Vacation Club

SheraReport, an independent source for information about luxury travel clubs, recently released a comprehensive guide titled Destination Clubs: A Guide for Prospective Members.

Destinations Clubs operate similar to a points-based timeshare. You must pay an initial cost to join the club, then an annual fee to remain a member. Once you join, you’ll have access to a variety of accommodations and destinations.

However, while timeshare typically offer condominium-style accommodations these clubs offer full vacation homes. Many of the homes are luxury, designer homes set in some of the world’s most exotic locations. Another perk that comes with a destination club is a travel planner. Depending on the type of membership, you may have a personal travel advisor to plan activities and meals so you won’t have to lift a finger.

This is the eighth year that SherpaReport has released the destinations clubs guide and it is free for consumers. The guide provides great detail about vacation clubs including their business model, types of membership, and tips for selecting the right membership for your needs. With this guide, not only will you learn more about destination/vacation clubs, but you can feel more comfortable about joining one.

Travel Clubs like the ones described in SherpaReport’s guide offer access to some of the most luxurious accommodations in the world. You can visit destinations such as Cabo, New York, and Aspen in style.

President of SherpaReport, Nick Copley said, “The prior year versions have helped thousands of people with their luxury vacation club research. We’ve done the research to help people compare and contrast the different clubs. After reading the guide, members can choose the best club for themselves and their families.”

SherpaReport is an independent expert in the luxury travel industry. To read the report, visit SherpaReport.com.

On October 1st, Exploria Resorts (formerly Summer Bay Resorts) Executive Vice President Juan Barillas introduced their new vacation club, Club Exploria.

Barillas shared, “This new vacation club will truly change the way we market, sell and service our product into the future. Club Exploria provides members direct access to a growing portfolio of resort destinations numbering more than 25 at the time of launch with an additional 4000+ offered through our worldwide exchange partner, RCI.” [Read more…]

As consumers use their smart phones and tablets for pretty much everything, the timeshare industry has taken notice. The latest brand to join the smartphone revolution is the El Cid Vacations Club (ECVC).

Recently, the El Cid Vacations Club has introduced a mobile application for their timeshare members. The app helps members to communicate with the vacation club and stay up to date on new. They can also use the app to explore member benefits, and how to get the most of out their vacation ownership. The ECVC app is also free and easy to use.

So far over 2,360 ECVC members in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. have downloaded the app. Amongst these downloads, the company has seen over 12,000 uses of the application. El Cid Vacations Club expects these numbers to increase exponentially in the next few months. [Read more…]

The vacation ownership group, Occidental Vacation Club, is now offering a unique travel option to visit California’s wine country. Their Wine Tour vacation will offer the trip of a lifetime for a select number of guests from April 27th – May 2nd 2014. Each trip will consist of a 6-day, 5-night excursion which will include breakfast and lunch, complete with wine pairings.

President of Occidental Vacation Club, Luis Namnum says, “Do you want stay home and watch TV or learn why couples who drink wine together last longer? You can find out the answer on during our custom made, personal excursion to California’s Wine Country, […] We believe many of our members will jump at the opportunity to spend some warm spring days exploring San Francisco and the vineyards of what is regarded as the U.S. premiere wine region.”

In addition to the tour of the wine country, this trip also includes a day in San Francisco. This section of the excursion includes a tour of all the popular attractions including Chinatown and the Golden Gate Bridge.

After sightseeing, guests will sleep at the FountainGrove Inn of Sonoma County and the The White Oak Vineyard and Winery.

The central focus of the tour is the education and enjoyment of wine. Sommeliers and various experts will host informative gatherings to educate the travelers and of course, drink wine! Tastings will be provided throughout the tour, including pairings with meals.

Luis Namnum shares, “I’ve always believed in the value of enjoying a fine bottle of wine–or two–with friends and loved ones. The primary thought behind the tour is to offer our members an opportunity to do something spectacular with a few select like-minded members. Because of our many connections and alliances in the travel industry we are able to offer this perfect vacation value to our members at a substantial discount of $1200 USD! We’ve taken care of everything, adding more meaning to the label ‘inclusive vacation ownership’.

“Members who already enjoy the all-inclusive options at Occidental Vacation Club know the kind of over-the-top warmth and hospitality we provide, no matter if it’s a stay at one of our wonderful Caribbean vacation properties, an exclusive Yacht Club Membership or a tour of Chichen Itza. The Route of Wine is all about incorporating that inclusive vacation feeling in a whole new environment.”

Namnum concludes, “We at Occidental are continually looking for various ways to provide more value for our members, and one way we do this is by giving them more experiential choices. We are known for outstanding level of service, and with our exclusive wine tour Occidental’s members can expect the same.”

To learn more about the 2014 Occidental Vacation Club Wine Tour, visit www.occidentalvacation.com or www.sharethejoy.occidentalvacationclub.com.