“Redefining travel retail beyond the cruise industry”: Starboard expands into land-based retail
Baubles by Starboard is a special boutique that offers fashion jewelry, permanent jewelry and customization options
Starboard Resort, Starboard Group’s new land-based vacation retail division, has officially debuted its first boutiques, with Westgate Resorts in Las Vegas as its initial partner.
The three new shops – Luxe by Starboard, The Edit by Starboard and Baubles by Starboard – are designed to transform the Westgate Las Vegas experience for guests and local visitors alike, creating an experiential retail destination featuring expertly curated assortments, personalized services, and highly engaging activations and events.
By partnering with luxury, family, spa, ski, beach and other resorts and vacation properties to elevate their retail offerings, Starboard Resort is building on its parent company’s 65-year history of creating unforgettable retail experiences for the world’s leading cruise operators. The company is now strategically expanding its reach from sea to land and leveraging its industry expertise, technology and supply chain infrastructure, and global partnerships with leading luxury, fashion, jewelry and other brands to drive engagement, revenue and loyalty for its resort partners.
Lisa Bauer, President and CEO, Starboard Group, said, “We know from our many decades of curating elevated retail environments for the world’s best cruise lines that vacationers love unique, memorable shopping experiences – but we recognized that guests at vacation resorts were often underserved when it came to retail options.
“By launching our first land-based boutiques in partnership with Westgate Las Vegas, we’re taking the first significant steps to close this gap. Our strategic expansion enables us to fully leverage our vacation retail expertise and ensure that every resort brand can offer retail experiences that delight on-site guests and appeal to local consumers looking for fresh, elevated shopping options.”
The Edit by Starboard is a destination for trendy and edgy fashion and special occasion apparel
The official launch of Starboard Resort’s retail operations coincides with the continued growth of the leisure tourism market, with Statista estimating vacationers will spend more than US$7 trillion globally this year. As the market has grown in recent years, travelers have increasingly sought unique, personalized and experiential retail offerings, often planning their trips around life events or milestones they wish to commemorate with a special purchase.
Stacy Shaw, Senior Vice President, Luxury & Resorts, Starboard Group, commented, “Expanding into land-based retail is a natural evolution for Starboard, and we are thrilled to introduce our first boutique experiences in partnership with Westgate Resorts. With Luxe by Starboard, The Edit by Starboard and Baubles by Starboard, we are bringing our deep expertise in vacation retail to create shopping destinations that captivate both resort guests and local visitors. This launch marks the beginning of an exciting journey as we continue to redefine experiential retail in premier vacation destinations worldwide.”
“At Westgate Las Vegas, we are always looking for innovative ways to enhance our guests’ experience, and our partnership with Starboard Resort marks an exciting new chapter in luxury and experiential retail,” added Cami Christensen, President & General Manager at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.
Luxe by Starboard anchors the new trio of shops at Westgate Las Vegas
“These new boutiques bring an elevated shopping experience to our resort, offering curated selections and immersive activations that perfectly complement the energy and sophistication of Las Vegas. We are proud to be the first resort to debut Starboard Resort’s visionary retail concept and look forward to delighting our guests with unique and legendary shopping moments.”
The boutiques at Westgate Las Vegas
Luxe by Starboard is a luxury boutique that anchors the new trio of shops at Westgate Las Vegas and is the sole retail offering in the resort’s main lobby. Encased in glass on three sides, Luxe by Starboard serves as a highly visible showcase and destination for guests as well as local shoppers and features an expertly curated assortment of fine jewelry, natural and lab-grown diamonds, certified preowned Swiss time pieces, and preowned and vintage designer bags and small leather goods from brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada.
The Edit by Starboard is a destination for trendy and edgy fashion and special occasion apparel for women and men, along with handbags, Westgate Resorts branded apparel, a bridal capsule, candles, fragrances and souvenirs. The shop features eveningwear, daywear and resortwear by trendsetting women’s brand VENUS, along with statement-making apparel from Lamarque, vintage-inspired graphic tees from Recycled Karma and other fashion, accessory and fashion jewelry offerings from brands such as Mary Frances, Shiraleah and America & Beyond. Men’s offerings include apparel from Psycho Bunny, 7DIAMONDS and Rock Roll n Soul, while accessories include designer sunglasses from Ray-Ban, Gucci, Prada and NYS and tech from Skullcandy.
Baubles by Starboard is a special boutique that offers fashion jewelry, permanent jewelry and customization options such as on-site engraving services, providing guests with “wearable memory” options that connect them back to their vacation experience. Shae, Starboard’s exclusive fashion jewelry brand, features prominently, along with Jet Set Candy, a travel-inspired jewelry brand featuring fun and bold charms and accessories that celebrate wanderlust and the vibrant energy of Las Vegas. The boutique is the first brick-and-mortar location for Taudrey Jewelry.
While each shop tells a unique story, collectively, the Starboard boutiques are designed to help Westgate Las Vegas guests seamlessly transition from poolside to evening events, offering coordinated looks and an extensive range of accessories to complete every outfit.
Retailtainment experiences
Starboard Resort creates bespoke shopping experiences for each of its vacation destination partners, enabling resort brands to offer differentiated, yet consistent, retail offerings that showcase the essence of each property while keeping their brand DNA at the center of the experience.
The new boutiques at Westgate Las Vegas offer unique services, highly personalized shopping experiences. At Luxe by Starboard, customers can book personal shopping appointments. The Edit by Starboard features Vegas-themed wall wraps and camera stands that make it easy to take selfies and capture “Instagram moments.” At Baubles by Starboard, customers can peruse the charm bar to customize their bracelets and necklaces with charms from Jet Set Candy and enjoy personalized services such as piercings.
