Fairmont Scottsdale Princess completely booked during WM Phoenix Open as pre-pandemic crowds are expected

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Hotels are booking up and tourists from all over the country are arriving in the Phoenix area for the WM Phoenix Open.

This year, organizers are expecting pre-pandemic levels of visitors for the event – and what a difference a year makes.

In 2021, the open allowed only 5,000 fans a day. Now, they are expecting 800,000 people to pass through.

The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess hotel is already seeing an impact on business. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to welcome everyone back," said Pam Gilbert with the hotel.

It's located right behind the 5th hole of the tournament. A lot of the spectators, and even some of the golfers, stay at the hotel.

This year, rooms are fully booked.

"A room cancels and rebooks immediately," Gilbert said. "People are staying in longer, they are coming in for the whole week and making a full week out of it this year."

The perfect temperatures here in Phoenix are attracting people from all over the country to enjoy some golf and some sun at the same time.

"It is wonderful the amount of national coverage we get this week for our destination, showing this glorious weather and upper 70s and 80s," Gilbert said.

The tournament is held from Feb. 10 to 13 and more information about the tournament can be found here https://wmphoenixopen.com/

Crews helping to keep event safe for all

Organizers planning for a bigger and better event following the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, and crews are prepared to make sure the event will be safe for everyone.

The Scottsdale Fire Department, along with the Scottsdale Police Department, have been preparing for months ahead of the open.

60 to 70 firefighters, as well as a large amount of members from Scottsdale Police, will be on site throughout the week. The departments have created a multi-agency command center, so everything is on site if needed.

"So, there is a large restaurant behind here that has propane cooking oils. Those type of things are open flame, so we strategically place one of our fire engines at the closest facility with a water source, in case we do have an issue," said Cpt. Dave Folio with Scottsdale Fire.

Cpt. Folio said they are well-prepared to assist in all types of incidents. He also advises people to be well-hydrated, wear comfortable shoes, and use sunscreen.

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