Private Escapes
Executives

Blending an entrepreneurial spirit with experience as both member and executive in the destination club industry, Private Escapes was born as the industry's "first and only affordable luxury travel destination club."

"Until now, Destination Clubs have been limited to the extremely affluent with entry fees starting in the hundreds of thousands,” said Richard Keith, Private Escapes' Founder and the former Chief Operations Officer at Private Retreats. "Private Escapes has captured the niche as the first travel Destination Club to offer an affordable alternative for Destination Club membership without sacrificing quality."

A former owner of an underutilized second home with maintenance and other issues dominating much of his vacation time, Keith would learn of the destination club concept and would be one of the first members of Private Retreats. Keith would ask Private Retreats' Founder and the inventor of the destination club concept Rob McGrath if there was a position within the club available to him and quickly became the club's COO.

Identifying the need for a lower priced alternative within the destination club industry, Keith would conceive of Private Escapes, a more cost effective form of Private Retreats. With McGrath's blessing, Keith would launch the club, even giving McGrath the right of first refusal if he elected to sell.

The low cost option crafted by Keith would prove successful and within a year, Private Escapes would launch a companion club, Private Escapes Platinum. In time, Private Escapes Pinnacle would also emerge, each growing organically and making Private Escapes Destination Clubs one of the undisputed leaders in the highly competitive sector.

Richard Keith
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Founder

Kären Siwek
Executive Vice President of Real Estate and Finance and Co-Founder

Ed Powers
Executive Vice President of Operations and Co-Founder

In September of 2007, Private Escapes and Ultimate Resort announced a $200 million merger that would join the club's properties and members as well as the two respective executive staffs to the new club. Under the new Ultimate Escapes brand, all of Private Escapes executive team and the vast majority of the staff would move forward with the club. Private Escapes would bring an organic growth model to the Ultimate Escapes foundation while Ultimate Resort brought a more inorganic focus, with a great deal of experience in mergers and acquisitions within the destination club sector. The two elements would both be implemented at Ultimate Escapes who have cemented themselves at the world's second largest club in the industry.

Keith would assume the role of Co-CEO with Ultimate Resort's Jim Tousignant during the acquisition of Private Escapes and move onto the position of Chairman. Powers would continue as Senior Vice President of Operations and Siwek would leave Ultimate Escapes.