As luxury hotels try to one up each other to attract guests, some of the top hotel brands in the U.S. are adding a new luxury amenity to their offering – In-room shopping experiences.

Published in the New York Times, the story explains that many luxury hotels are teaming up with luxury retail stores to offer their guest unique shopping experiences.

For shopaholics, it’s the ideal way to shop for stylish clothes and fashion accessories, plus other luxury items. As a world renowned fashion hub, New York City features many luxury hotels that have partnered up with high-end retailers.

The Quin in Midtown hotel is partnering with Bergdorf Goodman and offering a direct-dial button in all the hotel’s 208 rooms. Try in-room shopping and order direct to your room or make an appointment at the store. It’s shopping VIP style!

The WestHouse in Midtown in New York City is offering a $500 gift card for stays of three nights or longer. This in-room shopping experience allows you to shop at Net-a-Porter – an online, fashion retailer.

Also in New York City, The Mark Hotel located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan has also partnered with Bergdorf Goodman. Rise in style in a pedicab and taken from the luxury hotel directly to the Fifth Avenue store. If you stay in a suite at The Mark Hotel, guests will receive a both a $500 gift card plus facial in the beauty department of Bergdorf Goodman.

South of New York City, guests at the The St. Regis Washington, D.C. hotel offers guests to pre-order clothing and accessories from Neiman Marcus and available in your hotel room upon your arrival. Now that’s VIP service! There is no cost for the service and guests only pay if the clothes are tried on. .

As both luxury hotels and retail shops continue to try and attract customers, the luxury amenities and perks offered will continue to rise. It’s a win-win for consumers and a way to try a new VIP experience – In-room shopping.

Ready for a luxury travel experience to New York City? Let The Life of Luxury plan and book your Big Apple trip. Stay at one of the luxury hotels and try the trendy new, in-room shopping experience. Follow this luxury blog to read about the latest luxury travel news and hotel packages.

Photo: WestHouse in Midtown

Crystal​s at CityCenter​

Fashion’s Night Out (FNO) is an amazing global initiative that was first created in 2009. The show’s goal was to celebrate fashion, restore consumer confidence, and also increase the industry’s economy during the recession.

Patricia Field is an Emmy Award-winning fashion visionary. As a legendary stylist, Patricia is well known as her work with Sarah Jessica Parker in “Sex and the City” as well as Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada.”

As the host, Patricia Field will join other top designers and local charities at Crystals at CityCenter in Las Vegas, the incredible shopping and dining center. This year’s Fashion’s Night Out will be one of the largest fashion events Las Vegas has ever seen!

This year’s Fashion’s Night Out event will be held on Thursday, Sept. 6th. Between 6 pm and 11 pm, Crystals will offer unique in-store and destination-wide experiences, that will feature stunning performances from Nevada Ballet Theatre and showcase the hottest looks with models strolling the center dressed in the latest fall fashions.

The original goal of Fashion’s Night Out was to put the fun back into fashion through dynamic events and partnerships.

Crystal​s at CityCenter​

FNO attendees was encouraged to shop for a cause at their favorite designers with the second annual “Charity Crawl.” Participating Crystals at CityCenter retailers will donate a percentage of sales to the local charity partner they have selected for the evening. Below is a list of participating retailers in alphabetical order:

· Assouline / Easter Seals Nevada
· Bottega Veneta / After-School All-Stars Las Vegas
· Brunello Cucinelli / The Pajama Program
· Dior / Jewish Federation of Las Vegas
· Donna Karan / United Way of Southern Nevada
· Fendi / Opportunity Village
· Jimmy Choo / Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
· Kiki de Montparnasse / UC San Diego Nevada Cancer Institute
· Marni / Lied Discovery Children’s Museum
· Paul Smith / Positively Arts Foundation
· Prada / Nathan Adelson Hospice
· Pucci / The Shade Tree Shelter
· Roberto Cavalli / The Public Education Foundation
· Stella McCartney / Nevada Ballet Theatre
· TAG Heuer / Keep Memory Alive

There will be a wide variety of exciting events throughout the night. Crystal​s retailers will feature in-store activities including cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, DJs, photo booths and much more.

