There is a difference between being a member of a club and paying for a service. What I value most about Quintess, rather than the exclusivity, is the personal touch. Our Quintess team knows our family and our particular quirks and preferences. Every person we've interacted with genuinely cares about the Members.

For me, the greatest surprise about Quintess is how child- and family-friendly it is. On our Quintess trips, the kids are not an appendage to an adult experience, but rather a welcomed, integrated part of every experience. We value that.

For our family, the trip that exemplifies this Quintess personal touch and caring was five years ago in Los Cabos, Mexico. We were scheduled for a week, and had only been there for three or four days when out of the blue, we received a phone call from our Member Relations Manager, who alerted us of a hurricane heading toward Baja. She'd been monitoring the storm, and would keep us apprised. She called back later to say, "We're thinking you should leave," and then promptly began to arrange our departure. My wife turned to me and said, "We hardly ever take vacations. I'm not ready to go home, back to work." I called our MRM and she arranged to have us fly from Los Cabos into San Francisco, where she'd arranged a non-Quintess rental home in wine country. Even though we weren't staying at a Quintess property, the local Host greeted us at the home and showed us around.

Before we arrived in San Francisco, I made an impossible request: reservations at French Laundry in Yountville. I knew it was highly unlikely, but asked anyway. At 10:30 the next morning, we got a call from our Host who said, "I got you lunch reservations at 11:45; you have to decide in the next five minutes." Our response was an enthusiastic yes. Just as we were beginning to get excited, I realized I had only resort Cabo-style clothing with me. Not a jacket in sight! As soon as she caught wind of the situation, our Host was back, this time with two jackets in hand – one that belonged to her husband and one that she had borrowed from a friend who owns a men's clothing store in the area. It was incredible. Kindness. Initiative. Responsiveness. Thoughtful service. This is what Quintess means to our family.

We've had a lot of fun as Quintess Members, from Cabo to Jackson Hole to Hawaii to Bend. We love the destinations, we love the service, and we love being a part of the Club.

Dave Chen is a member of destination club Quintess.