TradeToTravel

Hi, All, DC4MS deleted this thread by mistake and asked me to repost it (thank you DC4MS), so here's my question:

Can someone please explain how membership in any destination club is better/more desirable than renting wherever you'd like to go, whenever you'd like to go there, and renting for as long as you'd like (rather than being limited to one week at a time)?

DC4MS

Yes, it is true, I clicked on delete the "thread" instead of "post" when I moved several posts out of the HCC thread and into this new one.

There were also one or two other posts that were accidentally deleted and I could not recover them from my browser cache.....hopefully you will repost.

caribbeansun

Price (variety of weightings re. refundable deposit, annual dues, cost of capital, etc.)
Sense of "ownership" - intangible value and a bit tenuous
Consistent quality
Somebody is answerable for quality issues
Responsiveness
Availability
The one week limitation doesn't necessarily apply to all DC's

Having said all of the above I believe there is a place for renting accommodation as well as I don't see any DC that can possibly provide the solution to all travel situations and needs.

3DH

In addition to caribbeansun's answers with which I agree, I will add:

* Concierge service to meet you at home and take care of any needs during stay
* Known costs -- regardless of home/location (annual fees)
* Unlimited days -- not having to pay each time we go somewhere (in LUSSO's case)
* Exclusiveness
* And, I want to reiterate consistency of properties & quality!

__________________
"Boutique" is better! Another extremely satisfied LUSSO member!

TarheelTraveler

OK, I'll bite. From what I understand, many DC members actually became members partially as a result of bad rental experiences, myself included. Here are my reasons off the top of my head, based on my personal experience, why my DC membership is far better than renting luxury properties:

(i) I no longer spend hours of due diligence checking out various rental properties, and instead, just pick my destination and in 30 seconds, reserve the property I want
(ii) I am no longer disappointed in the properties I stay in, because rental properties are in my experience never as good as described or are inaccurately described (instead, I've been impressed with every DC property that I've been to)
(iii) I no longer have to worry about poorly maintained properties, because my DC maintains properties probably better than my own house and certainly better than any rental properties I've been to
(iv) I no longer wonder whether I'll have pans or the right cooking utensils (every DC house that I've been to is stocked consistently and is loaded with every thing that I could think of)
(v) my family no longer misses things from home like flat screen TVs, movie channels, DVRs, IPod docking stations, high speed internet, video games, and board games because I know that my DC home will have all of those things
(vi) I don't have to worry about schlepping pack n plays, high chairs, booster seats, etc., with us because the DC house will have that
(vii) I no longer spend hours coming up with restaurant and activity ideas, because the local concierge will know better than anything I can come up with on my own
(viii) for special occasions, I can rely on the local concierge to get flowers, birthday cakes and decorations, etc., rather than me trying to coordinate that in an unfamiliar destination
(ix) I no longer have to contact an absentee landlord about maintenance issues and hope they get rectified
(x) I like the idea of getting some real estate appreciation along the way with my DC rather than paying my landlord rent, and finally
(xi) I no longer worry about having green carpet, outdated floral couches and truly bad decor, because every DC house I've been to has been beautifully decorated.

I'm sure, TTT, that you'll respond that DC members (despite being a pretty content bunch) could do better with TTT or some other shameless self-promotion, but most of us on here have been there and done that and certainly wouldn't go back.

Bourne

I define the VRBOs or TTTs of the world as brokers. TTT/VRBO can deliver some specific properties all the time, all properties some of the time but cannot guarantee the following....

Listed in the order of importance to me...

1. Consistent Quality - Properties can range from a scale of 10 to 6. I may be happy with a 10 but the day I land up in a home with green carpets and floral designs without researching in advance, its over for me. Silly examples, but while on a ski vacation, I do not have to double check if all rooms have humidifiers for the kids. On a beach vacation, I do not have to haul beach "stuff" for myself and the kids. Simple things like a Pack n play, High Chair go a long way. Enough of hauling portable versions of these on all vacations.