Crystal​s at CityCenter​

Additional FNO festivities include: Dream Racing Pit Stop, Gallery Row, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Spa & Salon Vdara, Michael Shulman and the Smartwater Hydration Lounge.

Fashion’s Night Out is open to the public and admission is free. To learn more please visit: http://www.crystalsatcitycenter.com/ or http://www.fashionsnightout.com/

Jaquet Droz – Paris

It’s been 225 years since Jaquet Droz opened its first watchmaking workshop in the French capital of Paris.

History sometimes does repeat itself. Jaquet Droz recently inaugurated its first Parisian boutique at 8, rue de la Paix.

Jaquet Droz is well known for its luxury watch products, and rich watchmaking tradition.

Located at 8, rue de la Paix – the new Parisian boutique is characterized by sleek lines, a palette of black, enamel colors and gray as well as contrasting matte and glossy surfaces.

Founder Pierre Jaquet Droz, was fond of Paris and he created a workshop there in 1785.

Then in the early part of the 21st century, Jaquet Droz launched the “Elegance Paris” Collection, which included luxurious timepieces that were influenced by the glamor and femininity of fine, Parisian fashion.

Jaquet Droz has moved into one of the world’s most prestigious addresses. The new Jaquet Droz Parisian boutique is just a stone’s throw from Place Vendôme.

Number 8, rue de la Paix pays tribute to a sense of French style, that’s characterized by a rich taste for perfection and pure luxury.

The luxury Shops at Wailea has become some of the most popular attractions in all of Maui.

This upscale shopping and dining complex is quickly becoming a flourishing tourism site. The Shops at Wailea opened for business in 2001 and has become a popular destination for Maui vacationers and locals.

The impressive, tropical complex boasts sixteen acres and more than fifty shops and restaurants for visitors to enjoy. There is a generous mix of local retailers as well as larger conglomerates that are well-known worldwide.

The Shops at Wailea (sometimes called the Wailea Shopping Village) is located near Maui’s famous and luxurious Wailea Resort, adjacent to the Wailea Beach Villas resort fronting Wailea Beach.

The shopping center offers the Maui tradition of a relaxed atmosphere in a beautiful setting. You’ll find treasures from internationally renowned designers like Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton to local artisans by leading artists from Maui.

A few of the many luxury shops are Betsy Johnson, Vendi, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Guess, Cache, Coach, Cos Bar, St. John Boutique and Tori Richard.

While searching for fine fashion and casual clothing, some of the favorites are Banana Republic, Billabong, Chico’s, Crazy Shirts, Enchantress Boutiques, Gap, Honolua Wahine, Maui Water Wear, Quicksilver, Sgt. Leisure, Sisters & Co. Boutique Salon, The Walking Company and White House/ Black Market.

For the perfect gift or jewelry, check out Elephant Walk- A Gallery of Life, Martin & MacArthur, Sand People, Black Pearl Gallery, Dolphin Gallery, Folli Follie, Na Hoku, Tiffany & Co and Wailea Jewelry.

If you seek fine dining options, enjoy a variety of choice ranging from typical American foods to Pacific Rim cuisine. Some options include Longhi’s, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Cafe and Cheeseburger Island.

For entertainment options, sip a cocktail while you listen to Hawaiian music and dance at WOW! Wailea on Wednesdays. Other events include gallery receptions, artist appearances, retail and restaurant specials and free live entertainment every Wednesday.

The Shops at Wailea
3750 Wailea Alanui Drive
Wailea, HI 96753
phone:(808) 891-6770
fax:(808) 891-6772

London West Hollywood

This winter, the London West Hollywood challenges retail therapy to a whole new level, with the emphasis on the “therapy” part of retail.  London West Hollywood guests now can enjoy the same exclusive shopping and dining experience as Hollywood’s famed elites.

