Everlands Members Find A Home With Ultimate Escapes

By: Destination Club News
Date: October 15, 2009

Ultimate Escapes, one of the world's leading destination clubs, has continued their string of positive news coming out of the club with the announcement of an agreement with Everlands, a conservation focused destination club that ceased new sales and marketing efforts in February due to the declining economic climate. Ultimate Escapes will offer Everlands' members preferred membership terms to join the club and over 500 qualified prospects special membership opportunities.

Last month, we profiled the future of Everlands and their search to find a destination club to absorb their members. At the time, Bob Burch, the CEO of Everlands, kept the other club's identity a secret and told us that news regarding an announcement would likely come within two weeks and it seems that his search has paid off. "We searched for a partner who had a proven and solid financial track record, as well as an impressive management team in place, to provide Everlands' members with a compelling offer for a comparable lifetime of extraordinary club experiences," said Burch in the Ultimate Escapes and Everlands Press Release. "With Everlands, we sought a way to share the world's finest properties with like-minded people who have a love for family, a passion for nature and the great outdoors, and who seek to experience the many adventures that await each of us. We think we have been successful in our search. I believe that Ultimate Escapes will be an excellent home for Everlands members."

When Everlands launched in 2007, the young club brought a new model to the sector. Rather than buying stand alone vacation properties or condos, Everlands would purchase resorts capable of housing multiple members at a time. As the club continued to gain momentum and membership growth, these resorts would be available to members and non-members alike. Once the club reached the 100 member threshold, members would have exclusive access to the club's amenities. In addition, Everlands would focus on conservation in their real estate and operational structures, punctuated by the Everlands Conservation Prize, an annual award given to individuals who "made extraordinary contributions to the conservation and stewardship of nature."

The invitation only club had the financial support of Lehman Brothers who reportedly extended a $56 million credit facility to the young club. When Lehman Brothers announced their bankruptcy filing, not only did the stock market begin a downward tailspin, but so did Everlands. Like virtually all other destination clubs in the sector, interest began to decline for the ultra-luxury club and Everlands discontinued their sales earlier this year. In limbo since then, the 40+ members of Everlands will now have the opportunity to join Ultimate Escapes.

"We are offering very special membership values that will benefit Everlands members as well as all stakeholders in Ultimate Escapes," said Ultimate Escapes President and CEO Jim Tousignant. "The Everlands tradition of conservation and environmental stewardship will also be an inspiration to us as we continue to expand on our 'Smart Home / Green Home' technologies, making an even stronger case for the sustainability and eco-friendly nature of shared vacations in our club."

This announcement comes on the heels of other exiting news coming out of Ultimate Escapes over the past 90 days, including:

• Reactivation of 300 suspended members
• Agreement to combine with Secure America Acquisition Corporation
• Completion of the Private Escapes acquisition/merger
• Free airline offer to new members

We will speak to Everlands CEO Bob Burch next week to discuss the agreement in greater detail. Check back soon to learn more. In the interim, request a free copy of our Destination Club Guide to learn more about the industry, the rewards and risks of membership, and suggested due diligence questions to ask during your destination club evaluation.