Destination clubs, residence funds and luxury travel clubs provide their members with access to multiple luxury vacation homes, located all over the world. The homes are typically multi-million dollar residences, and are sited in major cities, at beaches, in mountains and leisure locations.
Membership of the clubs is an alternative to buying a second home. The clubs are sometimes also compared to, or even mixed up with, private residence clubs, but there are several key differences between the two.
If you're just starting out learning about the clubs and funds read the overview and the glossary. Then you can start to compare them in the comparison table. One way to financially compare them is using a cost per night calculation and we've provided downloadable spreadsheets for these calculations. Here are the top reasons to join a club, but they are not for everybody and here are the reasons not to join.
And for a real in-depth look at the clubs, their homes and services, comparisons to alternatives and questions to consider before joining, download our Guide for Prospective Members.
The map shows some of the main destinations where the clubs have homes. Click on the markers to see the actual homes.
The latest news and research on the clubs is included below.
Destination club M Private Residences has made some key changes to its pricing, structure and membership plans. This includes introducing a secondary market for membership share sales.
With this weeks announcement of a restructuring at High Country Club the members have an interesting decision to make. Here's our take on the key points to consider.
The current economy is severely affecting High Country Club. It is cutting the number of homes, asking members to pay increased dues but also allowing members to resell their memberships. It has already reduced staff levels.
"Is Graham Kos crazy?" that's how the founder of destination club Solstice opened the conversation when SherpaReport talked to him about ending the lower end membership plan and raising the prices for the clubs other two membership plans.
Luxury destination club Distinctive Holiday Homes is offering a special upgrade offer during October. New members will receive either a complimentary one membership plan upgrade, or a complimentary 7 night stay with a pre-paid membership card.
This new destination club had just started its launch program this summer, but in the current financial market turmoil has decided not to move forwards.
The SherpaReport in-depth "Destination Clubs: A Guide for Prospective Members" has been extremely popular since we first published it last year. The newest edition has been brought up to date with details on all the new clubs, merged clubs, new membership plans and services.
Renting a vacation home or villa is an established option for family vacations. The destination clubs provide a full service alternative for discerning families. The key differences are covered here.
Ultimate Escapes is gearing up for ski season. With the two new homes that it just opened in Steamboat Springs it has a total of 5 homes across the three different destination club levels.
For its first European residence, destination club Lusso has chosen a meticulously restored 5 bedroom farmhouse, situated just outside Cortona in Tuscany.
Abercrombie & Kent are launching their new destination club today with a "Founders Offer", providing some special benefits for new members.
The South African equity destination club Dream Circle, launched at the end of last year. We recently touched base with Ian Beauchamp the clubs Managing Director.
Off-season on the island of Abaco in the Bahamas is profoundly and refreshingly quiet. For a city-dwelling New Yorker like me, the silence was almost ghostly, but completely rejuvenating. On Abaco, you share the roads with large land crabs instead of taxis, and on a typical outing are likely to encounter more butterflies than people.
Additional travel offerings amongst the major destination clubs are evolving rapidly. The trend is to offer one-of-a kind vacation adventures, providing more travel options for members in addition to stays at the clubs luxury vacation homes.
The Markers, a destination club for avid golfers, has formed recent partnerships to give its members access to new golf courses and new residences around the world.
With the membership plan changes that Distinctive Holiday Homes just announced, the destination club also announced that a new home in Hawaii will be available to members, plus it laid out plans for the other near term home additions.
As of September 1st this year, Distinctive is making some changes to its membership plans and increasing prices. On the whole the changes give members more flexibility in their usage of the club homes.
Quintess added a boat to its collection of residences earlier this year, and during its recent trip to Boston we went down to the harbor to meet the Captain, Jamie Van Pelt.
Adding to its collection of homes in two of its destination clubs. Ultimate Escapes has added a villa and a condo at Reserva Conchal in Costa Rica.
The Lusso Collection just announced a special promotion offering frequent flyer miles on seven major airlines.
This new destination club is currently in its "Friends & Family" period as it builds for it's more formal launch this Fall. SherpaReport recently met with Founder, Geoffrey Kent, and President, Jarvis Slade, to discuss the future plans for the club.
Effective August 31st 2008, luxury travel club One Key will be increasing the prices for its three membership plans. At the same time the club is changing the plans from offering a fixed number of nights to being a points based system.