Right off the legendary Sunset Strip, London West Hollywood exudes class, modernity, and style.  So it’s no surprise that their new Shop the Hills Package includes all of the meticulous details that transcend shopping into a new level of luxury.

The day begins with a complimentary breakfast at The Breakfast Table in renowned Chef Gordon Ramsay’s Boxwood Café.  Then the shopping begins at world’s premier luxury fashion district, Rodeo Drive.  Next, enjoy lunch at the upscale Marisposa restaurant located in Neiman Marcus.  Rated 90 out of 100 by the users of Urbanspoon, Marisposa begins lunch the Neiman Marcus way, with a bowl of broth and a popver with a side of homemade strawberry jam or strawberry butter.

Lined with glamorous boutiques like Prada, Gucci, Valentino, Armani, Dior, Cartier, Alain Mikli, and country singer Taylor Swift’s favorite, Anthropologie; Beverly Hills is filled with shopping opportunities.  With just a cobblestone walkway away, guests can wander off to Two Rodeo Drive and explore Versace, Lanvin, Jimmy Choo, and Tiffany.  Anchoring the south border of the Golden Triangle is Department Store Row with Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York.

The day can be completed by retreating to a spacious suite and large soaking tub back at the London West Hollywood, or enjoy the panoramic views of the glitzy Los Angeles skyline and Hollywood hills from the hotel’s exclusive rooftop pool deck.

The all-inclusive Shop the Hills Package at The London West Hollywood starts at $399 per night and includes complimentary overnight parking, luxurious accommodations, complimentary breakfast at Chef Gordon Ramsay’s Boxwood Café, and lunch at Mariposa of Neiman Marcus.  For more information, you can call 866-282-4560.

For over a century, the name Neiman Marcus has defined luxury retailing. The Neiman Marcus brand is synonymous with merchandising and service excellence.

Neiman Marcus is the king of Las Vegas luxury shopping. The store has been located in the Fashion Show Mall since 1981.

Neiman Marcus has a reputation for having some of the best personal shoppers in the U.S. So if you are looking for the ultimate in luxury and fashion, consider letting someone else do the work for you.

Neiman Marcus
3200 Las Vegas Blvd S # 100
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-731-3636

Friends are hard to shop for. I try to give gifts that people both need and want. But fifty percent of the time, what they need greatly differs from what they actually want.

Case in point, the dinnerware set of 2009. Nice ceramic plates that bachelorette friend needs. So we can stop the indignities of eating from paper plates. But what she wanted was a sterling silver headband.

That is why I love wish lists and registries. That is where GiftVault.com comes in.

GiftVault.com fuses social media with luxury gifts by allowing users to search for their friends, see their wish list and buy exactly what they want.

When a gift is purchased on GiftVault.com, the item grays out and the “wisher” receives an email notifying them that someone has bought something from their wish list. This feature will be most helpful when it comes to items that come in multiple sizes or sizes.

GiftVault’s owners are Lee Greenberg, a formerly Beijing-based new media fundraising and venture capital specialist, and Violetta Gruosi, a luxury expert with degrees in business, gemmology and international management, and the daughter and step-daughter of the heads of Geneva-based jewellery brands De Grisogono and Chopard.

“At GiftVault we treat every gift with the same love and care as if it were for our own special occasion. Our social gifting network massively ups your chances of buying your friends a gift they’ll really adore,” says founder Lee Greenberg.

GiftVault.com is not an average online retailer site like Overstock.com. You won’t find Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, or Liz Clairborne on this site. Items tend to be more exclusive and unique. Brands such as Armand de Brignac, Carolina Bucci, and Christofle. Gifts tend to be pricey, so it would be an ideal Christmas, birthday, anniversary, wedding, or other special occasion gift site.

DFS Galleria Waikiki

The luxury DFS Galleria Waikiki shopping mall is located in the heart of Waikiki, Oahu.

Known as one of the world’s leading shopping destinations for international travelers, DFS Galleria Waikiki offers the world’s finest brands.

DFS Galleria Waikiki is a 175,000 square foot luxury retail shopping. In addition to best in luxury retail, DFS Galleria Waikiki also offers other shopping experiences, including the new Waikiki Luxury Walk and the all-luxury Duty Free floor.

