Being part of a club entitles a member to the use of the clubs properties, and this applies whether it's a health club, a country club or a golf club. A destination club is no different. The properties offered by this sort of exclusive organization are high-quality, fully serviced, luxury vacation homes. Destination clubs offer their members a flexible alternative to luxury hotels, second homes and vacation home rentals. The clubs have properties located in a variety of destinations, sometimes on a global scale. They also provide the peace of mind that comes from knowing each home will be maintained to a consistent, very high standard.

Different people have different ideas about what makes a great vacation. For this reason, destination clubs can be found in a variety of settings. Beachfront properties are always popular (eg in Hawaii, the Caribbean, Florida, the Mediterranean) and so are mountain hideaways with access to great ski slopes (eg in Vail, Aspen, Deer Valley, Swiss Alps). Locations in leisure resorts offer superb golfing, spa and other relaxation opportunities, while urban apartments provide luxurious city accommodation.

Clubs typically provide a full range of services both before and during a stay, so that members can enjoy relaxing, stress free vacations. They help members with all their pre-trip planning, making flight arrangements and organizing ground transportation. Prior to the member's arrival, the kitchen will be stocked with both groceries and beverages that the member requests. A similar service will be available in the living areas, with books, games, entertainment and even fresh flowers provided according to the member's wishes. Daily or weekly housekeeping is also part of the package. A local concierge will be on hand to arrange tickets and reservations for any on site activities that the members would like to participate in. This can include tee times at the local golf course, spa bookings and dinner reservations at exclusive restaurants amongst many others. Clubs will also arrange for a personal chef to come in and cook either a special meal or every meal, if that's what a member would like. Anything that might be needed to accommodate small children (highchairs, playpens, safety gates) can also be installed, and nannies, babysitters or tutors can be organized for older kids.

As a guide to the standard of property available, the homes have a typical market value of $2+ million, with different clubs offering various levels of homes. In metropolitan areas, the accommodation will have a floor space of around 1,500 square feet. Beach front and more rural retreats have more land in general, so floor space can be anything up to 6,000 square feet. The inner city locations tend to be made up of luxury condominiums, and feature all the associated amenities. Beachfront and scenic retreats are usually freestanding houses with 3-, 4-, 5- or even more bedrooms, often surrounded by well-tended gardens and secluded enough to offer a real sense of privacy. The spacious nature of the homes is perfect for large families and groups of friends to all vacation together.

The cost of joining a destination club can be split into three categories. There's the initial payment to join, annual membership dues, and occasionally a nightly fee for staying in the accommodation. All of these amounts vary enormously depending on the club, the properties in its portfolio and the level of membership.

• High-end accommodation in the $3m - $5m range offers the greatest degree of luxury and and the most spacious and spectacular facilities. Typically there will be an initial fee of $150,000+ and annual membership dues of $15,000+.
• The clubs with homes in the $1.5m to $3m range offer a slightly more modest degree of luxury. An initial payment might start at around $75,000 and annual membership dues of $6,000.

In a few destination clubs, the members do not have any legal ownership interests in the properties. These clubs typically pay back about 75% of the initial payment when you leave the club. Some clubs, do offer their members the opportunity to benefit from the market performance of the valuation of their properties. And in other clubs members have an actual equity participation and are shareholders in a property owning company.

Destination Clubs and Private Residence Clubs have a lot in common but also have some differences. If you're considering one you should certainly look at the other. Read our article "The Difference between Destination Clubs and Private Residence Clubs" as a starting point in your research.

Destination Clubs are also an alternative to owning a second home, there are pros and cons on both sides which you can read about in the article linked above.

For more information on destination clubs you can start at "Compare destination clubs" which lists the main clubs.