The holidays are just around the corner. It’s time to prepare yourself. When you have access to a private chartered plane, you have the luxury of traveling for more than just business or pleasure. Get the most out of this holiday shopping season by traveling to some of the world’s best shopping destinations. You may never find the perfect gift anywhere else.
Best Luxury Shopping Destinations for Your Holiday Wish List
Paris, France
Paris is the “city of love,” especially if you love to shop. Head to Paris’ Golden Triangle, around the famous Champs-Élysées to find goods from Louis Vuitton, Celine, Chanel and more. The holiday season makes shopping in Paris even more wonderful with its Christmas Market and high-end artisan treats.
Stay at the Hôtel Le Bristol, one of the most exclusive accommodations in the city that puts you at the center of luxury shopping opportunities. The hotel features 19th century-inspired décor, authentic furniture from Louis XV and Louis XVI, marble bathrooms, masterful artwork, fine antiques and gilded chandeliers.
Milan, Italy
Milan, one of the most fashionable cities in the world, is the home base for fashion houses like Armani, Versace, Prada, Etro and a plethora more. Following Paris’ geometric theme, Milan’s main high-end shopping district is the Fashion Square, or Quadrilatero della Moda, which includes Via Montenapoleone, Corso Venezia, Via Manzoni and Via della Spiga. In the weeks leading to Christmas, shoppers flee to the Oh Bej! Oh Bej! Christmas market near Castello Sforzesco for its 400-plus stalls with gifts, food, clothes and other holiday treats.
If you shopped ‘til you dropped, rest at the Bulgari Hotel Milano. A six-minute walk from La Scala theater, you’ll find the accommodations in an 18th-century palace on a private street, surrounded by a 4,000-square-meter garden. Book a Bulgari Suite on the hotel’s private top floor for its sweeping views of the city from the wraparound terrace.
Vienna, Austria
With its architectural eye-candy, Vienna becomes a winter wonderland in December. Its holiday markets rival those found in Germany. In the city, the most popular markets include Christkindlmarkt and Rathausplatz. If you want to shop with a breathtaking backdrop, hire a car and check out the markets at Grafenegg castle and the palaces at Belvedere and Schönbrunn. If the roasted chestnuts, fresh pastries, and mulled wine don’t get you in the holiday spirit, the unique handmade ornaments, toys, snow globes and candle displays will.
Get out of the cold and get cozy at the sumptuous Hotel Sacher, located behind the Vienna State Opera. Founded by chef Franz Sacher, who created the famous chocolate cake for Prince Metternich, the old world hotel is ripe with modern comforts and opulence that celebrities and dignitaries regularly enjoy. With a staff-to-guest ratio of over two to one, and prolific attention to details, you’ll feel like royalty.
Chicago, Illinois
If you can’t travel to Europe to experience its glorious holiday markets, the Christkindlmarket in the Chicago Loop will make you feel as if you teleported halfway around the world. Modeled after the Christmas market in Nuremberg, Germany, Christkindlmarket features hundreds of authentic items, such as lace from Plauen, Lauschaer glass ornaments, Erzgebirge pyramids and cuckoo clocks from the Black Forest region. In addition to German handicrafts, the market features over 70 types of food to sample.
Warm up at the Waldorf Astoria, in which Greek-inspired statues will greet you as you walk into the lavish hotel. The champagne and platinum color palates give the rooms a sleek, modern feel. The fireplaces add to the accommodation’s warm, inviting atmosphere, making you even giddier for the holidays.