Private Escapes Destination Clubs Attracts Corporate Market as Companies Move to Entice Employees and Clients with Luxury Travel Benefits

Date: January 5, 2006

Corporate incentives are taking a luxurious turn and Private Escapes Destination Clubs is capturing a unique new niche in the market with its flexible Corporate Membership program. Companies like Triad Energy of Oklahoma City and Donaldson & Company of Fort Collins are taking a step beyond the token golf shirts, expensive pens or logo bags and offering the Destination Club experience to reward employees, allure clients or simply to create a seamless luxury experience for executive travel.

Destination clubs offer both corporations and individuals the opportunity to experience high-end properties worldwide with virtually unlimited access. As the leader in the industry, Private Escapes Destination Clubs presents the most economical and consumer-friendly destination club models for the corporate traveler, providing a portfolio of global properties and exceptional service and amenities. Private Escapes Destination Clubs currently counts several companies, both small and large, among its membership base.

“We designed the Private Escapes Destination Clubs corporate program from the foundation of our own business and life practices,” said president and co-founder Richard Keith. “This is the best way to combine business and pleasure—corporate members can take full advantage of our planning services to maximize efficiency and to create unique, memorable experiences for clients, employees or themselves. Whether we’re tracking down hot Broadway tickets, front row seats to sporting events or coordinating limousines and restaurant reservations, our Escape Planners and Local Hosts ensure access to only the best.”

Private Escapes Destination Clubs offers two clubs, both of which provide a corporate membership option: Private Escapes and Private Escapes Platinum. Corporate membership in each club includes 40 nights in residence plus seven nights of reciprocity privileges and is extended to anyone designated by the corporation. Private Escapes provides access to residences that average $650,000 coupled with unparalleled service and amenities for a fully-refundable membership entrance fee of $107,500 and annual dues of $8,300. Private Escapes Platinum offers its members access to $1 million+ residences for a fully-refundable deposit of $215,000 and annual dues of $11,500. In addition, Private Escapes Platinum remains a pioneer in the industry as the only destination club to provide members an upside to their membership through annual club credits based on the appreciation of the resort real estate portfolio.

“Membership in a high-end destination club is a great recruiting tool and huge benefit to our employees,” said Jennifer Hays, executive assistant of Donaldson & Company. “Our employees are ecstatic that they can vacation at five-star residences they would not ordinarily be able to visit.”

Donaldson & Company, a real estate development firm, employs seven people and is a charter member of Private Escapes. Its employees as well as a select number of vendor contacts have visited Private Escapes Destination Clubs properties in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Los Cabos, Mexico; Lake Las Vegas, Nevada; and Beaver Creek, Colorado; among other locations. One employee even spent her honeymoon at the La Quinta residence in Palm Springs, California.

Mike McDonald and Tom Stapleton, co-owners of Oklahoma City-based Triad Energy, an oil and gas exploration and construction company, purchased both a Private Escapes and Private Escapes Platinum membership for their 30 employees to use. After researching other competitors in the destination club industry, they found Private Escapes Destination Clubs’ membership entrance fee and redemption policies the most appealing. Their employees value this membership as it provides a more attractive benefit to work towards.

“Our memberships have had a noticeable effect on employee’s morale—they are given an exciting, unique opportunity to travel, which is a more appreciated benefit then other rewards systems,” said McDonald.

Travel planning can prove an exhausting and time-consuming process, yet Private Escapes Destination Clubs creates and seamlessly executes vacations that are thoroughly planned without hassle. Private Escapes Destination Clubs Escape Planners plan every part of the travel experience and provide a vacation itinerary complete with travel documents, contact information, activities reservations and special needs solutions. Donaldson & Company’s Escape Planner organized a full day, in-shore fishing charter trip and picnic lunch prepared by the Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort, while the Escape Planner for Triad Energy was able to secure prime tickets to Broadway’s “Mama Mia” complete with limousine service. Additionally, Local Hosts greet the guests upon arrival and tend to their every need with five-star concierge service and an insider’s knowledge of the location.

In addition, every Private Escapes Destination Clubs residence is tended to with meticulous detail. Each residence is appointed with premium amenities such as BOSE® sound and entertainment systems, Xbox™, over-sized beds with high thread count linens and gourmet, fully equipped kitchens stocked to each guest’s specifications. Plush décor provides a comforting atmosphere while locally-inspired furniture and artwork accent the unique culture of each individual destination.

Maintaining a strict member-to-property ratio of approximately six members to one property, Private Escapes Destination Clubs ensures corporations have more flexibility and greater capability to secure their destination of choice during preferred travel windows. Private Escapes Destination Clubs offer locations that are ideal for the corporate audience, whether for business or pleasure, including New York City, New York; Abaco Island, Bahamas; Chicago, Illinois; Copper Mountain, Colorado; Los Cabos, Mexico; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Dangriga, Belize; Lake Las Vegas, Nevada; Telluride, Colorado; La Quinta, California; Beaver Creek, Colorado; Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic; Outer Banks, North Carolina; Sunny Isles Beach, Florida; Turks & Caicos in the British West Indies; Kiawah Island, South Carolina; San Diego, California; Waikoloa, Hawaii; Reynolds Plantation, Georgia; La Buscadora, an 80-foot yacht docked in the British Virgin Islands and more.

About Private Escapes Destination Clubs
Incorporated in October 2003, Private Escapes Destination Clubs included independently owned and operated affiliates Private Escapes LLC, the first and only affordable travel Destination Club, and Private Escapes Platinum LLC, the first and only travel Destination Club with the upside to investment. Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, each Club will ultimately own up to 70 properties in 25 destinations worldwide, capping their membership at 400 each. For more information on Private Escapes Destination Clubs, contact (866) 536-4700 or visit www.privateescapes.com.