Luxury property club Destination M offers its almost 150 members a personalized experience and worry-free investment with its portfolio of 33 residences in locations throughout the Americas and Europe. We recently spoke to one of the club’s members to get a personal insight into his reasons for joining and his experience so far.

Imagine having a 3rd, 4th and 5th Vacation Home

Chris Bedford of Calgary has been a Destination M member for about two years. He and his family love to travel and are blessed to already own a summer vacation home where they spend several months a year and a winter residence that they use for skiing, however, he was keen to visit other places but didn’t want to buy another property outright. Chris says, “Buying a home brings a certain commitment that you should go there all the time. We wanted the same level of quality and consistency as our other properties but without the worry of property ownership.” He knew that he didn’t want just any old hotel stay. Being semi-retired, Chris wanted the freedom and flexibility to try living in other places in a fully-equipped residence, but without becoming financially tied down to that location.

Having heard about Destination M through a few friends, he looked into membership and decided its model might be a perfect fit for him. He says, “The 100% ownership not for profit model was very interesting to me, especially since the current price of real estate is so crazy.”

Chris likes to travel with his wife, family and friends and with the size of the homes that Destination M has in its portfolio, he is able to vacation and create memories with those close to him. Since joining Destination M recently, he has been fortunate to have visited the following destinations:

• Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs, CA
• The Rocks, Scottsdale, AZ
• Paradise Valley, AZ
• Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
• Whistler, BC
• Victoria, BC

Chris says of the available locations, “Destination M is helping me to get to my bucket list places.” A planned golfing trip to St. Andrews in Scotland has been delayed due to Covid but Chris looks forward to one day playing on the world-famous greens. Meanwhile, this fall, he plans to head back to Arizona and Cabo San Lucas.

Although the pandemic has seen some international trips put on hold, he has been able to make trips within the Americas, including one to Arizona this past spring. Between the precautions taken by both the airlines and Destination M, Chris felt he was in the safest of hands. Destination M has been sure to avoid back-to-back bookings of properties, giving time for a thorough deep cleaning between guests.

Concierge Service – A Definite Plus

Chris has noted a number of benefits of Destination M membership. The concierge service at each location is “a definite plus” since you can take advantage of true local knowledge. That knowledge can come in handy for everything from local entertainment plans to the local grocery store or where to get a COVID test.

There is also a handy trial period where prospective members join the waitlist. If a property is available, they can have the full Destination M vacation experience to see if it is for them, and the organization has the opportunity to see if the individual is a good fit.

The guaranteed low ratio of members to homes was also a big selling point said Chris. While some clubs have so many members that getting access to properties can be difficult, this lower ratio makes it much easier to find the home you want at the time you want to travel.

With three differing levels of ownership ranging from 21 to 60 nights a year, members can choose the plan that fits their stage in life. Since Chris is semi-retired with a flexible schedule, he enjoys being able to use M’s free last-minute bookings, taking advantage of available properties without being limited to just the number of days provided by his membership. Of course, he also notes that since prices are in Canadian dollars, the favorable exchange rate compared to the cost of US clubs is a bonus.

Just as Chris first heard about Destination M through friends, he has also referred people he knows since becoming a member. He says, “The ability to travel like this through this type of organization is something I will continue to definitely recommend.”