The valet guys were absolutely awesome. They were the best part of my stay at this hotel.
The grounds were okay - NOT 5 star quality. The decor in the rooms seemed old, and the color scheme was dated.
Although most of the staff was friendly, we did have a pretty bad encounter with the pool manager. My husband and I had bought a bag of popcorn at the grocery store and were snacking on it poolside. The pool manager came up to us and informed us that outside food is not allowed in the pool area. She told us that we needed to put our food away. She then left without even offering the opportunity to order some Fairmont approved food. It was really strange and off-putting. We had been sitting by the pool for over an hour and not a single person from the wait staff had come up to us to take our drink/food orders. Also, it seems a bit ridiculous that we can't eat our own bagged popcorn. It's not like we were chowing down on a big meal and making a mess. It made the resort seem elitist. I definitely won't be staying here again.
I've stayed at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale before and would definitely recommend that hotel over the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.