Haute Living Los Angeles March/April 2012
HAUTE PARTNERS: JETSET
by Marie Condry

Inspirato is the newest player in luxury travel, an exclusive, members-only destination club for those who want to change the way they vacation.

Founded in January 2011 by Brent Handler and team, this club offers members what others do not – a personal vacation advisor, low member rates with a plethora of haute benefits and best of all, no complicated rules and restrictions.

Already, Inspirato has more than 850 members with an average of 100 new members joining each month. Members range from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to New York baseball icon Mark Teixeira to everyday vacationers who simply appreciate luxury.

“It’s a wide gambit of customers,” Handler said.  “But what people have in common is they don’t view overspending on luxury as a status symbol. They really are focused on great quality and accommodations for family and friends, and want to do so at value.”

Handler, who co-founded Exclusive Resorts in 2002, took his prior experience to create something entirely different. He wanted to create a private club whose members could enjoy every vacation at a great value and with no restrictions.

“We really take what’s wrong with renting a home [online] and combine it with what’s right in a destination club – service, experience and quality of homes,” Handler said. “[We] put all of that into a package, which [becomes] the Inspirato club.”

Another of Inspirato’s trademarks is great value. The average Inspirato vacation costs 50 percent less than other luxury options. Instead of buying homes and charging broker fees, Inspirato leases its residences. This means members never pay extra fees.

And the most crucial difference between Inspirato and other luxury traveling services is simple – there are no complex rules and problematical restrictions. Members have access to 85 luxurious homes in 25 locations and are able to visit these locations throughout the year, an unlimited amount of times.

Inspirato destinations include London, Tuscany, Vail, Los Cabos, Maui, Punta Cana, the Bahamas, the British West Indies, Mexico, Tahoe, St. Bart’s, Paris and the Galapagos Islands. For a complete list of destinations, visit www.inspirato.com.

Every residence has an on-site Destination Concierge available to members 24/7 for anything they may need; visitors enjoy the highest quality service from the moment they deplane until the moment of departure.

The Inspirato team provides each member with a Personal Vacation Advisor, who plans every step of their luxury getaway. The only work members have to do is choosing their destination. However, if the member isn’t up for it, advisors will help do that, too.

The initiation fee and a low annual membership fee gives members access to all the destinations and all the Inspirato partnerships. Avantair, Solairus Aviation, TOUR GCX, Luggage Forward and Destination Cellars all collaborate with Inspirato to give its members benefits, and make their travel and vacation time even more relaxing. But when it all comes down to it, it’s all about making members happy.

“We have to be extraordinary at loving our members and caring for our members,” Handler said. “We have to be obsessed with their satisfaction. You can’t be successful in a company unless you have a very clear point of view on what you’re trying to accomplish.”  It seems what Inspirato is trying to accomplish is to simply change the way people think about high-end vacationing – and Handler has every confidence that it’s a successful practice: “Every traveler owes it to themselves to look at Inspirato because it will change the way they vacation for the better.”

Nov 2, 2011 11:35 AM
Read 110 Times
Related Posts
C-III Capital Partners, led by Haute 100 lister Andrew Farkas, completed its acquisition of NAI Global. The former firm, C-III Capital Partners, provides in the arenas of innovative real estate equity and debt solutions.
by Haley Friedlich, Feb 8, 2012 6:35 PM
 
This issue of features a look at Rai Ki Wai Wakaya Estate in the Fiji Islands. Currently for sale, the regal estate is 20,000 square feet of unparalleled design, décor, and privacy.
by Alexandra Delgado, Aug 5, 2011 12:00 AM
 
Read about luxury furniture brand Baltus Collection in this issue of Haute Living Los Angeles. The Spain-based company’s sleek pieces with varying textures are the ultimate way to achieve the ambiance of a lavish lifestyle at home. Read about the designers to understand the luxe pieces on a deeper...
by Alexandra Delgado, Aug 18, 2011 6:02 PM
 
On Sunday, April 22, the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation teamed up with the Swiss watch brand, Girard-Perregaux, where Kobe and Vanessa hosted a fundraiser for the foundation, which helps families in need through educational and cultural programs.
by Dennis Brinkworth, Apr 27, 2012 6:28 PM
 
Swarovski Elements gets ready for Sense of Two, an exclusive event which showcases custom-made pieces by the brand's top design partners from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. This year, the event challenges its design partners to create two fashion-forward garments which incorporate Swarov...
by Rebecca Anne Proctor, Nov 29, 2011 4:12 AM
 
The Four Seasons Resort in Nevis, West Indies, an exclusive member of The Haute Hotel Network, has partnered with the nonprofit Sea Turtle Conservancy and the Nevis Turtle Group to help protect the Nevis Turtle.
by Rachel Willis, Aug 24, 2011 8:29 PM
 
Dune Real Estate Partners has filed to foreclose on loans granted to the Alexico Group’s Mark Hotel in Manhattan’s Upper East Side by the Anglo Irish Bank.
by Jill Pankow, Jul 20, 2011 3:11 AM
 
Yesterday, Apr. 17, Godiva Chocolatier unveiled its new global, corporate philanthropy initiative, “The Lady Godiva Program.” The program intends to "celebrate inspirational women around the world who embody the attributes of Lady Godiva through selflessness, generosity, leadership and the spiri...
by Haley Friedlich, Apr 18, 2012 1:51 AM
 
The St. Regis Hotel has long been associated with polo around the world, and in accord it partnered up with Sentable for the charitable Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
by Carol De Coene, Mar 15, 2012 2:33 PM
 
Located on Nob Hill, the Fairmount San Francisco has been sold to Woodridge Capital Partners, a Los Angeles real estate development and investment firm, for approximately $200 million after its former owners were unable to expand and build luxury condos on property due to preservation restrictions.
by Alison Cavatore, May 11, 2012 4:08 PM
 
 
 
 
TOP 5
 
Los Angeles March/April 2012
 
HAUTE 100
Will Smith is back on the Silver Screen today as the iconic Agent J in ‘Men in Black 3.’
 
HAUTE SECRETS
Mary Fanaro of OmniPeace shares her Los Angeles secrets with Haute Living. Find out where Mary shops...
 
 
© HAUTE MEDIA GROUP 2011