In theory, spending an afternoon soaking up the holiday spirit at the mall sounds idyllic. Children posing with Santa, quaint little holiday villages popping up in corners, garlands and bows adorning every railing, and enticing sales to score the perfect gifts. But reality has a way of dashing those sugarplum dreams. The moment you roll into the parking lot, the ferocity of Miami drivers slams into you like a sack of coal and the fantasy crumbles, replaced by chaos, long lines and endless crowds. And on this last weekend before Christmas? A winter wonderland, the mall is not.
But what if last-minute holiday shopping could actually feel, dare I say, luxurious? Imagine my delight when, instead of braving the madness on my own, a private chauffeur arrived at my doorstep, ready to whisk me away for a day of stress-free holiday shopping! Enter Blacklane. The private, on-demand car service has launched a Holiday Chauffeur package (offered through January 2, 2025), which promises to transform the stress of gift shopping into an experiential treat. Available in Miami, New York, London and Dubai, it includes five hours of chauffeur service complete with curated routes to top shopping spots and festive attractions.
First stop: Miami Design District
My driver, Sergio, picked me up in a brand new Mercedes-Benz EQS EV packed with water (at different temperatures!), chargers (for all kinds of phones!), mints and the sound of smooth jazz (because what else do private chauffeurs listen to?), making it his mission to never let me touch the door handle, to ride comfortably and to want for nothing. We exchanged pleasantries as he whisked me off to my first destination: The Miami Design District.
Now, we all know the Miami Design District as a place where you drop the Benjamins on big-ticket luxury items: Louis Vuitton bags, Gucci shoes, Hermes belts, Loro Piana Sweaters, whatever “drops” at Kith or OffWhite. This is where you come to treat those most special to you: your lover, your mom, yourself. But did you know it’s also a great place to discover really unique gifts for your wider pool of loved ones, particularly from local brands?
Within the neighborhood, you’ll find the local skate shop Andrew, which sells Miami-focused tees, hoodies, accessories and skateboards. Right next door, there’s Dale Zine, our high-key favorite place to find independent books, magazines and Miami-focused paraphernalia, like Westofchester’s ABCs of Miami book, fun for little ones, or Ventanitas, an essential coffee table book for those sustained only by cortaditos.
Newly opened in the neighborhood is Kirna Zabête, a luxurious multi-brand boutique that’s filled with fun objects, women’s clothing and accessories that’ll impress your most discerning friends. For their opening during Art Basel, they brought in these fabulous rainbow-hued mushroom stools by local artist Gabriela Noelle—a whimsical addition to any living space.
Speaking of homeware, the district is replete with knick-knack shops like Jonathan Adler (chic and colorful), Simona (fine porcelain and glass) and Design Within Reach (for design lovers). It’s a treasure trove, too, for jewelry: at FoundRae, splurge on 18K gold chains and medallions that are sure to become heirlooms or head to Gorjana for affordable studs, necklaces and more.
What I love most about shopping in the Design District, is the creative ambiance of the neighborhood. When you need a shopping break, you can pause for selfies at its myriad interactive public art installations, like Nicole Nomsa Moyo’s “Pearl Jam,” a jewelry-themed series of sculptures you could sit on or hang from, as one might a jungle gym, or dine at a number of fantastic restaurants, from Elastika to the double Michelin-starred L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. This is where I refueled after a morning of tedious credit card swiping. Sergio refused to let me carry my bags, let alone walk to the restaurant, so he gave me a ride from the Palm Court to Paradise Plaza. I mean, what else is one with a shopping chauffeur to do?!
Second stop: Brickell City Centre
After a buzzy little lunch, it was off to our next shopping destination: Brickell City Centre. Unless you live in the neighborhood, it might not come to mind for holiday shopping, but BCC has everything you’ve come to expect from your standard mall in a relaxed, cosmopolitan atmosphere. You’ve got an anchor, Saks Fifth Avenue, plus plenty of common but essential retailers like Zara, Sephora, Nike, H&M and Anthropologie. If you’re hungry, you can pop into Casa Tua Cucina, which also has a market stocked with gifts for the gourmands in your life, like quality olive oils and classic Italian panettone cakes.
What comes to my mind when thinking about Brickell City Centre are the smells (good ones!). There’s Aesop, Aqua Di Parma, Diptyque, Jo Malone and even Bath & Body Works. My personal favorite for unique scents is Santa Maria Novella, the world’s oldest apothecary, with a lineup of perfumes, candles and potpourri that whisper, “Here’s a fancy little gift for you, amore.” I bought a couple of colognes for the fam and then rushed over to the free gift wrap station —because girls with chauffeurs shant wrap their own.
Third stop: The spa, obv
After about four hours of shopping, I had officially dropped. Thankfully, I had a spa appointment waiting for me. I rang for Sergio who came to my rescue, relieving me of my newly purchased gifts, whisking both them and me to the car. He booked it over to Equinox at the Four Seasons in Brickell, getting me there just in time for a signature massage. (Though, thanks to this luxury shopping experience, the knots in my back were few.) I emerged refreshed and revitalized, a feeling I had never experienced before while holiday shopping. As expected, Sergio was waiting for me at the valet station, the door already open. As we rode down Biscayne, the sun setting to the west of us, I couldn’t help but sigh: I could get a little too used to this life.
The takeaway
My experience was covered by Blacklane, but this five-hour “Holiday Chauffeur” would normally ring in at about $440. Steep? Perhaps. But stretching out in the back seat had me actually feeling nostalgic for all the years spent marathon shopping for the holidays with my family. I can’t quite remember what was bought when or for who, but those memories made holiday shopping—the laughter, the chaos, the shared moments—are the true gifts of the season. And if hiring a chauffeur for a day can turn a hectic holiday errand into a cherished tradition, whether it’s filled with family laughter, girlfriend banter or Champagne toasts in the backseat, then it’s a little slice of holiday magic you’ll treasure long after the gifts are unwrapped.
