We had the best family winter trip vacation last weekend at the Fairmont Princess Scottsdale in Arizona. When I said “family” I was referring to my parents, siblings and their significant others as well as their pet – a party of 12 plus a dog. This was our first family vacation ever and it was long overdue.
We’ve been talking about a family vacation for the longest time but we couldn’t find a place that would meet everyone’s schedule and place of interest. Then came Fairmont’s 9th annual Christmas at the Princess knocking and we knew we found the perfect family winter trip destination for making holiday memories!
Since Scottsdale is only 5 hours and 30 mins from our home in Los Angeles we decided to do a road trip instead of flying. The drive was easy breezy. The check in was fast and efficient with happy greetings by Bixby and Gibbs, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess’ lovable canine ambassadors.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The accommodations are more luxurious than we had anticipated. All the Fairmont rooms came with a walk-in closet, a spacious bathroom and two sizeable beds – perfect for a family of four. A crib was readily available for my nephew upon check-in and a bed was also ready for my four-legged niece. All the rooms came with a fantastic view of the golf course and gardens.
RESTAURANTS
The restaurants are conveniently located within the resort. The only restaurant that requires a shuttle to get there is Toro, which is less than 2 minutes away from the hotel. We dined at The Plaza Bar and Toro and I highly recommend the grilled octopus at Toro.
Given that we were staying there for only three days and two nights we didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy all the amenities that the resort had to offer – please keep in mind that it’s also extremely challenging to coordinate a party of 12 to do every single activity together. Here’s a highlight of the activities that we did as a family.
HOLIDAY LAGOON LIGHTS
Immediately after settling into our room we walked around the facility with the boys. We were enchanted with twinkling lights at every turn and had so much fun just goofing off. We saw glittery swans floating on the water, a buccaneer pirate ship, mermaid, 14-foot poinsettias, teddy bear, toy soldiers, fishing Santa, leaping arches, Nessie the 30-foot Loch Ness Monster (my kids’ fav!), menorah, dreidels, 3D whale, skating penguins, candy cane forest and more.
NATIVITY GARDEN
We also saw the 10-minute Nativity show at the resort’s Fragrance Garden that tells the story of Christmas with 88-foot narrated light and music.
ENCHANTED PLAZA SHOWS
On the hour, every hour from 6 pm to 9 pm a five-minute long, high-definition, video show featuring animations projected against the resort’s facade. If you have been following me on IG Stories and you would have seen that. If not, you can still get a glimpse on my IG Highlights under Travel.
PRINCESS EXPRESS TRAIN
When we saw the train we knew we had to get on because my kids love trains. The train will take you on a journey around the resort’s glittery Lagoon Lights. My kids had a blast! If you have little ones you have to take them for a ride because they will love it.
ICE SKATING RINK
This is by far the best activity for the boys to enjoy. They have never ice skated before and they absolutely loved it. The ice skating rink is made of real ice and for that ultimate experience, you can sit by the rink-side fire pit tables with s’mores and blankets while watching your kids skate.
POOL
During the day we took advantage of the pool and the waterslides. The boys had a blast sliding down to the pool.
PHOTOS WITH SANTA
We ended the trip with a photo session with Santa. We all took the secret elf pledge and became a loveable elf who spreads Christmas cheer all year-round! You don’t have to stand in line to wait to take the picture with Saint Nick. You just need to make an appointment and show up for the photo shoot, which takes up to 20 minutes in total.
We didn’t have time to experience the Spa, Polar Glide Ice Slide, Christmas Carousel, and Frosty’s Ferris Wheel but our overall experience was sweet and fulfilled, and we will definitely come back again to enjoy every activity this resort has to offer.
The resort was beyond what I had expected. During the entire stay, I felt like I was transported into this winter wonderland decked out with over millions of twinkling lights. Why would you want to go anywhere else if it has everything for everyone to enjoy?!
Disclosure: Thank you Fairmont Scottsdale Princess for sponsoring this post.
