Stay in luxury, shop in luxury

Paul Clinton

Capitalizing on a fresh wave of luxury-minded shoppers brought by the

new hotels on the coastline, the area’s two powerhouse shopping

centers have stepped up their efforts to form business partnerships.

South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island, two centers that draw

legions of shoppers annually, now offer various perks and shopping

packages for guests of the coast’s ritziest hotels.

“We certainly have a preponderance of luxury hotels opening up,”

said Werner Escher, South Coast Plaza’s executive director of

tourism. “We have the highest concentration of marquis, brand-name

labels of any planned retail center.”

Escher said he classifies 53 of the plaza’s 280 stores as luxury.

A number of the about 200 stores at Fashion Island would also fall

into that category.

Emphasizing luxury shopping with a series of special packages goes

hand in hand with luxury hotel guests, said Shayne Voorheis, Fashion

Island’s sales and marketing director.

“It’s a very important market for us,” Voorheis said. “All of

these resorts complement our atmosphere.”

In less than a year, three new hotels have been built along the

Orange County coast -- the St. Regis Monarch Beach Hotel & Spa, the

Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa and the rebuilt Balboa

Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach.

And in late June, the Irvine Co. announced it would build a

204-room resort on 92 acres around the Pelican Hills Golf Course.

Last week, South Coast Plaza held an exhibit, “Riviera of the

Pacific,” in which four coastal hotels set up mock-guest rooms and

offered information to shoppers. Escher and other plaza managers have

developed a number of perks to entice luxury shoppers to Tiffany &

Co., La Perla, Chanel, Escada and other high-end shops.

In addition to passing out a luxury brochure, plaza owners C.J.

Segerstrom & Sons are offering complimentary valet parking at four

stations and a personal shopper service in which guests can request,

with 24 hours notice, help to streamline a day at the center.

Hotel guests can set up a consultation with a concierge and center

officials to determine which stores can best suit the shopper’s

needs. Upper echelon clients can reserve a personal shopper.

In addition, South Coast Plaza offers a package that includes, for

just shy of $300, two nights at the Westin South Coast Plaza and a

$100 gift certificate usable in any store.

The hotels have embraced the new partnership as a natural way to

link luxury products.

“South Coast Plaza is a major attraction in Orange County,” said

Henry Schielein, the Bay Club’s president. “It has fabulous stores

and it’s great exposure to the resorts along the coast here.”

Managers of Fashion Island, which is owned by the Irvine Co., have

struck partnership deals with four of the surrounding hotels,

including the Four Seasons in Newport Beach. They are now negotiating

with the Bay Club to tailor a package for guests there.

Guests at the Four Seasons can purchase the “Soak, Swing and Shop”

package, which includes one night’s stay, a V.I.P. Passport, valet

parking and a $25 gift certificate at any store. The passport

includes a bag of goodies and coupons that can be used at about 20

stores.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

paul.clinton@latimes.com.