Princess celebrates 25th anniversary

Fairmont's Scottsdale Princess resort never looked better!

While watching the Waste Management (hate the title) PGA event in Scottsdale on the weekend, I was reminded about the great time I had playing that same TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course last year while staying at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, which lies a 5-iron shot away from the remarkable course.

The Princess is one of my favourite resorts in the world and this year is celebrating its 25th anniversary - which proves again you do get better with age!

Fairmont's Princess is the queen of Scottsdale resorts and home base to the chain's world renowned Willowstream Spa. All treatments used in Willowstream Spas around the globe are first developed, tried and tested at the Princess.

And while it's the Princess's birthday, you, the guests, will be getting the gifts.
As part of its anniversary celebrations, the Princess is offering incredible savings and resort credits with an early-bird booking special for summer travel - bookable now through April 30 for travel Memorial Day through U.S. Labor Day.

The 25th Anniversary Early Summer Special offers $125 per night room rates in addition to a $25 food and beverage resort credit – for a total savings of up to 55 per cent!


The Princess never looked better - thanks to a $60 million renovation that was just completed, with lots of improvements made to the already industry-leading Willowstream spa facility.

The resort has also added one of Chef Michael Mina's famed Bourbon Steak restaurants - I just visited Miami and had dinner at Mina's restaurant there and it was delightful!

The Princess will also be holding special "Under The Stars" entertainment evenings on  Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day, as well as lots of fireworks displays which are sure the excite the kids.
The 25th Anniversary Early Summer Special is available for booking Feb. 1-April 30 for travel all summer long. Reservations can be made by visiting www.scottsdaleprincess.com or calling 800-257-7544. Rate code: 2U8EBR

Fairmont will inject $100 million into Royal York reno to hold off challenges

The regal Fairmont Royal York to get a facelift.

The Grand Dame of Toronto hotels is about to get a face lift.

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts told a select group of travel industry insiders meeting in Whistler, B.C., this week that it will inject over $100 million into modernizing the iconic Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

Fairmont’s announcement couldn’t have come at a better time. With so many new 5-Star hotels opening in Toronto this year – the recently opened Trump Tower and Ritz-Carlton Toronto will soon be joined by Four Seasons’ brand new property and the much anticipated Shangri-La Hotel on University Ave. – Fairmont had to respond to the challenge to its premier Canadian property.

However, earlier rumours that the massive Royal York – over 1,000 rooms – would see half its rooms converted into luxury condos, was denied by Fairmont officials.

Most of the $100 million reno will be used to increase conference room space on the hotel’s mezzanine level, where the hotel’s corporate offices are currently located. Those offices will be relocated in the basement of the hotel. This is the second major reno of the chateau-style hotel - between 1988 and 1993, Fairmont spent another $100 million to modernize the room at the Royal York.

 
No one does hotel renos better than Fairmont – just look what they accomplished in London with the rebirth of the legendary Savoy and in Shanghai with its complete remake of the Peace Hotel.