Being part of a club entitles a member to the use of certain facilities, and this applies whether it's a health club, a country club or a golf club. A destination club is no different. The facilities offered by this sort of organization are high-quality, fully serviced, luxury vacation homes. Destination clubs offer their members a flexible alternative to luxury hotels, second homes and vacation home rentals. The flexibility derives from most clubs having properties located in a variety of destinations, often on a global scale. There is also the piece of mind that comes from knowing each home will be maintained to a consistent, very high standard.

Different people have different ideas about what makes a great vacation. For this reason, destination clubs can be found in a variety of settings. Beachfront properties are always popular and so are mountain hideaways with access to great ski mountains and leisure resorts offering superb golfing. Urban apartments provide luxurious city accommodation.

The homes themselves will normally have a concierge service, but many clubs also offer more than this. Transport to and from the local airport is usually provided and many homes have a car available for members use. Prior to the member's arrival, the kitchen will be stocked with both groceries and beverages. This will include specific items requested buy the member. A similar service will be available in the living areas, with books, games, entertainment and even flowers provided according to the member's wishes. Daily housekeeping is also part of the package. Some locations even offer the services of a personal chef. Anything that might be needed to accommodate small children (highchairs, playpens, safety gates) can also be installed.

As a guide to the standard of property available, the homes have a typical market value of $2 million. In metropolitan areas, the accommodation will have a floor space of around 1500 square feet. Beach front and more rural retreats have more land in general, so floor space can be anything up to 6000 square feet. The inner city locations tend to be made up of luxury condominiums, and feature all the associated amenities. Beachfront and scenic retreats are usually freestanding houses, often surrounded by well-tended gardens and secluded enough to offer a real sense of privacy.

The cost of joining a destination club can be split into three categories. There's the initial payment to join, annual membership dues, and occasionally a nightly rate for staying in the accommodation. All of these amounts vary enormously depending on the club, the properties in it's portfolio and the level of service provided.

• High-end accommodation offers the greatest degree of luxury and facilities. Typically there will be an initial fee of around $350,000 and annual membership dues of $22,000.
• Mid-range schemes offer a slightly more modest degree of luxury. An initial payment might be around $200,000 and annual membership dues of $11,500.
• Entry-level clubs still provide luxurious accommodation, but not at quite the same level as high-end and mid-range. The initial payment will be around $105,000 and annual dues of $7,700.

In most destination clubs, the members do not have any legal ownership interests in the properties. But most of the clubs pay back 80% to 100% of the initial payment when you leave the club. Some clubs, mainly the newer ones, do offer their members the opportunity to benefit from the market performance of the valuation of their properties. And in a few clubs members have an actual equity participation.

Destination Clubs and Private Residence Clubs have a lot in common but also have some differences. If you're considering one you should certainly look at the other. Read our article "The Difference between Destination Clubs and Private Residence Clubs" as a starting point in your research.