JOIN THE CLUB: Vacation in style with Exclusive Resorts

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Sitting on the deck with my feet in the private plunge pool, a cold cocktail in my hand, my mind wanders as I gaze at the tropical oasis before me that is Rosewood Mayakoba in Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

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“This is the life,” I thought, followed quickly by the realization, “I need to up my vacationing game.”

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Our magical experience in this stunning four-bedroom, six-bathroom villa was courtesy of Exclusive Resorts, a membership vacation club that has been creating one-of-a-kind trips for more than 20 years.

Exclusive is suited not only for those who want to vacation well (their motto is “life is too short for should haves”), but also for those who thirst for “experiences that most people only dream about.”

Instead of purchasing a second property that will provide essentially the same vacation each time, Exclusive Resorts offers its members access to more than 400 luxury residences and curated travel experiences in 75 destinations.

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“Second homes often seem like great investments – something you’ll use frequently with family and friends while it appreciates in value,” says Steve Case, who is owner and chairman of Exclusive Resorts. “But what often happens is that you use it less than expected and are surprised by the expense and hassle of owning another property.”

Then there is hassle free. Exclusive Resorts helps eliminate such annoyances by providing members with an expert ambassador who acts as a travel planner for your family before you leave – getting to know you and what you enjoy and want in order to truly personalize your trip – and a personal concierge who helps handle all the details when you’re on-site at your destination. Basically, you get your own team to take the frustration out of the vacation.

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“More than 60% of our current members and 40% of our new members are empty nesters,” CEO James Henderson says of the club’s 4,300 members (only 200 are admitted each year to maintain the quality of the residences and personalized service). “At this phase in their life, they’re travelling more often in a bigger group – kids, grandchildren, friends, nannies – and it can be overwhelming. They turn to Exclusive Resorts so they can spend less time planning their vacations and more time enjoying them.”

The way the club works is you pay a membership fee followed by annual dues correlated to how many days you want to travel that year (you can choose between 15 to 30 travel days annually, with most members travelling 20-plus days a year). Memberships start at US$195,000 for the 10-year plan, or $275,000 for the 30-year plan and are inheritable, meaning they can be passed down (consider it an investment in your family’s vacation experiences). The annual dues are $1,760 per plan day.

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The bonus is that there’s no guessing what the prices will be because the rates remain constant and aren’t affected by market fluctuation or holiday demand. Exclusive Resorts says that its fixed-pricing model is nearly four times less expensive than booking comparable luxury hotels and villa rentals.

Really putting the “exclusive” in the offerings, Exclusive Resorts also offers the Experience Collection, which includes providing its members access to The World, the largest private residential yacht on Earth that has been circumnavigating the globe since 2002. The World’s itinerary this year – which is only available to its residents and Exclusive club members – features stops in New Zealand, Southeast Asia and South Africa.

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Although Exclusive Resorts owns most of its residence portfolio, it also has relationships with world-class hotels and resorts. The new partnership with Rosewood gives members access to 12 properties including Mayakoba (which, by the way, is a favourite of Paulina Gretzky, according to her Instagram, when husband Dustin Johnson is competing with LIV Golf at neighbouring El Camaleon Golf Course).

As guests in one of Exclusive’s four luxury villas at Rosewood Mayakoba, we had access to all the amenities offered at the spectacular resort with the bonus of the five-star service provided by our personal concierges. These wizards not only took care of stocking our fridge and arranging our dinners, flight transfers and excursions, but were also just a text away to help with unexpected dilemmas (like how to connect our phone to the villa’s state-of-the-art stereo system – we know, you can eyeroll).

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I can concur with Paulina that the resort is well worth choosing – it’s easily one of the prettiest I’ve stayed at (which is a high bar!). In addition to world-class golf, it sports Zapote Bar (No. 11 on North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023 list), beautiful pools, an adult-only beach area, the best Mexican breakfast at Casa del Lago, and luxurious Sense spa situated in a lush setting on its own island.

Our Exclusive concierge arranged transportation and guide for a day trip to the cenotes at Puerto Morelo, an in-residence massage that I enjoyed in the comfort of my poolside room, and a private chef Mexican dinner complete with bartender pouring our tequila drinks.

Personalized service, luxury accommodations, unique experiences and coveted destinations come together to make unforgettable family vacations. Find out more at exclusiveresorts.com.

cmcleod@postmedia.com

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