Abercrombie & Kent Destinations
Notes From The Club
In July of 2003, Abercrombie & Kent agreed to license their name to Private Retreats, the pioneer of the destination club concept. After several successful years under the Abercrombie & Kent license, growing competition, insufficient annual dues, and costly short term leases to meet availability forced Preferred Retreats, the overarching brand that included Private Retreats and companion clubs Distinctive Retreats and Legendary Retreats, to miss several payments to A&K. The travel giant pulled their branding from the club in August of 2005.
In a press release announcing the conclusion of the licensing agreement, Abercrombie & Kent's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Geoffrey Kent said, "Our long term business strategy now requires that we maintain full control over our valuable brand name."
After the loss of the A&K name, Preferred Retreats created a new brand in Tanner & Haley Destination Clubs, named after Rob McGrath's children. Not even a year later, the club filed for bankruptcy.
In May of 2007, Ultimate Resort finalized the acquisition of the club, just months before another significant announcement from the club. Ultimate Resort and Private Escapes announced a merger to form Ultimate Escapes in September of 2007.
Please feel free to visit our Ultimate Escapes Overview or our Ultimate Escapes Notes From The Club pages.
When Preferred Retreats was using the A&K name, Abercrombie & Kent had no control over the club's operations. In April of 2008, Abercrombie & Kent announced that they would make their way into the destination club sector with the introduction of the Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club. The new club looks to correct the many flaws that existed in the model when Private Retreats were using their name and has already established themselves as a leading player within the industry.
Please visit our Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club Overview or our Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club Notes From The Club pages to learn more.
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