After staying at an Exclusive Resorts property with a friend of mine, I became interested in private destination clubs. I joined Lusso after performing extensive research on the desination club model and then comparing all the alternatives in the industry. Although Exclusive Resorts would have been the “safe” choice because of its size and longevity, the value and convenience offered by the Lusso model made it an easy choice for me once I got comfortable with the financial condition of Lusso and familiar with its executives and investors.
I have stayed at three Lusso destinations so far (Tahoe, Scottsdale, Abaco Club), and all three have exceeded my expectations, both in terms of service and quality and in terms of the business savvy of the Lusso decision makers. As a real estate developer, I am impressed with the specific locations of the Lusso homes. At the Abaco Club, the Lusso property we stayed at had both an ocean and golf course view and was walking distance to the clubhouse, restaurant, spa, tennis courts and beach bar. In Scottsdale, the Lusso home was the only one in the area that had complete privacy in the backyard and a spectacular, unfettered view of the sun setting over the Phoenix valley. In Tahoe, the Lusso home is in the new Northstar development and has the skiing, shops, restaurants and fitness center right outside the front door. All three homes were spectacular, and appeared to be brand new with all the latest technologies, highest finishes and finest funishings.
Having stayed at other destination resorts during my research, my stays at Lusso have confirmed that I made the right decision. It’s not just the money saved by having a limo pick me up to and from the airport, having a Lincoln Navigator available for my use at all the homes and having new golf clubs and bikes at the homes, it’s avoiding the time and hassel of having to otherwise plan for, coordinate and rent these things. Lusso and their on site concierges make vacation planning easy. In addition, having an unlimited number of days to use the homes, the ability to gift 2 weeks a year to my relatives, and the ability to give my membership to my heirs without any additional cost, made it clear to me that Lusso offers the best value in the industry.
The reservation system is easy to use, and the Lusso customer service is absolutely first class. I like being with a smaller company that has the lowest member to home ratio in the industry, and I have already established personal relationships with many of the Lusso staff. I was especially impressed when I was recently notified by Lusso that my membership deposit has been further financially secured in response to the Tanner & Haley situation. I feel like a big fish in a small pond with Lusso, and my enthusiasm for the club since joining has only increased. Little things like enrolling me and my wife in a complimentary wine club as a welcome gift is an example of how Lusso has made us feel special.
I would highly recommend anyone thinking of joining a PDC to research all the options thoroughly before making a decision and talking to the executives and members of each club. My experience found that all of the high end clubs offered exquisite homes, but that Lusso offered the best value, the least “hard sell”, and the most personal touch. I have been very happy with my decision and highly recommend Lusso to those thinking about joining.