor, photos ops, and even the roaming Indiana Jones look-a-like!
The themed activities were great for the kiddos. Right when they entered the lobby, the concierge gave them each an adventurer’s hat and a scavenger hunt map, as well as a few other goodies for their big journey. The scavenger hunt sent them around the resort looking for letters engraved into pillars. When they found all the letters and deciphered the secret word, they could return to the concierge to redeem their prize, which was a golden compass. Both kids in our group loved wearing their compasses!
In addition to the scavenger hunt, there are tons of other adventure-themed activities such as zip-lining, rock-climbing, laser tag, and a large sandbox to dig for hidden treasures. This was a hit with the kids. They loved digging for treasures and were both successful in unearthing gold bars! Only the moms were brave enough to try the zip line. It required you to climb a tall structure and then step off a ledge, and your harness would zip you across the field. It was so fun that we did it twice! This carnival-like area is free to all guests, and something great to keep everyone happy in the evenings!
Side note: If you love to golf, this resort is home to the Waste Management Open, one of the most visited golf tournaments in the country. Guests have access to the course, and the concierge will help arrange tee times and drive players to the courses.
Dive-in Movie Nights
Our favorite evening activity is the dive-in movies! When it gets dark on summer weekends, the resort plays movies at Sunset Beach pool. It’s so magical to watch a movie on a gigantic screen while floating in a pool. If you’re lucky enough to be there on a night they are also doing fireworks, they’ll pause the movie for the aerial display. The movie is visible from the poolside chairs and beach as well, so you can watch from anywhere – including your cabana. We like to order dinner to eat at the beginning of the movie and then hop into the pool, with a margarita in hand for me. During our recent visit, they were screening Sing 2 and Moana. We watched Moana, which the kids loved. They were singing along the entire time! Check the resort’s schedule for the movie and fireworks schedule.
Tip: Bring pool floaties with you and have them inflated at the pool. We prefer the ones that have cup holders. This means you get to enjoy a movie while having your drink close by.
Dining at The Princess
We love all the restaurants at the hotel. La Hacienda is a popular Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale which is located onsite. The décor is dark and moody, and if it’s bearable outside the patio is stunning, with string lights and firepits. They have tequila experts on staff, who can customize tequila tastings or select the right tequila for you based on your preferences. Their food is flavorful and made with unique combinations like watermelon guacamole and cauliflower tacos, which this vegan was so happy to see!
This was our first time eating at Bourbon Steak, and it is now a contender for our favorite onsite restaurant. The lobby’s walls are covered in wine bottles, and the dining room feels inviting, with an air of sophistication. The chef sent complimentary French fries, with a variety of dipping sauces, to our table to sample. They have a large wine, whiskey, and cocktail selection, and were even able to accommodate my vegan requests. The kids were happy with their mac n’ cheese dinners, and crayons with coloring sheets didn’t hurt either. We’ll be back.
The Plaza Bar is a great option, too. With so many seating options, it’s easy to stop in and find a spot. They are really accommodating to special requests and kids and have amazing drinks. At night, the bar and the trees are illuminated, which creates a beautiful scene.
Lastly, room service is a must. We always get breakfast from room service because it’s quick, and delicious, and the staff is fantastic. I get an almond milk latte and their breakfast potatoes which are small, smashed potatoes that are crispy on the outside. They’re delicious! And the little man never misses his chance to order their chocolate chip pancakes.
Tip: They have regular pancakes on their menu, but they will add chocolate chips if you ask.
And if you don’t want to get room service, there is a small Starbucks onsite and Ironwood American Kitchen near the Princess Pool that has a breakfast buffet or à la carte options too. We usually spend one morning here because Carter loves seeing the Bird Security, which is trained staff walking around with Harris hawks to deter all the smaller birds from the restaurant.
Trailblazers Kids Club
In addition to all the swimming, dining, and adventuring options there are many other activities on site. There’s world-class golf and tennis, and an upscale spa that offers fitness classes. I haven’t been there yet, but it’s on my list for next time! The onsite Trailblazers Kids Club is a great place to leave the kids so adults can enjoy the property on their own for a bit. The club allows guests to drop off kids from 9 am – 1 pm, which gives the adults plenty of time to enjoy some amenities. The Kids Club is available for kids 5 – 12 years old and is $45/ child from 9 am – 11:30 am. And for an additional $15 they can stay until 1 pm and have lunch there.
This area is full of fun activities and games, and the staff is incredibly friendly and engaging. Plus, there’s no need to make reservations. Kids just need to be dropped off between 9-9:30am. If they are staying for lunch, you simply pick them up at 1pm. After the kids-only session ends, families still can hang out and play at the center. There’s an i-Beam interactive floor, life-sized Pac-Man game, and kid-sized billiards. They also have a catch-and-release fishing program on site. We enjoy coming here to just get out of the sun and take a little indoor break.
Fairmont Scottsdale’s Beautiful Guest Rooms
The rooms are modern, clean, and designed perfectly for families. The walk-in closet is so useful with all your family’s gear! Below is a quick tour of our room to give you an idea.
There are great shops on site as well, which we always visit. They range from family swimwear, men’s clothing, gifts, and upscale women’s clothes. Lastly, to learn a little bit more about the resort and our first stay here, read this post.
