Private Escapes Launches World's First Affordable Luxury Travel Destination Club

By: Destination Club News
Date: April 5, 2004

“Until now, destination clubs have been limited to the extremely affluent with entry fees starting in the hundreds of thousands. Private Escapes has captured the niche as the first travel destination club to offer an affordable alternative for destination club membership without sacrificing quality."

As stated by club Founder and President Richard Keith, the luxury destination club industry now has a low cost alternative in the form of Private Escapes.

The destination club model was created late in the 90s, letting luxury travelers enjoy a global collection of vacation properties by paying a refundable membership deposit to join and annual dues for every year they remained with the club. Members also receive personalized travel planning and don't have to worry about property maintenance, taxes, or other hassles associated with second home ownership.

"Private Escapes is the lifestyle solution for avid travelers, families or individuals who want to travel in style without the burden of heavy restrictions," Keith continued. "We function like an exclusive country club aiming not for 100% occupancy, but rather on flexibility so that our members can almost always secure their desired reservation, even at short notice or during peak vacation months. Our average ratio will be less than six members per property, so members can travel where they please, when they please while enjoying our exceptional service throughout the entire experience."

The young sector's major clubs, the Abercrombie & Kent Destination Clubs and Exclusive Resorts, charge hundreds of thousands of dollars to join, giving members access to multi-million dollar residences. Private Escapes will offer the same type of service but with less expensive properties and subsequently less expensive membership options. Members will be able to travel to homes valued between $500,000 and $600,000 for a refundable membership deposit of $75,000 and annual dues of $6,000.

The club officially launched in December of 2003 and has already recruited a group of founding members who recently gave the club a 100% satisfaction score on a club survey. "Dollar for dollar, Private Escapes is the ideal conscientious choice for prolific travelers like myself who enjoy comfort, variety and service," said Brian Bartels, one of the club's charter members. "Private Escapes treats their members like members of an exclusive country club - the level of service is second to none. Members are even encouraged to contribute input on future escape locations."

While Private Escapes may be new, they do bring experience. Richard Keith not only was one of the industry's first members, joining Private Retreats early in their history, but also served as the club's COO.

Based on the continued success of clubs like Exclusive Resorts and Abercrombie & Kent Destination Clubs and the strong growth from young clubs like Private Escapes, expect a continual flow of new clubs to enter the industry in the near future.

If you are considering joining a destination club, request a free copy of our Destination Club Guide for more information about how destination clubs compare to other luxury travel options.