High Country Club
Holiday Access

"When we looked at the types of destination travel clubs around, we realized there was a whole group of people being underserved – people just like us who want to visit luxury locations, stay in luxury accommodations and not pay a luxury price for it. We offer virtually the same types of properties, amenities and conveniences that other, more expensive clubs offer but at a significantly lower price. That means you can take several vacations each year to a number of highly desirable locations for the same amount of money you would have spent on one traditional 10-day vacation."

Introduced to the destination club market in 2005, High Country Club would offer membership plans that were available for less than the cost of other destination club's annual dues. As stated by Founder and CEO Christian Kirschner above, the club would strive to give members the traditional destination club experience for far less cost.

The reduced membership costs coupled with an ever expanding property portfolio would make for an enticing option and the young club would soon surpass 100 members, the second fastest club to reach that mark, trailing only industry titan Exclusive Resorts.

Unfortunately, when new membership sales began to slow in 2008 as a result of the economy, the business model used by the club was proven to be unsustainable. Without the constant influx of new membership sales, the club was unable to meet their financial obligations and were forced to restructure. Following months of reorganizing, including a planned annual dues increase and substantial reductions in the club's real estate portfolio, High Country Club would announce that continuing would be "impossible" and cancelled all member reservations before filing for bankruptcy.

At the time of the bankruptcy announcement, High Country Club offered four different membership plans, each with their own reservation rules. The two lowest membership plans only allowed for holiday travel on a space available basis. The two upper membership plans allowed for one "Long-Term Holiday Reservation" that could be made between 120 days and one year in advance.

If travel during these peak periods is of chief concern, understanding the holiday policies at your desired clubs should be an integral component in your evaluation. If you would like to receive a free list of suggested due diligence questions pertaining to holiday travel and other critical points, request a free copy of our Destination Club Guide.