High Country Club Properties To Be Sold At Auction

By: Destination Club News
Date: February 1, 2010

Just after the one year anniversary of the High Country Club bankruptcy, it has been announced that seven of the club's former residences will be put on the auction block "regardless of price."

On March 19 at the Denver Marriott City Center, the auction will take place to liquidate the seven properties. The residences listed in the auction include:

  • Parcel 1: 1600 Broadway, Unit #10E, New York, New York
    • One Bedroom, One Bath, 686 Square Feet
  • Parcel 2: 1470 Masters Blvd., Unit #311, Orlando, Florida
    • Three Bedroom, Three Bath, 1,832 Square Feet
  • Parcel 3: 120 Tip Top Trail, Unit #6537, Keystone, Colorado
    • Four Bedroom, Three Bath, 1,925 Square Feet
  • Parcel 4: 65 The North Road, Breckenridge, Colorado
    • Four Bedroom, Four and One Half Bath, 2,256 Square Feet
  • Parcel 5: 74 Cresta Road, Unit #306, Arrowhead Village, Colorado
    • Two Bedroom, Two Bath, 1,305 Square Feet
  • Parcel 6: 1111 Forest Trail, Unit 1121, Mammoth Lakes, California
    • Two Bedroom, Two Bath, 1,034 Square Feet
  • Parcel 7: 2006 Costa Del Mar Road, Unit 2, La Costa Resort, Carlsbad, California
    • Dual Master Suites, Two and Three-Fourths Bath, 1,794 Square Feet

Each will begin with a suggested opening bid of $150,000. Parcels one through six will be available for onsite inspections starting this upcoming Saturday and will continue until March 16 on every Tuesday and Saturday from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. The residence at the La Costa Resort will be available for inspection starting this Saturday until March 16 on every Tuesday and Saturday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

High Country Club, once one of the fastest growing destination clubs in operation, brought a low cost alternative to the destination club industry. "When we looked at the types of destination travel clubs around, we realized there was a whole group of people being underserved," said Founder and CEO Christian Kirschner when the club launched in 2005. "People just like us who want to visit luxury locations, stay in luxury accommodations and not pay a luxury price for it."

The club's value proposition would lead to nearly 400 members buying into the club, but as the economy began to decline, so did interest in the luxury travel industry. Without the continual flow of new membership sales, High Country Club's business model would prove to be unsustainable. Following several months of attempting to restructure their club, High Country Club's Christian Kirschner contacted club members early in 2009, stating "Effective immediately, High Country Club will no longer be in business."

The Phoenix Club, an upstart destination club led by a group of members and creditors that was created to rise from the ashes of the High Country Club bankruptcy, discussed the state of the High Country Club properties in a letter to their potential members in September of last year. According to the young club, a "considerable expense" would be needed for the cleaning and maintenance of the properties, not maintained since December of 2008.

This ordered liquidation would seem to indicate that the High Country Club bankruptcy may soon be coming to an end. Check back soon for more information on the status of the club. If you are considering destination club membership, request a free copy of our Destination Club Guide for more information about the benefits and risks of membership.