Choice Escapes

A destination club that competed at the value level, primarily against High Country Club, Choice Escapes offered many different membership plans, only one of which even approached the $100,000 membership deposit mark with annual dues under $5,000. Always looking to gain an advantage, the club offered a myriad of promotions. Discounted dues, a one-in, one-out redemption process, extended family usage, unlimited space available reservations, and even allowed members the opportunity to let the club rent out their weeks of usage for profit.

In November of 2005, the Choice Escapes website was taken down and replaced with the brief message "Choice Escapes has ceased operations," and a link for members to access their information. That message greeted site viewers until March of 2006 when the club began operations again. According to Founder Bob Stephens, the club was only temporarily suspended. It appeared that Stephens was looking to liquidate the club but obtained new investment partners, completely reshaping the club. Choice Escapes planned to unveil 20 new properties to the portfolio, a bullish number considering the fact the club only owned one property in Orlando with Park City and Myrtle Beach listed as "soon."

In December of 2006, the club pulled their destination map from their site and replaced it with "Choice Escapes now has available for club members use over 40 locations via affiliated resort locations. Availability and sizes will vary but gives club members access to a wide variety of homes and condos at top resort locations in the US and also Mexico, Central & South America, Caribbean, and Canada." By March of 2007, the club had removed the reference to Park City and Myrtle Beach and listed only Orlando as owned. By this point, the club had announced a partnership with Global Resorts Network and members now had access to "over 5,000 4 & 5 star resorts world wide" and could "use as many weeks as you want for as low as $298 for the week."

The club had also introduced a new membership plan, the first time the club had moved into the six figure range with their new Founders Membership. Limited to only 200 memberships, the Founders offer was sold for $150,000 including a $120,000 refundable deposit and $30,000 initiation fee. The membership provided members four guaranteed advanced reservations per year, unlimited space available reservations, and no annual dues. The next highest membership plan was $79,000 with annual dues of $4,900.

The club never recovered and never found another club to merge with or outside investors and the current closure looks to be more permenant than the last.

To learn more about Choice Escapes, please visit any of the club's quick links found to the right or request a free copy of our Destination Club Guide.

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