Bicester Village, one of the UK’s best outlet malls, has been one of my favourite spots to pick up designer outfits and accessories at a steal of a price. So, it as OBVIOUSLY one of the first places that I wanted to visit when I came to the UK.

But this time, I decided to shop with style through The Apartment, Bicester Village’s VIP shopping experience - and it was MAGNIFICENT. I’ve never felt safer shopping in a Covid-19 world.

Here’s what it’s like:

On Arrival

A parking space was allocated for my car right in front of the apartment which is located near Polo Ralph Lauren and Burberry Women. This was the closest parking to the shops, so I was highly appreciative about this.

Once parked, you are greeted by a porter who escourts you to the main reception of the Apartment where you are checked in.

The Apartment

Once you confirm your identity, you are taken up to the 1st floor by your own personal concierge. It is here that you are offered unlimited beverages, whether its a cheeky champagne or a warm cuppa - all are included!

Your concierge will then explain how the VIP service works and check you in properly in your own private area, some of which have private changing rooms. This was extremely useful as in this covid-19 world you can’t try on clothing anymore in the majority of shops.

I made the most of this and tried on everything I purchased in case it didn’t fit/suit me. I did this so I could return the items immediately instead of making a second trip back for returns.

The check-in process took about half an hour, and we enjoyed it with a hot pot of tea and some delicious croissants. In the afternoon, we were given mini cakes and snacks similar to those served during an afternoon tea. It was all very fancy.

The best part of the Apartment is that you can visit it throughout the day - i.e. when your feet hurt. In my opinion it’s the best place for a partner that gets bored of shopping - I would honestly just leave them there to make use of the free wifi and drinks/snacks :P

Other than ditching your partner in a guilt-free way, other perks of the Apartment include:

Handsfree Shopping

This allowed us to travel around Bicester Village without carrying our shopping. When we made a purchase, we showed the store a QR code on our phone, they scanned it, then packed up our shopping to be collected by the porter and taken to the apartment.

At the end of the day, we checked all our bags had arrived at the apartment and then the porter put them in the car for us. We didn’t have to lift a finger!

VIP Discount

At check-in, you are given a VIP pass (QR code) which is valid for 24 hours and can be downloaded to the mobile wallet on your phone. This code allows you to get an additional discount (often 10%) at certain outlet stores. That’s right, discount on discount - Ka-ching!

Beating the queues

If you’re a frequent visitor of Bicester Village, then you’ll know that some of the top designers e.g. Gucci, Moncler, Christian Louboutin etc. often have huge queues outside which can take hours.

As a VIP you can jump these queues by booking a time to visit your selected store through your concierge at the apartment. Leaving you with more time to spend that dough.

How to book

As a member of Home House, this VIP service was free for me and I booked it through the club. I just had to arrange it 24 hours in advance of my visit.

However, this experience can be paid for too. For more information on the shopping experience and pricing, please click on the button below.

Want to know more about this experience? Don’t hesitate to contact me or ask a question in the comments below.