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WORDS CATRIONA HARVEY-JENNER, FARRAH STORR. PHOTOGRAPHS CAMERA PRESS/<br />
FRANK P WERTENBERG, GETTY IMAGES, IMAXTREE, DCSC STUDIO<br />
BURBERRY A/W 16<br />
A ‘junior suite’ at<br />
The View Lugano.<br />
Yeah, it’ll do<br />
that sits in the mountains like a<br />
buddha on the hill. It’s pricey, yes, but<br />
justified. There are no ‘standard room’<br />
options, only suites and a junior suite<br />
will be bigger than most people’s flats.<br />
There are Jo Malone products on the<br />
shelves, a roll-top bath in the bedroom,<br />
and a balcony with views of the<br />
glittering lake below. The hotel was<br />
designed with a nod and wink to the<br />
interiors of a yacht. For those of you<br />
unfamiliar with the interiors of a<br />
super-yacht (yep, us too), that means<br />
butlers for every room, sexy wooden<br />
interiors and a bar and restaurant that<br />
comes with a nice man who tinkles on<br />
the piano. Oh, and did we mention<br />
every room comes with its own Smart<br />
car? So it would be a crime not to<br />
explore. Italy is a 30-minute drive away,<br />
while to the north is one of the world’s<br />
biggest dams (as seen in James Bond’s<br />
GoldenEye), which, should you feel so<br />
inclined, you can throw yourself off.<br />
YOLO and everything...<br />
✱ Do it! The View Lugano, from<br />
around £545 per Junior Suite per night<br />
(Theviewlugano.com). Swissair flies from<br />
London to Lugano, from £67 one-way.<br />
SAN FRANCISCO<br />
PREMIUM OUTLET<br />
San Francisco<br />
Otherwise known as:<br />
‘The Disneyland of Outlets’.<br />
Who’s there? Anyone who’s anyone,<br />
all housed in a theme-park-style<br />
arena. But its major discounts are<br />
from US brands: J Crew; Michael<br />
Kors; Gap; Barneys Warehouse<br />
(America’s answer to Selfridges).<br />
So, what are the discounts like? We’re<br />
talking 25% to 65% off everything.<br />
But join the outlet’s VIP club online<br />
pre-trip and you’ll get dozens more<br />
discounts. Or scout out a ‘Savings<br />
Passport’ which will score you extra<br />
dollah off. (Tour operators often<br />
give these out free to international<br />
customers, or buy one there for $5.)<br />
Did we buy? Sure did – a Calvin Klein<br />
handbag. The initial outlet retail<br />
price was $139 (£105), but we got it<br />
for $51 plus tax – that’s around £40.<br />
The Calvin Klein store had a special<br />
sale (they’re nearly always on, by the<br />
way), which gave 40% off the outlet<br />
price, plus a further 40% off that.<br />
Make a holiday of it: You’ve got choices<br />
here. It’s a 40-minute drive from San<br />
Jose (Silicon Valley territory) or San<br />
Francisco. We chose San Jose, mainly<br />
because we wanted to see people<br />
walking around in Google Glasses and<br />
paying for coffee with Bitcoin. Head<br />
to Coupa Café where you’ll see both,<br />
as well as get to rub shoulders with<br />
the techerati. Once you’re done<br />
earwigging conversations about<br />
megabytes, hire a car and take a road<br />
trip to food and wine hub Napa Valley.<br />
Where are we staying, then? The San<br />
Jose Marriott is reasonable, stylish<br />
and within walking distance of pretty<br />
much everything you’ll want to see.<br />
✱ Do it! San Jose Marriott, from £131<br />
per room per night (Marriott.co.uk);<br />
British Airways Holidays has seven days<br />
from £599 per person, including flights<br />
and vintage car hire (Ba.com/car);<br />
Visitcalifornia.co.uk.<br />
Welcome to<br />
Bargain Town<br />
Lake Lugano: feel<br />
56% healthier by<br />
just looking at it<br />
MICHAEL KORS A/W 16<br />
COSMOPOLITAN · 161
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