4 Luxury Hotel Concierges Reveal Where Wealthy Tourists Shop

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We locals know where to spend it all, but are out-of-towners up to speed? We checked in with concierges at four of our city's most swanky hotels—Hotel Bel-Air, SLS Hotel, The Beverly Hilton and The Peninsula—to find out their tourists' top retail requests. While there are certainly some no-brainer picks (Rodeo, Robertson, Fred Segal), we did find a few surprises. Alex Niezoda at Hotel Bel-Air starts us off below.

Most requested shopping stretches: "Melrose Place and Rodeo Drive have great name recognition. I also get a lot of requests that start with 'What's the name of that street?' and 99 times out of 100, the answer is Robertson Blvd. I'm surprised that Abbot Kinney still isn't as well known to tourists; it's such a fabulous stretch of one-off shops and quality restaurants."

Global visitor patterns: "Lately, the French have really been doing their homework! They have been going off the beaten path, asking more and more about the Silver Lake and Sunset Junction area. Many Canadians, because they watch the same TV and read the same celebrity gossip as us, know about Maxfield and Fred Segal. And in the summer, after they've shopped their way across Beverly Hills, Saudis like to do a day trip to visit the luxury brands at South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island in Orange County."

Most requested American brands: "Parents of teens are always asking for the nearest all-American stalwarts, such as Abercrombie and Hollister."

Most requested shopping stretches: "Guests of all countries are constantly eager to see Rodeo Drive and walk around the areas of Beverly Hills. In addition, they often hear about some of the larger stores in LA, such as Kitson and Fred Segal, so those are of interest. We also receive many questions for hidden gems, such as the stretches on Abbot Kinney."

Global visitor patterns: "We are often seeing Japanese inquiries about Melrose shops. We also receive specific requests for Opening Ceremony and other high-end streetwear shops. The French are often inquiring about APC, love Alexander McQueen and frequent Fred Segal and Maxfields."

Most requested American brands: "We often get requests for Kitson, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Girl, Lululemon and Free City. Although not fashion per se, international clientele is often inquiring for specific cosmetic lines (in particular Kiehls, and Nars)."

Most requested shopping stretches: "Rodeo Drive is the number one request. Second would be Robertson Blvd; many people ask about Kitson and The Ivy."

Global visitor patterns: "We get more Italian than French visitors. The younger visitors ask for Abercrombie & Fitch at the Grove. Japanese tourists always inquire about Fred Segal and Gucci."

Most requested American brands: "The most popular American brand people inquire about is Tiffany & Co."

Most requested shopping stretches: "Rodeo Drive, Robertson Blvd and Melrose Ave."

Global visitor patterns: "European guests tend to be looking for more bespoke items and one-of-a-kind shops such as Kelly Wearstler, Rubin and Chapelle and Fred Segal. Asian guests tend to gravitate more to the big brand names found on Rodeo Drive, such as Prada, Armani and Chanel. Russian guests are interested in vintage like American Rag, contemporary chic like Kitson and Tory Burch, and classic brands found in Beverly Hills."

Most requested American brands: "Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Kate Spade, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren."
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