Vantages West Closes To New Members

By: Destination Club News
Date: April 10, 2006

Vantages West, an upstart destination club that launched last year, has closed their club to new members. Launched last year, the small club has apparently been unable to compete against some of the larger clubs in the sector.

Vantages_West_Logo_Small.jpgCompeting against more established clubs such as Exclusive Resorts, Tanner & Haley, and Dream Catcher Retreats, Vantages West offered membership options for $300,000 with annual dues of $14,400.

Over the years, the destination club industry has grown increasingly top heavy, with Exclusive Resorts and Tanner & Haley dominating the sector in terms of members, but many smaller clubs have been able to generate momentum and have begun to establish themselves in the space, including Private Escapes and Quintess.

The dilemma facing new destination clubs revolves around their growth structure. Should the club launch with an established base of properties already available to the club's founding members or grow their property portfolio alongside their new membership growth?

For clubs that elect to launch with an established collection of properties, the club's costs drastically rise with the various costs associated with home ownership. Burning through start-up capital to pay these costs, the club quickly needs new membership deposits and annual dues or quickly face closure. On the other hand, clubs that elect to grow their property portfolio along with new membership growth don't have the high costs associated with owning the homes until a group of members have already joined the club and have contributed their deposits and annual dues. Unfortunately, without a group of properties already available for members to access, recruiting new members can prove increasingly difficult.

If you are currently considering destination club membership, request a free copy of our Destination Club Guide to learn more about the benefits and risks of joining and a list of suggested due diligence questions that should be asked to any club you may elect to join.