Validus, A Destination Club
Described as "a luxury travel and concierge club designed to bring you the best of luxury travel, services, and opportunities," Validus, A Destination Club utilizes concepts from various destination club models to create their own design.
Conceived in June of 2005 by Jessica Zielinski and James Blair, Validus initially planned to join the destination club sector as a non-equity club, but amongst the substantial competition in the industry and problems with multiple home ownership, the pair reevaluated their model and eventually launched in October of 2007 with a spin on the traditional destination club model.
Instead of purchasing real estate, Validus would work alongside luxury property owners to receive preferred pricing for members. Out of the gates, Validus made many strong assertions about their young club, including:
- Validus is the only destination club that provides lifestyle concierge services, amenities and exclusive opportunities throughout membership.
- Validus is the lowest cost entry point into any destination club with no annual dues.
- Validus has more destinations and residences than any other club; over 3,000.
- Validus has one of the highest residential values of destination clubs; we average $4.5 million in value.
- Validus has an in-house private jet service.
Validus offers three distinct membership options; the Journey Card, the Access Membership, and the Elite Membership.
Journey Card
Similar to membership options at One Key World and Distinctive Holiday Homes, the Validus Journey Card allows members to prepay for their travels and have funds deducted as they access the amenities of the club. There are no annual dues, property restrictions of expiration dates and card holders can apply more funds as needed.
Access Membership
More catered to luxury travelers who want concierge services, the Validus Access Membership provides year round concierge services to members in addition to discounts on travel. Members can tie this membership to a Journey Card and further augment their travel experience. The non-refundable membership provides members lifetime concierge services and is tied into a reward based program that can be used towards travel, gifts, and other services available to Validus members. The club offers both an Individual and Corporate rate.
Elite Membership
Most like the standard destination club model, the Validus Elite Membership features a one-time membership deposit with two different refund options. Membership plans range from $150,000 to $450,000 and 14 to 35 nights of annual travel.
The varying business models allow for members to have a myriad of choices available to them and ultimately find the version best for their needs. This type of model also allows for the club to quickly bring on new properties available to members and with far less overhead.
Possibly as a result of these complicated membership options and a declining economy, it seems that Validus ceased operations in 2010, adding to the list of small destination clubs unable to break through the top heavy industry.
To learn more about Validus, A Destination Club, please visit any of the club's quick links found to the right or request a free copy of our Destination Club Guide.
You Might Also Be Interested In...
The Discovery Club
|
