Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Announces Resort Expansion

This award-winning resort currently features 648 guest rooms, and in the summer of 2016, will open an additional 102 new guest rooms for a total of 750. This expansion includes three luxury suites, a new pool, Great Lawn and new Western town event venue. The project, which breaks ground in June 2015 on the west side of the property, will be constructed where the tennis courts are presently. Working on the project are the resort’s original architects, Allen + Philp, along with contractor Balfour Beatty and designers, Whitespace Interiors.

The new guest room design will be consistent with the resort’s contemporary, Southwest décor reflecting its Sonoran Desert location. All rooms will feature patios or balconies with louvered sliding doors to encourage guests to enjoy the Scottsdale indoor/outdoor living experience.

An exciting element of the resort’s expansion is the addition of a new feature pool, Sunset Beach, which will be the largest of the six pools at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. The new 6,900 square-foot pool will be entirely zero-edge entry with an expansive white sand beach, a swim-up bar and splash pad water experience. The new pool is designed to be a playful, new venue for group events while providing a fun setting for leisure guests to enjoy Scottsdale’s year round sunny climate in comfort.

“I have a vision of guests checking-in at the resort…then kicking off their shoes, rolling up their pant legs and wading in from the sand beach with beverage in hand. The only thing we didn’t have that may be on your travel checklist was a beach…now you can check that off too,” said Jack Miller, general manager at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.

In addition, the Princess’ 1880s Western town is being relocated and expanded with new facilities for private events that can accommodate large groups. Re-named Copper Canyon, the town will have two saloons, an outdoor stage and dance floor, a blacksmith shop, a jail that guests can be “locked up” in, as well as building facades that give the spirit of the Old West with a sheriff’s office, a general store and the undertaker.

The expansion also includes the unveiling a new group venue, the Great Lawn, a large, landscaped grass lawn created on the west side of the resort to offer more than 12,000 square feet for outdoor meals, team building experiences and creative break-out sessions.

The added number of guest rooms, a sixth feature pool, the Great Lawn and expanded Western town will enable the resort to welcome more guests and accommodate larger conferences, housing all of their meeting needs. The addition of the Great Lawn and new feature pool brings the number of outdoor event venues to more than 20 unique locations for 10 to 1,200 people.

The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess expansion will launch in June 2015 and will be completed by May 2016, with guest rooms being bookable by July 1, 2016. Guests and groups in the resort during the build-out are not expected to be impacted, as work is located on the West Side of the resort, not adjacent to current guest rooms, meeting space or outlets.

Recent Improvements at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

Recent renovations underscore the resort’s owners, Strategic Hotels and Resorts, commitment to the continual evolution of the 27-year-old Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, keeping the property vibrant with contemporary enhancements which complement the resort’s iconic status. This commitment to excellence is evidenced by recent 2014 improvements, including the remodeling of the resort’s Casitas and the launch of its new Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course clubhouse, as well as a five-year renovation and expansion project that concluded in 2013.

• Most recently, the remodeling of 120 Casitas included replacement of all furniture and decor. These sought-after luxury accommodations are more secluded and residential in style and are particularly ideal for executive meetings, group VIPs and long-term guests. Three types of Casitas include the Casita Signature room at 700 square feet; the Casita Suite with a separate living room and 1 or 2-bedrooms at 850 square feet and two new Casita Hospitality Suites at 1,150 square feet, with a kitchen, executive boardroom table, queen-size Murphy bed and fire pit patio. The new décor, much hand-crafted in Arizona, is modern Southwest with neutral desert colors. All Casitas have private covered patios or balconies, many with views of the TPC Scottsdale, desert and lagoons.

• The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess recently introduced Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar by Richard Sandoval at the TPC Scottsdale clubhouse. The name Toro, meaning “bull” in Spanish and “tuna belly” in Japanese, sets the stage for specialties spiced with Pan Latin flair. Overlooking the 18th green of the celebrated and newly renovated TPC Stadium Course, the restaurant has a suviche bar (sushi and ceviche), wok dishes, small plates for sharing, grilled entrees and an impressive selection of 111 types of rum. The restaurant’s décor is warm, yet industrial, combining rustic and modern finishes and the perfect patio for enjoying Scottsdale weather.

• In 2013, the Princess completed a five-year, $60 million renovation project that brought many new features, including the Palomino Conference Center, adding 52,331 square feet of indoor meeting space anchored by the new 23,000-square-foot Palomino Ballroom. The new $20 million conference center gives the resort a total of 156,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, making it the largest meetings resort in the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts portfolio worldwide. The resort also introduced the innovative Well & Being Spa concept, added a lower patio and fire pit area to Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak; created a “living wall” on the resort’s façade; updated the retail and coffee market; launched a new three-meal restaurant concept, Ironwood American Kitchen and gave the Princess a “new dress,” painting the exterior’s sunset pink to a fresh, more contemporary look of off-white, with slate and gray trim.

Visit website: www.fairmont.com/Scottsdale