Destination clubs

By Adam Skolnick

exclusive resorts, real de mar, mexico

If you loathe lines and are, well, used to a certain standard of living, then you may want to tap into the latest trend for globetrotters. In increasing numbers, the top tax bracket is trading in glitzy hotel rooms for multimillion-dollar homes sprinkled throughout the best global destinations. Homes are staffed year-round by professional butlers, chefs and housekeepers and can even be reached by private jet. All it takes is one phone call – and a membership to one of a growing number of destination clubs.

Feel like a million dollars

Part luxury travel agency, part real estate co-operative, destination clubs are like time-shares on steroids. Once dismissed as a quirky indulgence, today they are now a legitimate option for those who prefer private homes to hotels but are not interested in becoming born-again homeowners. Clearly, they have a broad appeal. In the last six years, the number of clubs has increased tenfold – from four to 40. And there are big names in the mix. Steve Case, formerly of AOL, is now the CEO of Exclusive Resorts, and Ben Addoms, of Excite, founded Quintess.

quintess

The new (global) country club

The model is based on that of a country club. Just ante up the buy-in – the magic number varies from $175,000 to $425,000 USD – and the annual membership fee. Once in, you can reserve the home, or homes, of your choice for up to 90 days each year. And we're talking prime locations. Think Los Cabos, Mexico, Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, Aspen, Hawaii, Tuscany, New York City and many more. Availability is generally a non-issue because each club owns multiple properties in the most popular destinations and a new home is bought or built for every six new members.

Exclusive Resorts, the largest club and one of the first in existence, owns 280 $3-million USD homes in dozens of resort destinations, with 110 more in development. Quintess recently merged with another boutique club, Dream Catcher, and with homes valued at over $4-million USD, their standard is at the top of the market. Bonus: their OnQ concierge service, for which no task is too great. Last year, OnQ secured a rare pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes for a client's anniversary gift. They called every retail outlet in the U.S. and found the last size seven on earth.

Moneywise

The real surprise is that this ultimate indulgence may actually make economic sense. Consider the Quintess model. The homes sleep at least six, which means that for their $20,000 USD annual fee, members are essentially paying just over $100 USD per night, per person for 30 days of travel. That's pretty reasonable. The other clubs aren't far off, and memberships are at least 80 percent refundable, depending upon the club. Even in the sky's-the-limit world of luxe travel, it pays to buy in bulk.

(Adam Skolnick writes about travel, culture, adventure and health for Outside, Men's Journal, Spa and Islands Magazine.)

Getting There

Back to top