Destination Clubs and the 2010 Winter Olympics

By: Destination Club News
Date: December 12, 2009

The countdown has begun and the opening ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics are just two short months away, but destination clubs have long known what lucky members will be able to access homes near the Vancouver site.

M Private Residences, Canada’s largest destination club, conducted a “special lottery” to determine what members would have access to the club’s properties in the region. On February 19 of this year, members submitted their names for the lottery and three members were drawn, each winning a week of their choice to the club’s Whistler property.

Located on the 16th tee box of the Nicklaus North Golf Course, the 2,359 square foot residence is spacious enough to sleep nine, ideal for the families attending the upcoming Winter Games. According to Michele Beitel, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, each of the three lottery winners will be traveling with friends and family, some with kids who know participants from Alberta and British Columbia. The four bedroom, four and one half bath property also features a private hot tub and fireplace and easy access to Village of Whistler Ski Resort.

The Whistler property was blacked out from February 11th through March 4th for the lottery, but the club residence in Victoria was available on a first come, first served basis.

Nearly all destination clubs have special event clauses in their membership documents that outline how the club handles these highly sought after travel dates. Examples used throughout the destination club industry that qualify as special events include, significant sports events and tournaments, festivals, conventions, and other select peak travel periods not falling during predefined holidays. Clubs strive to make members aware of when these special events will affect availability as they are announced. As you can probably expect, the year to year special events typically include the Super Bowl, World Series, The Sundance Film Festival, and select golf tournaments amongst others.

If traveling to these types of events every year is of critical importance to you, destination club membership is not likely the best option as you will be competing against other members for limited accommodations. Second home ownership or villa rentals may better suffice. If you selectively travel to these special events on a case by case basis and are willing to trade guaranteed reservations during these special events for multiple destinations around the globe available throughout the year, a destination club membership may be a superior option for your travel needs. If you would like to compare destination club travel to other luxury travel options, please request a free copy of our Destination Club Guide.