Save money on your purchases and you can splash out on a nice hotel. Anna Selby checks out the best places to bag a bargain
Left: Hong Kong / Right: Times Square, New York
Luxury items no longer need to cost the earth. If you go to the best shopping destinations, you not only get unrivalled choice and bargains galore, you get a holiday thrown in too.
And with all those savings on the shopping, you can splash out on a swanky hotel.
Best for…wedding dresses
Where? New York
Why? New York has an enduring reputation as the shopping capital of the world for brides. For a dress worthy of an A-lister, head to Vera Wang’s flagship store on Madison Avenue.
Bargain hunters will find unbeatable prices at Bridal Garden, the only non-profit bridal boutique in New York, while high-end secondhand gowns can be bought at Michael’s Consignment Store.
For a custom-made gown, visit Banico, who will take about four months to make a dress in any colour, style or fabric.
Fifth Avenue’s Bergdorf Goodman stocks frocks by top designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Ulla-Maija, Jenny Lee, Lela Rose and many others.
For the ultimate bargain, head to Filene’s Basement, famed for its annual sale of designer wedding gowns, which normally takes place in February.
Not for the faint-hearted, the event has been officially branded the Running of the Brides after news reports compared it with the Running of the Bulls, in Pamplona, Spain.
But even if you’re not a bride-to-be, the Big Apple is an ideal destination for shopaholics, as Sex and the City fans will know only too well.
Where to stay: The Mandarin Oriental, New York is the perfect place for brides-to-be. Located at Columbus Circle, next to the shopping centre at the Time Warner Centre, the property has stunning views over Central Park.
Book it:Elegant Resorts offers four nights at the Mandarin Oriental from £1,250 per person, including flights and private car transfers.
Best for…fashion
Where? Paris
Why? Paris is the city of choice for serious fashionistas who can head for the great couturiers – Christian Lacroix, Dior, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, all of which can be found around the Champs-Elysees area, where the new department store, LE66 has recently opened and is home to 100 fashion labels.
Paris also has some top-notch department stores, notably Galeries Lafayette, Bon Marche and Le Printemps, where shoppers can pick up perfume, lingerie and jewellery as well as high-class fashion.
Take a walk around any part of central Paris and you’re likely to come across a new designer.
Where to stay: A few steps from the Champs-Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe and Avenue Georges V, the Hotel Balzac is on the doorstep of Paris’s best shopping streets. The hotel has been refurbished and combines hi-tech with a sumptuous neo-classical decor.
Book it:Kirker Holidays has two nights’ bed and breakfast at the Hotel Balzac from £814 per person including flights or first-class travel by Eurostar, transfers, a Seine river cruise and a carnet of 10 Paris Metro/bus tickets per person.
Best for…hi-tech goods and gadgets
Where? Hong Kong
Why? Hong Kong’s tax-free status and focus on new technology means you can get great deals in computers, software and electronics.
There are two main districts for hi-tech goods: Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island and Mongkok in Kowloon.
Recommended shops include Wan Chai Computer Centre and the Mongkok Computer Centre. Digital Pavilion in Mongkok has high-end video mobile phones, speakers, LCD televisions and assorted hi-tech gadgetry for home entertainment.
Grab the best deals during the annual Hong Kong Summer Temptations (12 weeks from the start of July) and in the winter and summer sales when prices often fall by more than 50%.
Where to stay: Surrounded by local markets, the five-star Langham Place is in the heart of Mongkok and is directly connected to the new 600,000sq ft Langham Place Shopping Mall, where you’ll find more than 300 shops and restaurants, as well as the Mongkok MTR underground station.
Book it:Gold Medal offers four nights at the Langham Place Hotel from £799, including flights.
Best for…gold and jewellery
Where? Dubai
Why? Dubai teems with shopping malls, the newest and largest of which is the Dubai Mall, which opened last week.
Open from 10am to midnight daily, the mall has 1,200 shops and 160 food and beverage outlets.
One major feature is the world’s largest indoor gold souk, with 220 gold and jewellery stores. Designed like a souk to reflect the region’s ancient gold trade, there are winding corridors and courtyards dotted with life-size bronze animal statues.
Where to stay: The five-star Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort, which opened in May, is 20 minutes from the city on the pristine coast of the Arabian Gulf.
Swim in the warm waters of the Gulf, play golf, have a massage in the spa, go sailing or take a turn on the indoor ski slope in the Mall of the Emirates.
Book it:Travel 2/4 offers the three-night Dubai in Style trip from £2,248 per person, including bed and breakfast at the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort, business-class flights, private chauffeur for the day in Dubai, dinner cruise, car transfers and a meet-and-greet service.
Best for…black pearls
Where? Tahiti
Why? The flawless black pearls of Tahiti are farmed in the lagoons of these islands and the pearl fishers care for and harvest them by diving down and holding their breath.
The pearl’s name is a misnomer as they come in silver, grey, pink, blue and green.
Tahiti’s capital Papeete has the most magnificent covered market in the South Pacific, home to a number of pearl shops, the best of which are Robert Wan, Tahiti Pearl Market, Vendome, Michel Fouchard and Etienne Pearl Shop.
Where to stay: Set on a private motu, or mini-island, Le Taha’a is a short hop from the main island of Tahiti.
A series of boardwalks leads to 48 bungalows on stilts, which stand over the water and are flooded with turquoise light from windows that look down into the lagoon.
There’s even a window at the foot of the bed that you can lift up to feed the fish.
Book it:Pure Luxury Holidays offers seven nights’ room-only at the five-star Le Taha’a Private Island and Spa in Tahiti for £3,569 per person, departing from April 1 to May 20 2009, including flights and transfers. Book by November 30 for this offer.
