Tanner & Haley
Annual Dues
Known primarily for creating the destination club concept and for the industry's largest bankruptcy, Tanner & Haley consisted of three distinct clubs: Private Retreats, Distinctive Retreats, and Legendary Retreats.
Selling their first membership in September of 1999, Private Retreats is widely considered the first true destination club. The companion club Distinctive Retreats would launch late in 2003, affording members even more expensive vacation properties to access on an unlimited annual basis.
In February of 2004, the collected Private Retreats and Distinctive Retreats would introduce their new "master brand" Abercrombie & Kent Destination Clubs.
"Our new name creates a distinct presence in this growing industry evolving from the private club, travel and fractional ownership sectors," said CEO and Founder Rob McGrath. "With the positive response to our first club, Private Retreats by Abercrombie & Kent, and the initiation of our second club, Distinctive Retreats by Abercrombie & Kent, Abercrombie & Kent Destination Clubs looks to further strengthen its leading position and continue to provide exceptional service to our Members."
Despite licensing their valuable A&K name to the club, who had posted a 362% increase in new sales, Abercrombie & Kent would have no say in the day to day operations of the club.
"Abercrombie & Kent Destination Clubs will continue to surmount the challenges of other industries, as it did with its destination club concept and Proprietary Capacity Model, with more offerings that better match consumer expectations and needs, and guarantee a Member’s accommodation request 365 days a year,” added McGrath.
Now with the A&K brand and the benefit of letting members travel within the Abercrombie & Kent catalogue, McGrath and his club's continued to enjoy a great deal of success until late in 2005.
In August of that year, McGrath and Abercrombie & Kent would discontinue their licensing agreement. The clubs had missed repeated payments to Abercrombie & Kent, leading to the conclusion of alliance. Geoffrey Kent of A&K would say "Our long term business strategy now requires that we maintain full control over our valuable brand name." McGrath and the three clubs, with the recent introduction of Legendary Retreats, would quickly rebrand themselves under the new Tanner & Haley Destination Club brand.
Despite the club's early successes, low annual dues and nightly fees and a guaranteed access provision in the club's documents that required the club to enter into numerous short term leases to meet availability needs would quickly erode the club's strength.
Within a year of their change in brand, Tanner & Haley filed for bankruptcy.
Ultimate Resort would eventually win the rights to acquire the club's assets, with approximately 650 members joining the club, now known as Ultimate Escapes following a merger with Private Escapes.
As Tanner & Haley acted as the master brand of the three respective clubs, it had no annual dues per se. If you would like to learn more about the annual dues for the clubs under Tanner & Haley, please visit the pages below.
If you are a former member of Tanner & Haley and would like to offer your own perspective on the club, please feel free to contact us at contribute@destinationclubnews.com.
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