Validus Appears To Have Closed

By: Destination Club News
Date: June 16, 2010

Validus, A Destination Club, one of the smaller destination clubs in the industry, appears to have ceased operations. For the past month, their website has been down and repeated e-mail inquiries have not been returned as of press time.

Conceived in June of 2005 and officially launched in October of 2007, the young destination club never was able to find their footing. First conceived as a non-equity club, Validus planned to structure their club similar to The Discovery Club, giving members access to luxury resorts around the world, at one point claiming to have over 3,000 residences. Along the way, the club would introduce a "Journey Card" mirroring a fractional jet card, as well as a collection of other membership options. Ultimately, the club would unveil a confusing membership structure where members pre-purchased a number of nights of access at the beginning of each year, each with different nightly rates and reservation rules and regulations, further complicating the already difficult destination club sales process, only to redefine their model yet again. This new design would revolve around the club working with luxury home owners to give members preferred rates on stays.

Unfortunately, against clubs like Exclusive Resorts and Ultimate Escapes, who measure their members by the thousands, the small Validus wasn't able to achieve the requisite number of members to reach their lofty aspirations and it now appears that the club has closed its doors.

We will continue to reach out to club executives to learn more about their status, but at best it appears that the fate of Validus is perilously close to collapse.

Joining a new destination club does have its advantages, but a significant amount of due diligence should be conducted prior to joining. When launched, Validus offered Charter members reduced pricing, first class travel vouchers, free golf and spa visits, and complimentary stays. Among one of their many unique traits, Validus also bestowed special benefits to alumni of Georgia Tech. These founding members would also be hands on, helping to craft the club's real estate acquisitions and vision. As demonstrated by Validus, these perks offered to early adopters don't necessitate success.

If you are considering destination club membership, new or old, you should conduct a thorough due diligence review prior to joining, including discussions on financials, rules and regulations pertaining to travel, best and worst case scenarios, and a myriad of other topics. If you would like to receive a list of all encompassing due diligence questions that will help you during your evaluation, request a complimentary copy of our Destination Club Guide.