2. Availability - Renting does not guarantee me availability for a specific location during peak event times. i.e Times Square on NY eve. With a DC, I am "competing" with a limited number of members playing by the same rules. In addition, my money counts when I want to bend rules in my favor i.e. Long Term Holiday Reservation capability further limiting the pool of competing members hence improving my chances.

3. Service - VRBO and TTT may tout comparable service but they do not even come close to the service provided by HCC. And I am not even comparing full service DCs( Non HCC ). Specific to TTT, can you guarantee me daily maid service, private chef, in home spa services, baby sitting and dining and entertainment reservations at any location I book witin 48 hrs. IMHO, you can do it for some but not for all. DCs can do it for any location all the time. Why, because they have dedicated support staff at all locations servicing the properties 70-90% weeks in a year.

4. Responsiveness - When #$% hits the fan, I bet the CEO of VRBO/TTT will not be on the phone with me within 2 hrs apologizing for a situation that they could not control and a have a resolution for it immediately. If I land up in Fiji and cannot check in because someone else is booked into the unit, I do not have an immediate resolution from a "broker". It is a deal between the owner and renter.

5. Price - Last but not the least. I lock down the price with a contracted rate of increase. While renting, I am at the mercy of inflation & local market conditions.

__________________
The Nile is a river in Egypt......

Bourne

Now that you have bough HCC up, here is a DC specific example.

Analysis: HCC has some properties ( OBX, Breck, Beaver Creek ) that are comparable to UE Signature homes. Properties like Maui compare to UE Elite and ER in cost and quality if not in location.

Incorrect Statement: HCC is comparable to UE Signature/Elite or Exclusive Resorts.

Correct Statement: A handful of properties that HCC provides are comparable to UE/ER. Not service, not quality of furnishings but the property itself.

When you make statements like...

and
you are making the same mistake pointed out in the example provided.

__________________
The Nile is a river in Egypt......

ChicagoMark

My experience in renting homes has been such a grab-bag (in a bad way, not in a good way) that it is something that I no longer choose to do. I've had owners withhold security deposits for months after a rental, had beds & linens older than myself in the houses, have been charged for any number of supposed infractions on their property-(All time winner is still the lady in Falmouth, MA who charged me $50 for not vacuuming the place.) So joining a destination club was a natural for me.

TradeToTravel

Most of the potential problems with renting properties which have been mentioned so far in this thread are problems which can easily be avoided by renting from luxury rental agencies (local luxury rental agencies in the destinations you want to visit which offer concierge services and national/international luxury rental agencies which offer concierge services in the destinations in which they operate) rather than renting from sites like VRBO and other "for rent by owner" sites.

There's a big, wide world out there that destination club members (or should I say the members of those destination clubs which are currently listed on this website) are missing out on. Rather than be limited to the properties in any destination club's portfolio, why not rent wherever you'd like to go, whenever you'd like to go there, and stay for as long as you like?

I owned an international villa rentals agency (called, "Property Rentals International") before the advent of the internet and I didn't have any problem renting fabulous properties worldwide for my clients even back then. All it took was a few phone calls to well-established, highly reputable, local luxury rental agencies in the destinations which my clients wanted to visit (FAR less time than people spend researching and debating destination club business models and viability).

I've arranged spectacular accommodations for some of the world's wealthiest and most famous over the past 20 years and have never had a problem with a luxury rental (or at least not any problem as big as many of the problems I read about in these forums). When you're dealing with luxury properties, you're going to be happy. It's SO much easier than dealing with "average" properties.

"LaCure Villas" and "Wimco" are two of the MANY excellent luxury rental agencies which I recommend (and which you can easily find by googling terms like "luxury villa rentals"). Following are excerpts from their websites.


LaCure Villas:


Since 1979 LaCURE has been the undisputed world leader in villa vacations. LaCURE was founded by the partners who still run the company today. While other companies have copied the LaCURE villa concept, none have been able to duplicate our expertise and experience, selection of properties, scrupulous attention paid to detail, and our success.

Each and every property offered by LaCURE has been visited and vetted by a LaCURE representative, to make sure it meets our exacting standards - and yours.