On the first floor, you can find the Waikiki Luxury Walk. It features top branded boutiques such as Emporio Armani, Coach, Emilio Pucci, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Chloé, Marc by Marc Jacobs, See by Chloé, and Loewe.

To quench your hunger and thirst, enjoy the Food Hall and Starbucks.

On the second floor, you can find a variety of luxury perfumes and cosmetics, Hawaiian jewelery, sunglasses, fashion apparel, plus stylish handbags and accessories.

Up on the third floor of the DFS Galleria Waikiki, which is better known as the duty free level, you can shop at designer boutiques and purchase high fashion apparel, handbags and accessories, scarves and ties, fashion jewelery, fine watches, and of course liquor and tobacco, all at tax free prices.

Shoppers can access all three floors of the DFS Galleria Waikiki, but only those traveling on a non-stop international flight from Honolulu International Airport, are allowed to buy any duty free items.

Oahu’s DFS Galleria Waikiki is open daily from 9am to 11pm.

Located at the base of the new Heavenly Gondola, shoppers can rejoice and spurge at The Shops at Heavenly Village.

To find the best luxury shopping that Lake Tahoe has to offer, The Shops at Heavenly Village offers a wide variety of shops, restaurants, entertainment and museums.

Offering a unique European village flair, along with the beauty of breathtaking Lake Tahoe scenery,  The Shops at Heavenly Village is a must.

Centrally located, The Shops at Heavenly Village has something for everybody – dining, shopping, movies at the 8-plex cinema, or miniature golf and ice skating at the center’s seasonal outdoor pavilion .

Or you can just relax and enjoy the beautiful outdoors, while watching all the people come and go.

There’s a variety of shops offering both national, as well as local brand merchandise.  Here you can find some fabulous, traditional Native American clothing.

The shopping center is located at North Lake Tahoe Blvd. and Heavenly Village Way.

The Shops at Heavenly Village
(530) 542-4230
http://www.theshopsatheavenly.com/

Poor Brussels. The attention it gets as capital of the European Union and home base of NATO suggests a city of functionaries and bureaucrats: stolid, good for business (and breweries), but hardly the center of style.

That moniker belongs to Paris, of course—except among the cognoscenti, who know that Brussels, the 1,000-year-old city of a million-plus, can be more radical in fashion, more adventuresome in cuisine, and much more fun to plunder for antiques.

To go antiquing in Brussels is to bask in civility and ease—especially if you’ve ever suffered the apathy of the 2,500 dealers at Paris’s legendary Marché St.-Ouen. Stay hard by the Gothic, gilded Grand Place—a square called one of the most beautiful in the world by no less than Victor Hugo.

At the Hotel Amigo (1–3 Rue de l’Amigo, 32-2/547-4747; hotelamigo.com; doubles from $335), you’re barely a half-mile walk from the best dealers in and around the Place du Grand Sablon, also a cobbled and gabled but far more sweeping square.

For decades the premier address for fine antiques, the Place du Grand Sablon is still the site of a small weekly antiques market (all day Saturday, half a day on Sunday) that sets up in jaunty red and green–striped canvas stalls.

Here are mostly small wares of good quality but modest distinction—brass candlesticks, clocks and boxes, porcelain and silver for the table.

Photo: Elizabeth R. Mitchell

Enjoy a taste of Paris at the Rue de la Paix. The Rue de la Paix shopping promenade comprises numerous exciting shops.

The Paris Hotel & Casino also has a gift and convenience store. If you’re seeking superlative shopping, the hotel’s superb location puts you close to some of the finest shopping adventures in the world.

Hand in hand, you can stroll down the cobblestone sidewalks of the Rue de la Paix shopping district. The Rue de la Paix, a mini replica of Paris France’s famous shopping district, is a shopping promenade that comprises numerous exciting shops.

You’ll find an array of authentic French boutiques, including a garden shop, wine and cheese shop, and high-end clothing stores.