Holiday shopping can be exhausting! It’s only November and already it seems like there are no parking spaces left at the mall, and it’s difficult to maneuver past shoppers carrying huge purchases.
Not only am I stressed out about the fact that I’ve hardly started my holiday shopping, but the idea of fighting the crowds at the mall can be daunting.
Last week I was lucky enough to attend the launch of the RBC Avion Holiday Boutique at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and my visit was enough to calm my shopping nerves!
The RBC Avion Holiday Boutique is an exclusive private space in the mall just for RBC Avion cardholders available until December 31st.
My night as an Avioner began with complimentary valet parking. Oh, how I love valet parking! It was a rainy night so it was lovely to walk a couple dry steps from my car to the mall.
The RBC Avion Holiday Boutique is easy to spot, and upon entrance I was greeted warmly and provided a tour of the space. My first stop was the coat and parcel check. I loved that I could drop my coat off so I could relax while I shopped and hung out in the lounge. The parcel check is a great idea as well with the size of my shopping list this year!
Next I headed over to the bar and cafe for some festive snacks and drinks. They had everything from specialty coffee’s to champagne! The snacks weren’t too shabby either.
For all in-mall purchases at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre location, there is a free gift wrapping service in the lounge. There was a rather large area for gift wrapping so I doubt a person would need to wait at all to have their purchases wrapped. What an awesome service – I would love to leave the mall with my gifts already wrapped!
There were plenty of comfy chairs to relax in, there were magazines, and even a Concierge to help ensure you had a great stay in the lounge. They had a flat screen TV to take a break with, and even children’s books on the shelves!
As I ventured around the space eating a rather tasty gingerbread man, I thought to myself, wow that guy really looks like Kardinal Offishall
Soon the music started, and suddenly Kardinal Offishall was performing a private concert just for this intimate crowd! He sang some holiday songs with Choir! Choir! Choir! and it was a pretty awesome surprise.
Next up at the launch we watched a gift wrapping competition between the holiday gift wrapping team from the lounge versus three Canadian Olympians. It was a really fun competition, and it topped off a great night.
I can’t tell you how much I loved the RBC Avion Holiday Boutique. It was such a great experience, and I cannot wait to go back. Being an Avioner has some serious perks! I love the idea of free valet parking to avoid fighting for a parking spot.
Coat check and parcel check are incredibly convenient! It’s so much easier to shop when you aren’t sweating in your jacket or lugging around heavy bags.
I can’t wait to head back to the lounge to relax for a bit and have a drink and a snack in between shopping! It all makes for a pretty refined shopping experience that I could totally get used to.
The RBC Avion Holiday Boutique will also be available in Burnaby, BC in Metropolis at Metrotown, and RBC Avion Experiences will be open in Halifax at the Halifax Shopping Centre and in Ottawa at the St. Laurent Centre. The RBC Avion Experiences include a gift wrapping voucher for an in-mall gift wrap centre, snacks and beverages, and a festive holiday gift.
For more information visit www.rbc.com/avionvip.
Disclosure: I am part of the RBC® Avion Holiday Boutique Influencer Campaign and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