Our greatest asset is the unrivaled service and expertise provided by our staff. LaCURE Villa Consultants are the best in the industry when it comes to matching people with properties. Our service does not end once a client has departed for their vacation.

Every one of our destinations has a LaCURE Representative nearby, who will provide any needed assistance and help to make any new arrangements you desire on-site.

We do everything possible to ensure that a LaCURE Villa experience is as good as, or better than, advertised. All of our surprises are pleasant ones.

In the 21st Century the concept of travel is going through a radical change. With the vast majority of the world explored, travel is less about discovering new destinations that it is about discovering new ways of enjoying them. We want the thrill of new experiences combined with familiar comforts. We crave to be challenged by new cultures as we long to relax in the comforting care of service professionals. We search for stimulation and inspiration at the same time we dream of a private retreat, where we can explore our own thoughts and desires. LaCURE Villas offer the best way to discover exotic worldwide destinations and to explore an inner realm of private pleasure.

For over 25 years LaCURE has been the world leader in the rental of luxury villa accommodations. We remain committed to providing the very best to our travel partners and our clients. We will continue to offer an outstanding, magical selection of luxury villas - properties to satisfy the most discriminating tastes, with fabulous destinations, outstanding service, and competitive prices.

As the travel industry continues to evolve LaCURE promises to remain an industry trailblazer and innovator. LaCURE will never give up our commitment to excellence - always meeting or surpassing your expectations.




Wimco:

Let Wimco's travel concierge staff personalize your travel! With a little extra time for pre-planning and advanced reservations, Wimco can create a unique, custom-designed vacation just for you. We'll set up your flights, reserve your car, and that is just the beginning.

For example...

Fly in to Florence, Italy. We'll arrange for your first nights stay in a luxury hotel. A driver will pick you up at your hotel and drive you to your Tuscan villa, where your rental car will be waiting in the driveway. Enjoy a private guided tour of local wineries, or art galleries as part of your stay. Have a local chef come in and prepare regional specialties right in your villa. Take a day long bike-trip through ancient hilltowns. Arrange an overnight to Rome. Live it up!

Or visit the Caribbean. Fly into St Barts, we'll arrange to have you picked up at the airport and escort you to your villa. Let us fully provision it in advance so you can pop open a bottle of wine and snack on baguettes and Brie as you unwind from your trip. Perhaps you'd like us to make restaurant reservations for you that night, and set up a babysitter. No problem. Later on you might be up for a day cruise to a deserted beach, with a catered picnic. Just give us a call.

Whether its just two of you, or a group of family and friends, Wimco's travel concierge department is ready to make every detail of your vacation memorable. Call us today to customize your trip. Call 800-449-1553.

A list of possibilities:

In the Caribbean -

Private chef service
Provision the villa the first night
Restaurant reservations
Snorkeling and Scuba excursions
Horseback riding
Tennis lessons
Boat and watersports rentals
Spa Treatments


In Europe -

Private chef service
Provision the villa the first night
Cooking Classes or Demonstrations
Cultural tours
Thermal Spa Treatments
Ballooning over Tuscany

ER Traveler

Your Wimco Florence - Tuscany experience is almost a carbon copy of our recent ER experience in the same region except that the villa and hotel are stocked with groceries for the entire stay and you can also have cooking lessons in the villa, walking tours, event tickets, daily maid service, private winery tours with lunches or dinners with the vintners, etc. This can all be arranged with one booking online (60 seconds) and perhaps one or two emails to your dedicated concierge.

TarheelTraveler

TTT - Your response is so typical and why it makes it impossible to have any kind of debate with you. You don't respond directly to any of the points and instead try to come up with some "fabulous" experience that you (and now someone else) offers. Those agencies you site provide nothing that a DC does not. I (and plenty of others) have done luxury villa rentals and not one poster would do it over a DC on a regular basis now that they are DC members. Perhaps you should actually try a DC out yourself instead of spending your time trying to convince DC members that somehow we are missing out on things we've already tried. Maybe it would be more productive to say that you should consider renting if you run out of the 30-350 destinations that DCs offer.

