Recommend February 2014 - (Page 57)

europe ontourreview O C T O B E R 2 0 13 CHIC OUTLET SHOPPING greg oates Kildare Village is located outside Dublin. A totally "adorbs" pair of pointy, midnight gloss Jimmy Choo slingback pumps at La Vallee Village near Paris are almost half of what you'd pay in SoHo. A Burberry trench at Kildare Village outside Dublin might set you back $800, but that's $400 less than retail in America. Men's Camper shoes, which sell in U.S. stores for over $200, cost $140 at Las Rozas Village outside Madrid. Do we have your attention? Good, because you'll be wanting to tell your fashion aﬁcionado clients about these "villages," or outlet malls, located on the outskirts of major European cities, all operated by Chic Outlet Shopping. Unlike many outlet malls in America, however, these are travel destinations with a touch of romance in their own right. They're calm, spotless, devoid of teenagers, and easy to navigate with one lane winding through the luxury and lifestyle boutiques. That's only half the story, though. Chic Outlet provides the services of a full-service, commissionable tour operator packaging the breathy retail experiences with VIP transportation, exceptional restaurants, and customized half-day cultural tours in the cities and surrounding countryside. And later this year, the company is going to begin integrating commissionable hotel packages into its GDS. "The villages provide commissionable shopping packages, including tourist information centers and 'shop-and-drop' hands-free shopping, to make it beneﬁcial to the trade to bring their clients to the villages," says Ian Stazicker, tourism director, global marketing for parent company Value Retail. When you book with Chic Outlet, your clients are automatically dialed into the most fashionable, insider-y places in each destination. The company culture is all about what's hip and trendy for both millennials and boomers, without a hint of pretentiousness among anyone we met the entire trip. "We know all the best hotels, restaurants, spas and attractions in the area, so we love to share that with travel agents," says Lee-Ann McCarthy, tourism manager at Kildare Village outside Dublin. "We can customize any guest experience-that's how we market the brand." Agents can book a private luxury car rental with a driver, or your clients can hop aboard fancy black coaches for the multiple-times daily shuttle service from each city-center. The best part, you can reserve the services of personal shopping assistants who know the best deals, explain who received the latest shipments, point out hot emerging designers, and commend your clients on their fabulous taste. On our recent trip with Chic Outlet Shopping, we hopscotched across Europe to get a feel for this shopping vacation experience- mixing high-end shopping and luxury stays with culinary delights. madrid There are about 200 brands represented at Las Rozas Village, with about 40 percent of those based in Spain. Coach and Michael Kors are about 30-40 percent lower than what clients would pay at home. Designers range from hip and colorful Custo Barcelona to the incomparable Carolina Herrera. For a rest from the heady retail, there are numerous indoor and outdoor bistros like the British rally car-themed Natalie's Cafe. "American visitors love the local designers from Madrid and Barcelona because of the vibrant colors," says Mercedes Blanco, business development manager, Value Retail. "And it's always fun when everyone is done shopping and we can sit around with a glass of wine comparing what everyone purchased." Chic Outlet partners with the best hotels in Europe, as well, such as Hotel Ritz Madrid by Orient-Express. The national Prado Museum is next door, showcasing classical art by Spanish painters Velasquez and Goya. Across the street, Thyssen Museum is the best museum in the world to learn about art history with a chronologically arranged collection from pre-Renaissance to Rauschenberg. february 2014 57 57-59 EU ChicOutlet.indd 57 1/21/14 11:47 AM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend February 2014

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Corinthia Hotels
Tour Talk: Convertible Caravans of Europe
Boutique Hotels Beckon
VIP Havens
Crystal Cruises
Costa Rica Travel Planner
Anguilla, Foodie Paradise
Carlisle Bay, Antigua
Culturally Infused Mexico City
New Zealand's Luxury Retreats
Kenya: Where Wildlife and Luxury Coexist
Chic Outlet Shopping

Recommend February 2014