Private Escapes
Annual Dues

Created by Richard Keith, the former Chief Operations Officer at Private Retreats, Private Escapes was envisioned as a low cost alternative to the more expensive destination clubs that dominated the industry.

Announced in April of 2004, Private Escapes would introduce this new model as the "first and only affordable destination club."

"Until now, Destination Clubs have been limited to the extremely affluent with entry fees starting in the hundreds of thousands," said Keith. "Private Escapes has captured the niche as the first travel Destination Club to offer an affordable alternative for Destination Club membership without sacrificing quality."

In addition to the low membership entry fees, Private Escapes would follow a similar perspective on their annual dues structure.

Within months of the introduction of the inaugural club level, Private Escapes would launch a companion club called Private Escapes Platinum. In time, a third club would be added to finalize the club, Private Escapes Pinnacle. Each would have their own collection of vacation properties with the original club, now called Private Escapes Premiere offering members homes in the $800,000 range, Platinum at $1,500,000, and Pinnacle in the $3,000,000 category.

In September of 2007, Private Escapes and Ultimate Resort would announce a merger to create the world's second largest destination club in terms of members and the largest in terms of total destinations. This union would eventually be known as Ultimate Escapes and would combine the real estate portfolios, members, and executive teams of both clubs to form the new entity.

Prior to the merger, Private Escapes remained dedicated to providing members with low annual dues at all three of their membership levels. We invite you to learn more about each club and the associated annual dues for each below.

If you are a former Private Escapes member and would like to provide your thoughts and experiences regarding membership, please feel free to contact us at contribute@destinationclubnews.com.

Premiere

The original Private Escapes offering, Premiere members enjoyed unlimited annual access to a collection of $800,000 properties around the globe.

When the club announced their merger with Ultimate Resort, Premiere Memberships were available for $7,700 per year in annual dues, billed quarterly. With unlimited annual access, Private Escapes also charged a $86 per night fee for every night in residence.

Platinum

Introduced just months after the official introduction of Private Escapes' original club, Platinum would further enhance the club experience with more extravagant vacation properties, but also a new way combine real estate appreciation to club membership. Each year, the club would distribute 18% of the appreciation from its property portfolio to members in the form of club credits. These credits could be used towards annual dues, nightly fees, or other club related expenses as the member wished. Eventually, this aspect of the club would be removed and Platinum would move forward as a more traditional club structure.

When Private Escapes announced their merger with Ultimate Resort, Platinum Membership were available for a one-time membership fee with associated annual dues of $11,500 per year. Like the other Private Escapes clubs, a nightly fee was assessed for every night in residence. Platinum members paid $145 per night.

Pinnacle

The elite level of the three Private Escapes Destination Clubs, Pinnacle would compete against Exclusive Resorts and Quintess by providing members unlimited access to a portfolio of $3,000,000 luxury vacation properties.

Available for a one-time membership deposit, Pinnacle members would pay $22,000 per year in annual dues prior to the merger with Ultimate Resort. Nightly fees for Pinnacle would total $194 per night.

Each of Private Escapes three clubs also offered Corporate and Extended Family Memberships, allowing the primary member the ability to gift nights to colleagues, friends, and family members as they wished. These memberships would typically be charged an additional $1,000 per year in annual dues compared to the Individual Membership prices featured above.