Mastering Holiday Shopping in Boston: Where to Nab Luxe Gifts, Score Deals, and Treat Yourself Along the Way
Holiday season is a special and celebratory time of year, but it can also be overwhelming. While you’re trying to find the best gifts for all the different people in your life and trying to plan for hosting or attending an event, you might also find yourself trying not to lose your mind. But there’s no reason to elongate the stress of holiday prepping—in Boston, you don’t need to inch your way slowly through your preparations, make dozens of stops to get everything you need, or drive yourself crazy.
But there’s a better way: At The Heritage On The Garden, Boston’s premier luxury enclave, not only can you take the stress out of holiday shopping, but you can actively de-stress and relax while you’re crossing off your to-do list. By dedicating a day to shopping at The Heritage, you’ll find the best of the best for the people on your gift list and get all the supplies you’ll need to host or attend a successful (and delicious) holiday party—and you’ll score moments of self-care and serenity along the way. When you’re ready to get this season’s tasks completed and actually enjoy the process of doing it, here’s your itinerary for a morning, afternoon and evening at The Heritage On The Garden.
A Morning of Self-Care
To kickstart your self-care, stop by Release Well-Being Center, a holistic wellness center and spa. At Release, you can start your day by enjoying a massage, relaxing in a sauna, receiving esthetic treatments like facials and more. Plus, the holiday season is an extra rewarding time to engage in wellness and to gift these experiences to others in your life. From December 1st through 31st, you’ll score 25 percent off any one enhancement with your service and 50 percent off any two enhancements, and membership purchases come with up to $500 in gift cards. Release also has more special offers on gift cards purchased between November 29th to December 2nd, making it easy to share wellness experiences with your loved ones.
“My ideal gift would be a day spent with someone I love enjoying the saunas and cold plunges, followed by a rejuvenating spa service at Release. These experiences not only provide a break from the hustle and bustle, but also create lasting memories,” says Linda Townsend, the founder of Release Well-Being.
Then get ready for a hair and scalp treatment at Salon Mario Russo. The Salon’s expert colorists and stylists can transform your look for a day into evening experience. “The holidays are a time to celebrate and showcase your hair for that glamorous night out,” says Mario Russo. “We are here to turn up the “heat” on your holiday hair style!”
Once you’ve de-stressed with these wellness techniques, you’ll be ready to head to The Heritage’s retailers and cross some more gift-getting off your to-do list.
An Afternoon of Luxury Shopping
Your morning of tranquility doesn’t need to stop when you start shopping. Alongside its retail catalog, The Heritage offers holiday-centric experiences to help you find the gifts you’re looking for without any of the stressing or indecision.
At GIADA, a leader in modern fashion, finding a refined and personal holiday gift for your loved one is simple—especially with their Nuvola (which means cloud in Italian) collection. These classic, purposeful pieces are tailored to the energy of this season, reflecting both city life’s sophistication and nature’s lightness. “Nuvola’s luxurious cashmere and knitwear designs offer a rare elegance and allow one to move through the season with quiet grace,” explains Beiren Zhu of GIADA.
To find the pieces most suited to your loved ones’ tastes (and to your own), GIADA has multiple holiday events and promotions coming up, from trunk shows and winter strolls to afternoon tea and special gifts. With the gift of fashion, you can help your loved ones feel and look their best this season and find the perfect looks for yourself, too.
Gifts based around experiences are always a good idea, too—and you can pick some up while you’re grabbing some mid-day fuel. Located in The Heritage, Legal Sea Foods is a great way to infuse the classic New England spirit into your Back Bay shopping day, and to spread the joy of a good meal to others in your life. Over a lunch break, you can enjoy a warm bowl of award-winning New England Clam Chowder, lobster bake or another dish, and purchase gift cards to give date nights to your loved ones. Throughout the holiday season, Legal Sea Foods gives an extra $20 bonus card for every $100 spent on gift cards.
There’s much more to love by way of retail, too—and there’s more guidance to help steer you towards the perfect gifts (for yourself and others). With comprehensive gift guides and lookbooks from Hermès, you’ll be able to use all that you know about your loved ones to find the gifts they’ll love the most—and to identify what pieces you just can’t go home without for yourself. From shoes to accessories to jewelry to luggage, Hermès has compiled the season’s best to make your holiday prep easier (and from such an iconic and chic retailer, there’s no way to go wrong). Plus, with the newly released Barenia fragrance line from Hermès, a trip to The Heritage On The Garden takes you to the cutting edge of the season’s best and brightest gifts.
For more, you won’t want to miss Audemars Piguet, a Swiss watchmaking brand that blends ancestral expertise with forward-thinking design, Anne Fontaine for the newest in Parisian luxury fashion, or any of the other lux retailers, like Bottega Veneta and St. John Boutique.
An Evening of Fine Dining
As your shopping day comes to a close, you’ll inevitably be looking forward to some dining that’s as exquisite as the retail and wellness. End your day at The Heritage with dinner and drinks at Bistro du Midi—where you can cap off your holiday-themed day in a celebratory and luxurious atmosphere.
This season, there’s a festive energy in Bistro for multiple reasons: The restaurant honors its fifteenth anniversary this season and is celebrating that milestone by offering specials that reminisce on the restaurant’s history. The anniversary celebrations are accompanied by holiday décor and special prix fixe experiences, so the holiday spirit is with you in the restaurant. And with your shopping done, you can leave any stress behind and take that cheer home with you.
“We’ll be bringing back some cocktails from fifteen years ago, from our original menu,” says executive Chef Robert Sisca. “And with the Public Garden right across the street, guests can have dinner with us then go for a walk and see the lights, after getting their shopping done all in one place.”
Not only can you take the holiday spirit with you, but you can also take Bistro’s delicious tastes with you into your own holiday gatherings. According to Bistro’s pastry Chef Tab Volpe, guests can enjoy the rich, excellent desserts from Bistro—like bûche de Noëls, a timeless holiday treat—during their holiday parties by pre-ordering. After your meal at Bistro, stop by the host stand to order ahead and seamlessly and easily blend holiday preparation into your eating experience. (Calling on the phone to order is always an option, too.) With desserts that serve 6 to 8 people in multiple flavors, you can take care of your holiday party’s sweet treats without even making an extra stop from The Heritage.
“Whether you’re traveling or having family over, you don’t have to make any dessert for the holidays,” explains Chef Volpe. You’ll be given a window to pick up your order the week of the holidays and secure a dessert that’s sure to impress.
And as you head home after a day of wellness, excellent gifts, party preparation and fine dining, you’ll have checked off your to-do list and freed yourself of any stress that comes with the holiday season. That means you’ll be able to focus on what matters most: enjoying all the festivities of this time of year and celebrating time with loved ones.
To learn more about all The Heritage on The Garden has to offer, click here.
This is a paid partnership between The Heritage On The Garden and Boston Magazine
