A Life of Luxury - For a Few Hours Anyway! 😉
Yesterday I went on a little adventure with my mom and two sisters to two luxury hotels in Scottsdale. The first hotel, The Fairmont Princess, was elegant and quite spread out. We elected to use valet parking because we didn’t really know where to park otherwise. When we pulled up to the valet area in the front entrance, four gentlemen in cowboy hats and suit vests and dress pants and shirts swarmed around our car and opened the doors for each of us. Not quite sure if I was supposed to tip him, mine got a polite “thank you.” I never quite know what to do in situations like this because I’m sure not used to it. 🤷♀️ Anyway we entered the beautiful lobby and exited out into an expansive courtyard and continued walking to find our restaurant - The Ironwood American Kitchen.
https://www.fairmont.com/scottsdale/dining/ironwood-american-kitchen/
We arrived at the restaurant and were seated by some large windows overlooking a gorgeous and expansive pool area. We could have also chosen to eat outdoors. Once we were seated, I noticed a bird handler with a large owl and a lady petting the owl. The woman came in the restaurant and I asked if it was free to pet the owl and she said it was. I immediately told my family what I wanted to eat and made a beeline for outside, where I indeed got to pet the owl and a nice guy with a young boy took my photo. That was a first! I’ve never pet an owl before. I love those “firsts!” 😁 After that my mom, sisters, and I enjoyed a yummy charcuterie board for an appetizer and then enjoyed our entrees, sharing bites on occasion. I had the best cheese sandwich ever - with three kinds of cheeses, fresh-made orange marmalade, and pesto sauce. It sounds a bit different but it was fabulous! Afterwards I left a bit early with the intention of taking some photos as I meandered my way back to the lobby. The Fairmont Princess is really a lovely place. I’d love to stay a night or two here if the price was in the ballpark. 😁
My sister had this salad with POPCORN! It was really good! 😋😋😋
Insider tip: To enjoy a particular hotel ambience and some of the amenities without staying overnight, just dress up a bit (business casual or a nicer shirt with dressier jeans) and eat at one of the hotel restaurants! Our meal was really only a couple of dollars more than I would pay for a sit-down restaurant back home. And I balanced it out by only having water to drink. So, due to eating in the restaurant, I got to eat a wonderful meal, check out the property and pet an owl all for a reasonable price! Perhaps not all upscale hotels allow this, but many here in Scottsdale do.
The Arizona Biltmore was next on our list and I absolutely loved it! It was designed in 1967 by Frank Lloyd Wright and recently underwent a full restoration. The decor was fabulous! That man was so visionary! I walked through the lobby and past a beautiful fountain to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Saguaro stained glass window featured on one wall. Gorgeous! Loved the colors. I continued walking past a beautiful bar and restaurant area and found a large patio area viewing a fountain, pool, and outdoor restaurant with shopping arranged around it. While my mom and sisters browsed the shops for a bit, I found a lovely and comfy patio chair in the shade and just relaxed for a while. Heavenly…and didn’t cost me a dime. I would love to go back someday and have a restaurant meal or an adult beverage in the classy bar area. Maybe on the next trip? 🤷♀️
https://www.arizonabiltmore.com/
Anyway, it was a fun few hours exploring two iconic hotels here in Scottsdale and experiencing a few of their amenities. I’d rate them 5 stars apiece! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
