2010 Recap: Equity Estates

By: Destination Club News
Date: January 31, 2011

If one word was needed to describe the destination club sector over the past several years, "instability" might top the list. Multiple bankruptcies, membership assessments, club closures, new business models. Despite the changes, it appears that one thing that you can count on is the continued growth of Equity Estates, one of the industry's leading equity based clubs.

For the third consecutive year, Equity Estates grew by more than 50%, adding 37.5 full membership equivalents during 2010. In all, 44 new families joined during the year with 25 coming on board in the last quarter alone, bringing their total membership to just under 100.

"Our success in 2010, a perilous year for many in this industry, is a testament to our unique model and our commitment to creating outstanding vacation experiences," said Adam Capes, Co-Founder of Equity Estates, in a recent press release. "With the fourth quarter success and pipeline of high net worth families we have built relationships with, we have great hopes for our success in 2011 both in terms of owner membership growth as well as additions to our portfolio of destinations and residences."

"In the fourth quarter of 2010, we acquired four new residences - Anguilla, Snowmass, Costa Rica, and Scottsdale," the club told us. "We also acquired an interest in an amazing property in Paris and we are about to add an incredible six bedroom home in Kapalua, Maui. We also brought on eight new Ultimate Escapes members in the last two months of the year and expect many more in 2011."

The four new properties added during the course of the year are just the tip of the iceberg for new destinations available to club members, as Equity Estates announced a partnership with The Hideaways Club earlier in the year, giving members access to popular international destinations such as Majorca, Switzerland, South Africa, France, Ibiza, and more. Earlier this month, Equity Estates announced their newest destinations: Maui, Costa Rica, Scottsdale, and Paris.

"Our growth this past year shows that our unique luxury residence fund model really resonates with individuals and families who want an unparalleled vacation experience with a sound investment opportunity, even in a market that is still recovering," said fellow Co-Founder Philip Mekelburg. "We are driven to deliver even more to our owner members in 2011."

We will profile Equity Estates' plans for the coming year in our continued 2011 outlook series, where we will detail all of the goals for each of the destination club industry's leading clubs. Check back frequently for more information about Equity Estates and the rest of their peers within the always fluid destination club industry.