Escape to Sunny Scottsdale this Holiday Season

As the holiday season draws near, take a cue from Berlin and start planning your escape from the mounds of snow and freezing temperatures. Trade in your shovel for a golf club and your parka for a light sweater. Spend Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas or New Year’s in Scottsdale, where temperatures average 68 degrees and sunshine is a’plenty during the winter months.

STOCKING STUFFER

The Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau hopes to gift one lucky winner a trip to Scottsdale as a part of its annual holiday campaign. The prize package includes roundtrip airfare for two, a three-night stay at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, dinner at on-site restaurant La Hacienda, and admission to the Christmas at the Princess ice skating rink, as well as a complimentary photo with Santa Claus. The winner will also receive tickets to Las Noches de Las Luminarias at Desert Botanical Garden, ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo, and “Sister’s Christmas Catechism” at Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts. Visit ScottsdaleHolidayExperience.com before Nov. 21 to enter. The prize is redeemable Dec. 18-21.

HOLIDAY HOSPITALITY

Give yourself an early holiday present when you book a hotel or resort package in Scottsdale. See below for a few sample packages and visit the Scottsdale Convention & Visitor Bureau’s website, ScottsdaleHolidayExperience.com, for a comprehensive list of all participating properties.

Well-rounded Resorts

Can’t decide whether you’d prefer to play golf, get a spa treatment or lie out by the pool? Do it all when you stay at one of Scottsdale’s full-service resorts, blending the destination’s signature offerings and picturesque setting during the ultimate vacation for singles, couples or families.

• The Boulders, A Waldorf Astoria Resort welcomes holiday travelers with a hot cup of Southwestern-style apple cider, wood burning fireplaces, and cacti decorated in twinkly lights. With the New Holiday Traditions at The Boulders, you’ll receive nightly accommodations in a private casita, welcome cocktails and s’mores kit, a $100 food and beverage credit, and 20 percent off at the Waldorf Astoria Spa and The Boulders Golf Club. Rates start at $224 per night with a minimum of a two-night stay Nov. 30 through Jan. 3.

• With the sun always shining in Scottsdale, it’s hard to differentiate between the seasons. At The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, you can pretend it’s still summer in November, December and early January with the Endless Summer package. Dive into the 82-degree heated pool or take a ride down the lazy river. The package includes $99 round of golf per room, per night at Kierland Golf Club. Prices start at $249 per night Nov. 1 through Jan. 9.

Romantic Revival

It may not be cold outside, but you can still snuggle up to your loved one on a romantic holiday getaway in Scottsdale.

• Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa is giving the gift of a 20 percent discount with its Sanctuary for the Holidays package. Between Nov. 15 and Jan. 10, you’ll receive 20 percent off the best available rates when you book two nights or more. Rates start at $287.20 per night. Use that extra spending money for a romantic meal at sunset at elements.

• Make Royal Palms Resort and Spa your home away from home during the holidays with the Home for the Holidays package. Between Dec. 15 and Jan. 4, book the luxury accommodations for five nights, and you’ll receive a Christmas Day Dinner for two at T. Cooks, two 50-minute spa treatments, and a complimentary book on the history of the resort.

Downtown Bound

Downtown Scottsdale is a bustling epicenter of activity, rich with history and filled with the spirit of both the contemporary and Old West. Blending classic luxury with new urban sizzle, retail, dining and entertainment meld with an impressive collection of unique shops, restaurants, galleries and nightclubs in this vibrant pedestrian-friendly area.

• Hark back to the Hollywood royalty of yesteryear at the historic, mid-century-modern Hotel Valley Ho (pictured at top). Built in 1956, this downtown property has entertained the likes of Zsa Zsa Gabor, Bing Crosby and Jimmy Durante. Around the holidays, book three days and you’ll get the fourth night free.

• From Nov. 17 through Jan. 7, pay for three nights at Bespoke Inn, Café & Bicycles, and you’ll get the fourth night free. Bespoke Inn is Scottsdale’s first and only bed and breakfast. Each morning, you’ll have brunch at the property’s restaurant, Virtù Honest Craft, which was named one of the best new restaurants in the U.S. by Esquire in 2013.

SONORAN DESERT TRADITIONS

Don’t worry about missing out on those classic holiday traditions. There’s no better way to celebrate with friends and family than partaking in plenty of festive events around Scottsdale.

Explore the Outdoors

• Explore the breathtaking Sonoran Desert all by the glowing light of more than 8,000 hand-lit luminaries select dates between Nov. 28 and Dec. 30 at the Desert Botanical Garden’s Las Noches de las Luminarias. Sip on hot chocolate from the Patio Café as you wander the paths throughout the garden. Feel the holiday spirit as music from carolers, hand bells, guitars and violins fills the air. With advanced reservations, you can even dine at the garden’s on-site restaurant Gertrude’s, which stays open late for the event.

• Kids and kids at heart will be delighted as they wander through Zoo Lights at the Phoenix Zoo Nov. 24 through Jan. 11. As the sun begins to set and the furry and reptilian residents at the Phoenix Zoo start to snooze, the zoo will transform into a winter wonderland. Roam the complex beneath the shine of more than 3 million colorful twinkle lights and 500 custom-made animal light sculptures. You’ll likely spot a sleepy orangutan, a wide-awake coyote and even Jengo the talking giraffe throughout the festivities.

Welcoming Museums

• Trim your Christmas tree this holiday season with hand-made ornaments from American Indian artists after stocking up at Heard Museum’s Ornament Marketplace Nov. 28-30. Return to the museum Dec. 26-31 for Holidays at the Heard, an annual Southwestern tradition. This event takes museum visitors on a journey through American Indian culture with exciting performances and artist demonstrations.

• Between Dec. 12 and Jan. 3, stop by McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park for holiday train and carousel rides. During the holidays, the park stays open late and is decked out in twinkly lights and festive displays. Plus Santa will make special appearances through Dec. 23.

• Musical Instrument Museum brings the chilly north to Scottsdale with the Experience Norway celebration Dec. 6 and 7 in honor of the country’s bicentennial. You’ll enjoy traditional Norwegian dances, musical performances and hands-on crafts. And on Dec. 20 and 21, chimes and jingles will fill the halls of MIM, the world’s only global instrument museum. During the Hear Them Ring event, MIM will celebrate instruments that ring, including hand bells, steel pans and marimbas. The event will also feature a special menu at the on-site café, Café Allegro, gifts for purchase in the Museum Store, face painting and more.

Special Celebrations

• Literally rock around the musical Christmas tree at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess’ annual winter celebration Christmas at the Princess. At the Princess tree-lighting ceremony Nov. 20, see 65,000 lights shine brightly on a four-story tree that plays 10 holiday favorite songs. The event, which runs through Jan. 5, features a 5,400-square-foot ice skating rink, a carousel, visits from Santa and his elves, musical performances, and lots of yummy snacks and beverages to keep you warm. And the Spectacular Lagoon Lights that shine throughout the resort are like a page out of a Dr. Seuss book.

• Bring your children’s favorite holiday tale to life aboard the Grand Canyon Railway’s The Polar Express between Nov. 7 and Jan. 3. Dress the kiddos up in their favorite pajamas and board the train in Williams, Ariz., just a few hours north of Scottsdale. The locomotive will take you and your family on a nighttime journey to the “North Pole” as you sip hot cocoa, munch on sugar cookies, and absorb the sites of the stunning Arizona wilderness. You’ll mingle with elves, read along to Chris Van Allsburg’s classic book, and, of course, meet the big guy himself. Santa makes his way through the train cars, leaving each child with a special keepsake.

Visit website: scottsdalecvb.com