Stogee

I am interested in potentially joining a Destination Club and have been reading a lot of the entries that have been posted. Most of them discuss fees and availability. However, I have seen very little written about the additional services provided by the Destination Clubs. Could any one give me information/feedback about some of the services you receive for being a member i.e. concierge, on-site contact, etc?

TarheelTraveler

I am a member of the A&K Residence Club, and I presume that my experiences are fairly typical of most DC members. A member can get all sorts of trip planning assistance, but I usually make my own arrangements. However, I occasionally will call to get guidance on the best places to travel to for my family with a young child. There is also a very detailed trip guide which gives you great information about the destination, house, activities, restaurants, etc.

About a month ahead of time, I am contacted to see if we will need groceries stocked ahead of our arrival, local travel arrangements, activity reservations, arrangements for special occasion flowers (aside from the normal flowers), private chefs, spa treatments, dinner reservations, etc. There is also an on-site concierge that will take care of these things after you arrive in case you don't have time to or would rather not consider those items until after arrival. The service level in my experience is very consistent and at a high level, much like a Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons.

When you arrive, the on-site concierge will greet you with your favorite drinks and/or local speciality drink along with a favorite snack food. He or she will show you around, answer questions, etc. They are on call during your stay, and in certain destinations, like Mexico, you'll have an on-site chef to cook breakfast for you each morning. The breakfasts are amazing in my experience and definitely a highlight of the trips. The local concierges are very knowledgable about great restaurants, special activities and the events and the culture of the area. It's nice to have a local concierge, particularly in the foreign destinations.

With respect to unique services that I've personally experienced, we did a birthday party in NY with family and invited guests (friends from college). When we arrived from the airport, the drinks and food were ready. Banners and balloons were all set up in advance. A beautful cake and candles were also there. It would have been very difficult to stage something like that without assistance, particularly on the night of arrival. Another example is when we were in Mexico, my daughter had a high fever, and we ran out of medicine. The local concierge was able to immediately go to the pharmacy in the village and get us the medicine that we needed. Another example was a private sunset dinner on the beach at the beach club in Punta Mita, Mexico (with no additional charges even). Additionally, as discussed in other threads, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, we were greeted as we walked onto the tarmac, escorted through customs to be first in line with no waits and taken immediately to transportation. From the tarmac to the house in about 20-30 minutes including getting the checked luggage. I'm sure others have similar stories.

In my experience, the concierge services are pretty amazing, and over time, they really do get to know your preferences and family.

Kagehitokiri

welcome to the forum

for example >
Does any Destination Clubs have partnerships with Private Jet Services?
The Best Destination Club Perk?
Destination Clubs with free ski lift tickets

if you want to find out more about partner companies / service offerings, id suggest searching for them by themselves, without a connection to the destination club.

NeilGoBlue

I'm a member of AK also... I joined a destination club for the services. I want the best and the club's concierge and destination host deliver it.. private chef's, babysitting, in home massages... anything I want... For example, I'm going to cabo in a week... I was asking a lot of questions regarding my ride from the airport to the house.. the host, chimed in and said.. let me rent the car for you pick you up at the airport, give you a tour on the way back to the house.. and then bring us back to the airport when I was leaving and then return the car.

I have 2 parents, wife, 4 month old and 3 year old traveling with us.. do you know how much stress he alieviated by renting the car, picking us up and then us not having to worry about driving in a foreign country?

In my last trip.. my computer mouse ran out of batteries.. the house was stocked with 8-10 batteries of every imaginable kind for just such an emergency. That's forethought and thinking...

The houses are decorated and furnished immpeccably...no detail is left to chance..

Kagehitokiri

apparently i havent mentioned JD concierge's (lusso partner) price on DC4MS.com yet. individual memberships (last i called) start at $50K/yr.

NeilGoBlue

Kage,

You're my 'google' of luxury travel...

Kagehitokiri

HAHA i just know where to look. ive tried to post a lot of it here. >
Luxury Hotel Links - FlyerTalk Forums

Quintess Michael

Stogee, Welcome to the forum! Glad you are considering joining the ranks of Destination Club Members
One of the several things that I think sets Quintess apart, is that in addition to the typical Ultra-luxe concierge service that we provide to our members, we have been known to extend our services to FRIENDS of members in a jam. (Ask me about the Historic car race in Monaco and a cancelled yacht accommodation).
Additionally, we gain access to as many amenities at neighboring resorts as possible. ie: Private golf, boat slips, spa, pool and private beach clubs, etc.
We also have the word "no" surgically removed from our Member and Travel Advisors vocabulary

Feel free to call me if I can answer any questions.

__________________
Michael Aumock
Director, Membership Development
Quintess, The Leading Residences of the World

pwrshift

Was the above a paid advertisement?

DC4MS

nope...just a very excited DC membership director.

We welcome posts and opinions from all DC employees, but greatly prefer informative information rather than hard sales pitches.

Jack

yeah Stogee, call me too haha