Tedpilot

TTT - You're a rental broker...nothging else...your service will never compare to DCs that are currently available. Touting worldwide blah blah blah is a poor argument at best. Those of us have decided to go with the DCs have because we like their locations. I will not speak for everyone but if I want to go somewhere HCC does not have a place, off I go...no biggie, it is just going to suck because I have no clue what I will really get. Pictures lie, descriptions vague and subjective...

Do yourself a favor...read through some of DC's websites and see what they actually do. Maybe even shop one of them and see for yourslef that TTT is not anything comparable.

When you finally realize, if ever, that they are entirely different travel rpoducts and most everyone on this website has "given up" on rentals as a primary means of travel you'll feel sick to your stomach for days for not having listened to us in the first place and wasting your time.

Best of luck with the sale of your rental brokerage.

TradeToTravel

Hi, ER Traveler, below is a review of a rental property, Casa Suenos, which I recently posted in another thread and will post here to give everyone an example of the sorts of services one can receive in luxury rental properties for FAR less money than membership in destination clubs.

Again, renting luxury properties and arranging for any/all additional services/activities is fast-n-easy via well-established, highly reputable luxury rental agencies worldwide.

For example, Casa Suenos rents for $16,000 for Christmas/New Year's and is $15,000 for high season weeks. Its website is Bienvenido Casa Suenos.

Exclusive Resorts' membership fee for 60 days is $479,900, with annual fees of $59,900, plus another $59,000/year if you want a holiday.

So, if you're a member of Exclusive Resorts who wants to travel 60 days per year and who would like one of your weeks to be a holiday week each year, in your first 3 years of membership in Exclusive Resorts, you would pay:

$479,900 membership fee
$179,700 annual fees ($59,900 annual fee x 3 = $179,700)
$177,000 holiday fees ($59,000 holiday fee x 3 = $177,000)

= $836,600 total ER fees


For $836,600, you could rent Suenos-caliber properties for 52 high season weeks (rather than the 26 weeks which your ER membersip allows you over the first 3 years of your membership), PLUS 3 Christmas/New Year's weeks (or any other Holiday you'd like), giving you a total of 55 weeks for $828,000.


Following is the post regarding Casa Suenos:


Hi, All, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write, but I've been in Manzanillo, Mexico with my mother and a girlfriend of ours in Casa Suenos (T650 on our website). Casa Suenos means "House of Dreams," and it is a dream indeed. For those of you who love having your refrigerator stocked when you arrive, imagine being met at the entrance of your STUNNING villa overlooking Santiago Bay by the staff who will take care of you so thoroughly, creatively, meticulously, enthusiastically, and lovingly throughout your stay in Suenos, that you'll think you've died and gone to Heaven. Not only is your refrigerator stocked, its full of only the freshest ingredients which will be used to prepare the day's meals (no leftovers allowed in this property). At Casa Suenos, grocery shopping isn't something that's done for you only at the beginning of your stay, it's done for you daily. Each evening after your gourmet dinner, the full-size flipchart menu is brought out and placed beside the dining table, complete with photos of all of the various exquisite soups, salads, entrees, and desserts from which you're free to choose your next day's meals. It's all just too decadent, fun, and delicious for words!

When you arrive, Lucerto (Lucy) stands ready to greet you with a warm grin and margaritas on the rocks (with salted rims unless requested otherwise before arrival), Linda offers a tray of rolled, damp cloths to wipe your travels from your hands, Carlos and his beautiful wife Margarita (who run the household and speak fluent, gracious English) are ready to provide anything/everything your heart could desire, and the villa itself stands awaiting the ooo's and ahhhh's you're bound to lavish upon it as Carlos introduces you to each room, each balcony, each reading/napping nook, and both of its crystal swimming pools. Hummingbirds dart amongst the jasmine and bougainvillea, geckos run up walls, and occasional small red crabs skitter across the path at your feet. We even saw a bright green iguana we immediately nicknamed "il guardo" ("the guard") because he likes to station himself at the entrance to the property.

