Shop AroundAr
Gone are the days of sad hotel gift shops that sold little but afterthoughts. Today’s hotel shopping is varied and eclectic, offering status items and one-of-a-kind finds alike.
Today’s hot hotel shopping is varied and e eclectic, offering status item items and one-of-a-kind finds.
1THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL SIGNATURE SHOP
Los Angeles, California
The Beverly Hills Hotel has a storied history as a magnet for movie stars and moguls. It’s also a wonderful place to shop for preppy accessories that will make you look the part. The hotel’s Signature Shop sells classic souvenirs like toys and magnets, as well as artwork and limitededition brand collaborations, like the Linus bicycle sporting the banana leaf print that adorns the hotel’s wallpaper. Plush dog beds, luxurious pink silk pajamas, and beach towels are also for sale, but the true status-symbol purchase here is the Signature umbrella, in the hotel’s iconic pink and green. (For use back home, of course, since rainy days are something of a mirage in La-La Land.)
2KEEP SHOP
AT THE NOELLE Nashville, Tennessee
The Noelle in downtown Nashville is all about connecting guests to the creative soul of the city. Accordingly, the hotel’s gift shop is a showcase for local makers, and the home of exclusive collaborations and pop-ups. The rotating inventory includes clothing and homewares, stationery, and modern takes on the cowboy hat. There are candles and roll-on perfume vials of the hotel’s signature scent, and Noelle-branded items such as a black-and-white bandana and a classy keychain. Even the kids’ stuff is cool — like the toddler-sized graphic tee emblazoned with the words: “A town full of wild animals & lovely people.”
The Noelle in downtown Nashville is all about connecting guests to the creative soul of the city. Accordingly, the hotel’s gift shop is a showcase for local makers, and the home of exclusive collaborations and pop-ups.
3THE PLAZA BOUTIQUE New York City, New York
Nestled at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park, The Plaza is one of New York City’s most iconic hotels, and its boutique follows suit, with an elegant collection of keepsakes and high-end homewares. Looking to recreate the ambiance of high tea? You can splurge on the Plaza’s custom china tea set. Need a memorable gift for a little one? Scoop up the Plaza’s signature teddy bear clad in a mini robe just like the ones in the guest suites upstairs. As for one of the hotel’s most famous fictional residents, Eloise, she has her own shop — pink, naturally — filled with costumes, ornaments, and artwork inspired by the Eloise children’s books.
4REVIVAL CYCLES AT SOUTH CONGRESS HOTEL
Austin, Texas
Here’s something that will rev up your vacation shopping more than your average t-shirt or coffee mug: one of the three gift shops at Austin’s trendy South Congress Hotel sells hand-built motorcycle parts and custom gear. Don’t own a bike? Revival Cycles can rent you one and, after you’ve got the hang of riding, you can stock up on merch like riding gloves, helmets, and leather jackets. For more traditional hotel knickknacks, take a swing through the hotel’s Lobby Shop, where you can buy robes, totes, candles, and playing cards, or for a curated collection of highend women’s clothing, visit the stylish Sunroom shop.
5goop STORE AT MAUNA LANI Waimea, Hawai’i
You’ve read the blog, seen the TV show, and heard the buzz — now you can shop the goop lifestyle created by actress-turned-entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow. This chic emporium of clean beauty products, gifts, jewelry, beachwear, and athleisure looks like it was ripped from the pages of a high-end home décor magazine. Even if you don’t buy any of the impeccably curated — and admittedly pricey — items, you can enjoy a spa-like Zen just strolling through the airy space located at the newly renovated Mauna Lani resort on the Big Island.