Everlands
Properties

Contrary to the more popular destination club model where single family homes or apartments are purchased for members to access, Everlands purchased full fledged resorts.

The club would open these resorts to members but also continue to make them available to the public, using the rental income as a revenue source for the club. Members only had to pay 15% of their membership deposit to join, with the remaining 85% due once the club reached the 100 member mark.

At this point, the resorts would be made available exclusively to members.

According to the club's launch press release, "Members have unlimited access to 45 of the most stunning, iconic places of natural beauty on Earth, and Everlands' mission is to conserve these extraordinary destinations, which have been selected for their historic importance and storied pasts, for future generations."

The club purchased six ultra-luxury retreats of their planned 45.

  • The Adirondacks, New York - The Point
  • Big Sky, Montana - Lone Mountain Ranch
  • Bristol Bay, Alaska - Bristol Bay Lodge
  • Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts - The Inn at Blueberry Hill
  • South Island, New Zealand - Lake Rotoroa Lodge
  • Castle Hot Springs, Arizona - The Oasis

The purchase costs of these retreats were dizzying. The Lone Mountain Ranch was sold for $16.5 million. The Oasis was purchased for $11.7 million. The total purchase cost of the club's six residences was well in excess of $40 million.

The Everlands' executive team stated they believed that they could grow their membership base to 1,800 members, but the market climate of 2008 and 2009 affected the young conservation focused destination club arguably more than any other club. Lehman Brothers was a major financier of the club and their bankruptcy quickly eroded Everlands growth model. With the financial market in flux, interest in luxury travel and the destination club sector evaporated and the club ceased their sales and marketing efforts after acquiring 42 members.

Everlands would begin to search for a club to acquire their members and would join with Ultimate Escapes. Everlands members would be offered preferred terms on their Ultimate Escapes membership.