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.
Luxury destination club Inspirato prides itself on providing five-star service and a five-star portfolio of properties in locations throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. We talked to a member who had made the most of all this, in his first year of membership.
With two luxury residence funds under its belt, Equity Estates has just launched a third fund that invests in large, spacious vacation homes.
The Platinum Fund, from this equity destination club, has added a new 5-bedroom beach home for their investors.
“Luxury Residence Fund” Equity Estates allows members to enjoy beautiful homes around the world, while also sharing ownership in the company’s portfolio of properties. Locations include Canada, the US, and South America, as well as further afield in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Tyler K. has been an Equity Estates investor for seven years, and in that time he has enjoyed vacations that the fund estimates are worth about $840,000.
The economic ups and downs of the past decade created various upheavals in the destination club market. Some clubs failed to make it through the downturn, some evolved and other new ones appeared. But one company has continued to thrive, not just through restructuring and new ownership, but through its commitment to remaining small and specialized.
The Solstice Collection has just eight properties in its portfolio and fewer than 50 members, but as Member Services Representatives Kathie Waters and Jennie Benton say, “We’re in the best shape we’ve ever been.” Rather than focusing on extensive growth and equity, Solstice prides itself on providing a luxury, boutique service to a select family of members.
Membership in Destination M, formerly known as M Private Residences, means owning a share in a portfolio of luxury vacation homes. Locations include Canada, the US, and South America, as well as further afield in Asia, Europe, and Africa. We spoke to a member who has totally made the most of their membership, by taking numerous vacations in the first year.
Aviation company Wheels Up and destination club Inspirato recently announced that they are joining forces to bring a range of new benefits to their respective members. Members of each program will be able to enjoy services from the other, combining luxurious holiday destinations with a relaxing way of getting there.
Buying a share of an Equity Residences fund is an opportunity to make an investment in real estate, while also enjoying vacations at luxury destinations around the world. But just how much vacation value can you get for your investment?
Luxury destination club Exclusive Resorts recently announced updates to its 5-year membership plan.
The Calgary based equity destination club has three new homes available to members. One is a mountain home in Whistler, one is close to the beach in Costa Rica and the other is in the heart of Venice, Italy.
As Equity Estates celebrates its 10th anniversary, the company continues to retain its strong position in the luxury destination residence sector. The second investment fund looks likely to be sold out by the year’s end.
It sounds simple enough: a group of siblings all decide to buy a holiday home. Or perhaps a couple want to buy a property that will be shared by their children. Everyone can use it as they wish, either separately or together. But then it all falls apart.
John Long is a Managing Director and co-founder of Equity Residences. Currently, Equity Residences has two funds -- the Equity Villa Fund and Equity Platinum Fund. I recently spoke to John about Equity Residences, its growth in 2016 and plans for 2017.
Destination club Quintess has entered a prepackaged chapter 11 bankruptcy which will convert its members into shareholders. It will also write off the member deposits which are due.
Vacation real estate private equity firm, Equity Residences, recently acquired a new home in the Northstar Resort at Lake Tahoe, continuing their focus on generating strong investment returns for their investors. Designed by renowned architect Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the residence is located mid-mountain near the Ritz-Carlton Northstar.
More people than ever are choosing to take group vacations. According to the Wall Street Journal this is "fueled largely by extended families and multi-generational vacations", and now "groups of couples and singles are jumping in". Both The Wall Street Journal and Travel + Leisure have picked up on this trend, offering advice for ensuring a fun time is had by all.
Last year we noted that the strength of the US$ was making Canadian and European equity destination clubs much cheaper for US$ investors. The recent Brexit vote has caused the pound to plunge to its lowest level against the US$ for 30 years, making UK based clubs even better value.
Since 2004, Destination M has been providing vacation experiences for its members. This equity destination club recently changed its name from M Private Residences. The non-profit club owns luxury vacation homes around the world.
Luxury destination club Inspirato now has even more options to offer members, with the addition of 99 new properties to their portfolio. The expanded property list also adds several new destinations for members to enjoy.
Equity Residences manages private investment funds that own multiple vacation properties, which are enjoyed by the funds’ limited partners. They recently closed their first fund to new investors and have started funding their second investment fund.
Philip Mekelburg is the CEO and founder of Equity Estates. I recently talked to him about the equity destination club, it’s growth in 2015 and plans for 2016.
In addition to enjoying the luxury vacation homes in some of the finest destinations around the world, members of equity destination clubs are able to benefit from a host of additional perks. In this article, we take a look at some of the extra benefits that come with membership in four popular clubs or residence funds.