SOME travellers seek culture and history, others want watersports and bungee jumping.
But there is a growing number of style-savvy holidaymakers who like nothing better than to travel with their Louis Vuitton cases empty in order to spend a vacation shopping till they drop and filling them up with designer labels for the journey home.
Criss-crossing the globe in search of the ultimate bargain or fashion must-have, trendy travellers can't afford to miss New York, Paris, Hong Kong, London or Milan off their shopping list of destinations. And for every shopping mecca, it goes without saying that there's a choice of beautifully dressed hip hotels in which to hang their designer hats.
NEW YORKThe dollar may have strengthened a little against the pound but you can still get plenty of bang for your buck in the Big Apple. However, shopping here is a national pastime and must be planned with military precision, area by area.
Launch your attack in Midtown, with glossy department stores such as Saks, Bloomingdales and Bergdorf Goodman. Tiffany, Bulgari and Cartier are best for a girl's best friend, while those who worship at the soles of Manolo Blahnik can visit his shop on West 54th Street. High-end designers on Fifth Avenue include Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Fendi. But more mid-range budgets aren't left out of the mix: the flagship Abercrombie and Fitch store is on Fifth, as is a giant H&M.
Make your next stop Downtown, in Soho and Nolita, where the shops are smaller and quirkier. On your way, visit Patricia Field's iconic two-level store on the Bowery for a slice of Sex and the City style. Kate Spade is the place for accessories; Rebecca Taylor for pretty, whimsical dresses.
Make a trip to Chinatown to pick up your (shhh!) homage handbags. And no spending spree is complete without a visit to Century 21, on Cortlandt Street – where else could you pick up a piece of Marc Jacobs cashmere for 200 or Cavalli sunglasses for just 30?
Where to stay 60 Thompson (www.60 thompson.com), in the heart of Soho, is all muted colours, deep-buttoned banquettes and a view to kill for from the rooftop bar. Condé Nast Traveller called it one of the world's five hottest hotels.
HONG KONGThis is the place with the highest per capita rate of Prada stores in the world, and where giant shopping malls sprinkle the city like bees round cherry blossom; proof, if it were needed, that Hong Kong takes its shops seriously. Sometimes there are even queues to get into them.
But it's not just big-name designers you need to keep an eye out for; this is the place where you'll pick up custom-made suits from poky little flats downtown and bargains galore in the markets of Kowloon. Avoid Stanley Market, which tends to be over-priced, and make instead for the Ladies' Market, on Tung Choi Street, Mongkok.
For a classic buy, big spenders head for Shanghai Tang (Pedder Building), a favourite with celebrities such as Liv Tyler and Jerry Hall, who love the eastern designs with a contemporary edge. Down the street, On Pedder may be a little out of most people's price ranges but, oh, so much to covet, with accessories from the likes of Erickson Beamon and Christian Louboutin.
The Joyce Warehouse, in New World Tower, is best for bargain Yohji, Issey and more; but for newer names worth watching, check out Tsumori Chisato and Vert Dense, in Causeway Bay.
Where to stay The Peninsula (www.penin sula.com) may be celebrating its 80th birthday this year, but it's way ahead of the pack in terms of contemporary styling. The Philippe Starck-designed Felix restaurant, on the 28th floor, boasts breathtaking views of the harbour and Kowloon. And even here there is no escape from the shops. It has its own arcade, with brands including Tiffany, Chanel, Dior, Cartier, Prada, Hermès, Shanghai Tang and Graff. Phew!
PARISSince the days when Louis XIV sent ambassadors to neighbouring countries carrying dolls wearing the latest fashions, Paris has been known as the capital of style. Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Givenchy; all are synonymous with Paris, and still going strong thanks to the talents of modern, forward-looking designers.
The classic labels tend to cluster around Faubourg Saint-Honoré, between the Louvre and Opera, though you will also find one or two cutting-edge names here, such as Colette. Housed in a stunning art nouveau building with a huge glass dome, the legendary Galeries Lafayette department store, on Boulevard Haussmann, is full of designer clothes, jewellery and interiors, as well as a food hall to tempt any gourmand.
