The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Marquis Jet Partner

By: Destination Club News
Date: November 4, 2009

One of the destination club industry’s newest and most exciting clubs, the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, has announced a partnership with Marquis Jet that will “change the way Club Members travel.”

“Members will be able to fly on their own schedule and remain in control,” said Mark Sage, the Executive Vice President of Business Development for Marquis Jet. “With consistent, high-quality service and guaranteed availability, the Marquis Jet Card program will enable a new level of efficiency and productivity in Club Members’ personal and professional lives. It’s the perfect program to enable Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members to travel to and from their favorite properties with ease.”

“Our discerning Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members value the many conveniences Club membership provides,” said Peter Watzka, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operation Officer of The Ritz-Carlton Development Company. “Now, they can also enjoy simplicity and peace of mind when they join the Marquis Jet Card program, backed by the NetJets fleet.”

Throughout the history of the destination club sector, multiple alliances with private jet companies and providers have been created. Just a few short months ago, Ultimate Escapes and Bombardier Skyjet announced a partnership that gave new Skyjet Card members a complimentary stay at an Ultimate Escapes Signature Club property. The now defunct destination club One Key World was created by Jay Sapovits, a former Marquis Jet executive, after an alliance between Exclusive Resorts and Marquis Jets.

The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club offers two different membership options: Portfolio and Home Club Membership. Portfolio Membership closely resembles the more traditional destination club model, but with a deeded interest. Members receive an annual allotment of points that are used to access properties throughout the year. Home Club Membership is similar to fractional ownership, where members receive a deeded interest in a specific club property with up to 35 nights of annual access.

Over the past year, several once prominent destination clubs have filed for bankruptcy, giving the deeded component of the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club a unique value in what has been a rather chaotic year for the sector.

If you are considering destination club membership and would like to learn more about the benefits and risks, please request a free copy of our Destination Club Guide. Included, you will find a list of suggested due diligence questions pertaining to all phases of membership, including partnerships and how they factor into membership.