Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club And The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Forge New Luxury Alliance
It has been announced today, October 25th, that two of the leading, equity based, luxury destination clubs, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club, have forged a new exchange opportunity for the benefit of their members. This strategic alliance presents members of both clubs with expanding destination opportunities that only these companies can provide. This affiliation marks a first for the destination club industry through The Lion & Crown Travel Co., LLC, the exclusive external exchange company for The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club.
The collaboration allows Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members access to 17 Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club residences in North America's finest beach, mountain and golf destinations including Scottsdale, Ariz.; Lake Tahoe and La Quinta, Calif.; Snowmass-Aspen, Colo.; Kiawah Island, S.C.; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Sun Valley, Idaho; Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Deer Valley, Utah; Hawaii's Big Island; Turks & Caicos; Punta Mita, Puerto Aventuras, and Los Cabos, Mexico. In return, Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club Members are able to convert their nights for use at 10 Ritz-Carlton Destination Club locations in Aspen Highlands, Bachelor Gulch and Vail (Vail a future location), Colo.; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.; Jupiter, Fla.; San Francisco and North Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Kapalua Bay in Maui and Kauai Lagoons, Hawaii; and Abaco, The Bahamas.
"It is our mission to continually offer our Members the finest partners and most exclusive vacation experiences," said Peter J. Watzka, executive vice president and chief operating officer for The Ritz-Carlton Development Company, Inc. (an affiliate of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC). "We see this relationship as a tremendous first step in building a worldwide, branded network of exchange and travel services for the destination club segment. Additionally, we see our alliance with Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club as a logical extension of the newly formed relationship between The Ritz-Carlton and Abercrombie & Kent brands announced with the launch of The Ritz-Carlton Rewards program last month."
"In addition," adds Geoffrey Kent, Abercrombie & Kent's founder, this exclusive relationship demonstrates our commitment to expand the range of destinations and luxury vacation experiences our members can enjoy around the world. Both clubs were founded on an equity model, a fundamentally more conservative choice than other clubs in the industry."
Both Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club Members benefit from coordination of everything from airport pick-up and pre-arrival provisioning of the residence, to arranging a seamless vacation experience. Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members may also escape with Abercrombie & Kent on a variety of luxury and adventure travel experiences, that include Antarctica, China, India and the Galápagos Islands. The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club members can participate in this program in a variety of ways, including preferred access to Abercrombie & Kent tours on all seven continents; opportunities to participate in three exclusive trips created especially for The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members in 2011; and the option to utilize Abercrombie & Kent Private Travel to personalize itineraries through their Member Experience Advisor.
