I turned 40 this year and wanted to celebrate this milestone birthday in a special way. In that spirit, I thought it would be fun to have a girlfriend's spa weekend getaway with my sister and two dear friends. In choosing a location, I was looking for place that offered serenity and yet was not rustic, a place where we would get pampered! I found the perfect place at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Arizona.

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is a AAA Five Diamond resort in a desert oasis designed in Spanish colonial architectural style with open plazas and water fountains that offers the perfect combination of luxury and sophistication. It boasts two tournament players club golf courses, five sparkling pools, seven tennis courts, fitness centers, kids club, lawn games, and catch and release lagoon fishing among many other features that make this resort an ideal vacation destination for individuals, couples and families.

The biggest attraction for us was the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess' award winning Willow Stream Spa, which was named one of the top ten resort spas in North America and the Caribbean by Conde Nast Traveler. The staff at the spa was simply amazing and the service was exquisite.

From the folks that greeted us at the door when we arrived to the staff that gave the treatments, everyone made us feel special. We started the day at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess with an intense aerobics class, and then we relaxed in the eucalyptus inhalation room, experienced the rejuvenating force of the waterfall pool, submitted ourselves to 90-minute treatments (massages, facials, footbaths, etc.), topped it off with the sauna/steam room and finally chilled out in the relaxation atrium.

After about 6 hours, we were thoroughly relaxed, refreshed and renewed and were discussing how impressed we were with the service at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in the ladies locker room. We assumed that we received a special birthday treat, but other ladies in the locker room were equally impressed by their treatments and it was obvious that the superb service was extended to everyone - wow! Afterward, we chose to dine at La Hacienda (one of the resort's five dining options) where we enjoyed authentic gourmet AAA four diamond Mexican cuisine complete with Mariachi music.

This was one weekend that I will remember and relive for a long time. We had the best time at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, and one of my friends described the experience as spiritual. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has something for everyone to love. I would love to return to the resort with my husband for a couple's romantic getaway (hint, hint, Bisi, dear) or with the kids for a family vacation.

Scottsdale is just about an hour's flight from Los Angeles, but it is worth the trip even if you lived farther. My sister flew in from Chapel Hill, NC, one of my girlfriends came from Chicago, and we met people from all over the place at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.

The year is only about half done, and I am having such a fabulous 40th birth year celebration that it would be a shame to end it. So, I might just carry on this new way of savoring, reconnecting, and living for the next forty years.

For more information on the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, please visit www.fairmont.com/scottsdale.