Luxury travel isn’t just limited to fancy hotels, high-end restaurants, the best shopping, and the most exclusive beaches. These days, if you have the money to spend, you can afford to trump even the highest of high-end and reserve time in some of the most fantastic homes all over the world. ForbesTraveler published an article about the rise of these Destination Clubs, but at Perfect Escapes, we also give you direct ways to find out more information from the top of the business – the Helium Report.
Perfect Escapes has partnered with the experts at Helium Report to offer our members free access to Helium’s popular Decision Guide to Destination Clubs.
If – like many frequent guests of luxury hotels – you have considered the benefits of high-end destination club membership as an alternative to owning a vacation property, you can’t afford to miss this opportunity. This 50-page report compares the benefits of all 24 destination clubs listed below, and provides the answers you need to make a smart decision. Helium analysts interview club executives, speak with members, and compare the different options.
The Decision Guide to Destination Clubs explains the risks and rewards of membership. Learn more about member-to-home ratios, holiday reservations, definitions of key terms, and how destination clubs can actually be cheaper than staying in a luxury hotel. An invaluable resource, the guide also includes 175 questions you need to ask before joining any destination club.
You can find information on the following Destination Clubs in the Helium Report:
Ultra-Luxury Destination Clubs
• Yellowstone Club World
• Ciel
• Solstice
• My Global Playground
Luxury Destination Clubs
• Premier Destinations
• Exclusive Resorts
• M Private Residences
• The Hideaways Club
• The Oyster Circle
• Quintess, The Leading Residences of the World
• Crescendo
• The LUSSO Collection
• Private Escapes Pinnacle
• The Markers
• Portofino Club
• Ultimate Resort
• Private Escapes Platinum
• BelleHavens
Premium Destination Clubs
• Portofino Club (Signature)
• Private Escapes Premiere
• High Country Club
• Fly Fishing Destinations
Below is an abstract of the Forbes Traveler artcle – The Rise of Destination Clubs:
“As family travel has grown in popularity, so have destination clubs, which offer affluent vacationers a relatively new way to travel. The major selling point: destination clubs offer both the space and privacy of private homes as well as all the services that come with staying at a luxury resort.
Unlike fractional residences or timeshares, destination clubs for the most part do not give members an ownership stake in real estate (though there are a couple of exceptions to this rule, including BelleHavens.). Rather, the typical destination club is structured more like a country club, with members on average paying anywhere from $200,000 to $400,000 in the form of a membership deposit (usually 80% refundable), and annual dues that range from around $15,000 to $30,000 on top of that. This sizeable investment allows the use of whatever properties the club owns for a set number of days in a year, with locations from the Bahamas to Tuscany. Clubs typically offer concierge services such as stocking the fridge, housecleaning and helping with travel arrangements.
The industry was launched in 1998, with a company called Private Retreats that is no longer in existence (more on that later). Now there are more than 20 clubs, according to industry consulting firm Helium Report. The largest club by far is Exclusive Resorts — chaired by America Online co-founder Steve Case — which boasts about 2,500 members and more than 300 properties, for about a 65 percent share of the destination club market. The membership fee to join Exclusive Resorts is $475,000, and annual dues are $27,500. The second-largest club, Ultimate Resorts, has 775 members and 105 homes in 26 locations (membership deposit $215,000; annual dues $22,000).
There are a handful of clubs that focus on travelers with a particular interest, such as fly-fishing or golf. And there are some super-luxury clubs with a very limited membership and only a handful of homes. One example: Solstice, with 9 homes (plus one under construction) with an average value of $6 million, and a membership of deposit of $875,000 plus annual dues of $42,000.”