But if you're looking for something with that extra little je ne sais quoi, take the Metro Saint-Paul to the Marais quarter. The area's architecture is in stark contrast to the rest of central Paris, with narrow cobbled streets and pretty squares. Don't miss the flagship Gaspard Yurkievich store for sexy, minimalist clothing and accessories, and Mademoiselle Vegas, which specialises in rock'n'roll style – with a range of LA designers and vintage-style Hawaiian shirts, as well as its own 'tattooed' clothing.
The city's largest and oldest flea market, at Saint-Ouen, is held daily and is great for a vintage find, while more than 180 shops are hidden in the subterranean shopping centre that is Les Halles. The bargains to be had make up for the lack of fresh air.
Where to stay Bold and luxurious, the Hotel Le Walt (www.hotel-lewalt.com) boasts curvaceous purple sofas, sheer, floor-to-ceiling drapes, an intimate interior garden and dramatic works of art that act as headboards to each bed. Designed by Paul Sartres, the man behind the Mamounia in Marrakech, the atmosphere is both warm and contemporary. Plus, you're right in the heart of the shopping centre, just a few steps from the Eiffel Tower and within walking distance of the Champs-Elysées.
LONDONIf its designer threads you're after, head for Browns in South Molton and Sloane Streets. The shops have been selling avant-garde labels for more than 30 years, and have the best from the likes of Balenciaga, John Galliano and Dries van Noten. Over in the east, at Start in Shoreditch, you'll find Gok Wan's catwalk challenger, Brix Smith-Start, selling the latest must-haves, while the Hoxton Boutique has been top of the style-savvy's list since it opened in 2000, with niche labels like Paul & Joe Sister, MM6 and Hussein Chalayan, as well as the difficult to track Dr Denim.
If bargains are more your style, head to the East End, which has gems galore – including the Burberry Factory shop in Hackney, where classic macs can be snapped up for as little as half price and imperfects go for a snip.
When the cards are starting to max out, take a break from the shops without abandoning the fashion theme – have a wander around the Victoria and Albert Museum in Cromwell Road, where four centuries of fashion cover the journey from corsets to Chanel and back again.
Where to stay Just a short carrier-bag-laden stagger around the corner from Chanel, Paul Smith, Ralph Lauren, Jean Paul Gaultier, Nicole Farhi and Joseph is Myhotel Chelsea (www.myhotels.co.uk). It may be small and club-like, but it is big on light and luxury – with Thai silk comforters, large bathrooms and flatscreen TVs.
Fashion weekenders could rest their oh-so weary feet at the Cumberland (www.guoman.com/cumberland), at the top of Park Lane. And if it's über-chic that turns you on, you can't beat the Hempel (www.the-hempel.co.uk), located just off Bayswater Road – but you might want to restrict the number of carrier bags you cart back through reception, as it's a temple to all things minimalist, where less is definitely more.
MILANIt's the place that Donatella Versace calls home, so pack your shades, your fake bake and your Good Hair Day straighteners. Milan means Missoni, Armani and Prada. It's the capital of cool and has more top-end stores in the Quadrilatero d'Oro than you can shake a Gucci bag at. There are less dangerously priced shops on Corso Buenos Aires, where you will be able to do more than press your nose against the glass, and for those whose credit is definitely feeling the crunch, Europe's biggest designer outlet, McArthurGlen, is at Serravalle Scrivia.
The only thing the Milanese like almost as much as fashion is football, closely followed by lunch, so don't be surprised if the shops shut for an hour at midday. Never fear, though, they will reopen for a second half, so take the opportunity to visit L'Incoronata, in the Garibaldi district, for a blend of Italian, Arabian and Japanese food.
Where to stay Nestling by the Duomo is the Hotel Straf (www.straf.it), an art installation in itself, where small pets are welcome but children aren't. Or there's the Bulgari Hotel (www.bulgarihotels.com), a minimalist haven of exquisiteness with a personal shopper and meditation area, but it's pricey at around £400 a night.
However, if you have to spend all of your money on accommodation, save on dinner in the evenings by filling up on the plentiful aperitivo, or free snacks, that are commonplace in Milan's bars.
As long as you remember to stick to a small titbit in each, you can rub shoulder-pads with the beautiful people until the wee small hours in the Emporia Armani Caffé, Gucci Caffé or the Dolce & Gabbana Martini Bar, and save your money for the more important things in life – shoes and bags.
