An article by Paul Harris in The Observer takes a look at the growing class divide in America and its social and political consequences. It is beyond our mandate at Helium Report to critique the affectations of the UK’s newspaper. Let them rail against the perils of conspicuous consumption, class antagonism, and the impending breakdown of the social and economic order presaged by the growth of the luxury market — but we won’t be moving to a bunker in South Dakota anytime soon.

Nothing, however, gets our goat so much as when someone uses the dreaded “t-word” to describe destination clubs. Solstice, one of the leading ultra-luxury destination clubs, may very well represent the nadir of American decadence, but is not, as the Observer asserts, a “time-share company.”

Drawing a Line in the Private Beach Sand

Time-share owners receive a deeded interest in a single vacation property, along with an allotted amount of time per year for their use. The industry is characterized by pushy sales-pitches, low-grade properties, and questionable returns on investments. Timeshares and fractionals are often confused for the same thing, too. Some of the core differences between timeshares and fractionals were outlined in a previous article.

Members of destination clubs such as Solstice have access to a variety of homes around the world, but do not actually own any of the properties in the sense that time-share owners do. And far from the shady dealings that plague the time-share industry, full disclosure and financial accountability are increasingly the rule with destination clubs.

• Destination Clubs Explained
• Analyzing the Cost of Destination Clubs
• Comparing Home Alternatives

Helium Report invites The Observer to learn more about destination clubs by downloading our Decision Guide to Destination Clubs. It won’t help to smash the bourgeois state, but we guarantee they will make smarter decisions regarding vacation options.