Miguel serves multiple purposes around the house, including that of bartender. Antonio will drive you wherever you'd like to go. Plus, he's always prepared to suggest various excursions, activities, and sightseeing trips, so let him or Carlos know if you're feeling adventurous. Antonio even showed up at the airport the day we were flying home because my mom had left her cell charger at Suenos and Carlos asked him to try to catch us before our plane took off. Which he did. Now THAT'S service!

Then there's Lolita. You'll LOVE Lolita. She's the massage therapist and she is GOOD. We each got hour-long massages every day and they were the best I've ever had. She also performs facials using silver, copper, or gold depending on your skin type. Rosy and Jesse are available for manicures and pedicures given in the upper poolside palapa. A stay in Casa Suenos is the equivalent of living in your own private spa in which the staff is there to cater to you and only you. The 3 of us were pampered by a staff of 7. If this is Heaven, then Carlos and his team are the angels.

You don't even need to leave the premises to shop. The house has its own line of clothing including shirts, shorts, hats, and robes complete with the Casa Suenos logo embroidered or printed on them. They have a selection of styles and sizes, made of quality fabrics from Mexico City. We bought for ourselves, family and friends (very convenient since my brother's birthday was the day after our return, so mom and I were able to get him great golf shirts).

I really can't say enough about the beauty of the breakfasts, lunches, and dinners which are created daily for your sublime pleasure and health. I took 29 pictures of food alone. It is always artistically and proudly presented, creative with incredible blends of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and seafoods. Desserts are to die for!! Breakfast always includes a platter of luscious fruits, plus pitchers of orange and papaya juices squeezed in your kitchen. Snacks included massive quantities of the best guacamole imaginable, chips and/or tortillas, a plate of melted cheese, refried beans, salsa, jalapenos, and your libation of choice. The palapa which houses the large and fabulous bar is stocked with an impressive array of alcohols. The freezers are full of bottles of water, sodas, beers, juices, Coco Loco, and ice. What more could one ask for in a tropical paradise?

The main living area of the house is a large and wide-open spanse with huge, colorful, endlessly inviting couches in two separate lounging areas, a grande dining area, the palapa bar, the massage area, and the kitchen. No walls obstruct your dramatic views across the pool and over the bay. On the opposite side of the bay stand "Vaca" and "Toro" (the lush mountains named "Cow" and "Bull" which are so high that they create their own weather). Rather than a wall, graceful colums support the roof over your head, so winds and breezes contantly blow through, caressing and cooling as they go. When it rains, you feel like you're IN the storm, yet you're comfortable and dry, sipping something yummy. There is no tv. There is music. There is laughter. There is conversation. There is rest and relaxation. There is healing. There is celebration. Life is good. Very, very good.

At night the property glows. Large and small domes in the ceiling cast magical golden light throughout the house and the pools are so clean and well lit that they're practically neon. Across the bay, lights twinkle where the mountains meet the water and the whole scene is soooooo extraordinary that you don't want to go to sleep because you don't want to miss a minute of it. On the other hand, the 5 bedrooms are all s o spectacular that your room gently beckons, inviting you to return to its elegance, marvel at its panoramic views, sit on your private balcony, read, nap, meditate, or sleep. It's a tough choice!

One afternoon, shortly after our living room shopping spree, the owner of Casa Suenos called to make sure sure that we were enamored of our environment. I gushed my gratitude to him for his extreme hospitality and RAVED about all that he and his partner have created. He said that he LOVES Trade to Travel and has now been to 75 TTT properties. Yes, that was no typo...he has been to 75 properties via our services. Has anyone ever been to 75 destinaton club properties? I doubt it. When it comes to luxury travel, TTT holds all sorts of records.

I apologize if this post has been a bit long, but I know that members of destination clubs and private residence clubs love to feel special (as do I!), so I wanted to paint vivid images of just how special travel via TTT can be.

"Special" is our specialty.

I'll write more soon and hope everyone's enjoying your summer,
Leah

P.S. Following are links to Casa Suenos (our site and theirs):

http://www.tradetotravel.com/propert...roperty_ID=498

http://www.destinationclubforums.com/f2/www.Suenos.net