The VIP Shopper Lounge at the Citadel Outlets
During happy hour a friend mentioned how her mother never taught her how to bargain shop. She looked to me for suggestions, mostly tips, on what to do to update her wardrobe without spending a pretty penny. "Go to the Outlets," I told her.
"But we don't have outlets in Los Angeles..and, I don't want to drive to the dessert."
"Um...I don't want to drive to the dessert either, that's why I recommend that you go to the Citadel Outlets."Truth be told, this conversation happened - but it wasn't me advising a friend to go to an outlet, that was a friend telling me.
It happened almost a year ago. I had yet to go to the Citadel Outlets since that conversation until I was invited to their blogger preview.
Honestly? I had a misconception about outlet shopping; mostly due to the fact that the only outlets I stepped foot in were in the dessert and weren't all that great. The Citadel Outlets doesn't fall in either category.Main Entrance
Just a short drive from Downtown Los Angeles (even driving directly from my Westside home, took less than an hour); the Citadel Outlets is located behind a GORGEOUS Assyrian castle facade.Craig Reality, the folks behind the Citadel Outlets, put unique touches on this building and shopping experience that are not found anywhere else. From murals painted by a local artist to special perfume wafting through the center's plumbing center, there's love and care put into every inch of the Citadel Outlets.The outlet center itself is set-up as an outside mall. The big difference from other outlets, is that the Citadel Outlets has various benches, areas to sit and mingle, trees for shade, and basically a nice set-up to take a stroll. Not only that, but the Citadel Outlets also host weekend live music, making shopping feel more like an experience and less like a drag.
As locals, we can appreciate all these touches, but those of you that are planning on visiting Los Angeles in the near future will appreciate the complimentary luggage storage, concierge service, foreign currency exchange, and multi-language signage,
The Citadel Outlets also offers guided tours and shopping packages, such as the newly introduced "Shop Until You Drop Off...at LAX," program, which is exactly what it states: shop all day, and the Citadel Outlets shuttle service will drop you off at LAX when you're done!