A young Florida based destination club, CareFree Elite spun out of CareFree Lifestyle, a membership club that offered members discounts on exotic cars, limosines, yachts, jets, and mansions. CareFree Elite offers several different membership plans including a pre-paid membership card where funds were pulled as the member traveled, an athlete exclusive membership that focused on the member's off-season that allowed for 30 days of block property usage, and a semi-traditional destination club model that also allowed included discounts on luxury vehicles, private jet travel, and concierge services.
Officially launched in December of 2007, CareFree Elite is wholly owned by CareFree Group, a pink sheet publicly traded company (CRFE), the company "owns assets in travel, aviation, automotive, yachting, entertainment, and real estate industries."
CareFree Lifestyle has been in existence for over a decade and counts a customer base that includes Matt Damon, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Ben Affleck, and Will Smith, and CareFree Elite wants to put members in a similar light, calling their membership an "upgrade to celebrity status."
MEMBERSHIP PLANS
CareFree Elite offers three different membership plans, each with their own focus, to potential members.
Black Card
Primarily designed with businesses and corporations in mind, the Black Card Membership was modeled to provide these organizations access to luxury accommodations for retreats, private parties and other events.
Members pay a $5,000 down payment for the annual membership and are entitled to:
- Six day, five night stay at a CareFree owned property, with up to 11 additional guests, with their choice of vehicle
- 14 days, 14 night stays at a CareFree owned property, with up to 3 additional guests, with their choice of vehicle
- Half-day personal yacht cruise
- 24/7 concierge services
- Private Chef for five meals
- Four person personalized spa treatment
- Playboy Mansion Invitation
- Playboy Golf Invitation
- Chauffeured limousine service for three nights
- Limousine airport transfer
- 30% off future exotic car rentals
- 20% off future property rentals and limousine services
- 10% off future yacht charters
Platinum Card
"Platinum membership is ideal for individuals, couples, or families who want indulgent retreats and vacations during their time off."
Grouped inside this membership is a focus on athletes, who often have multiple months of downtime in between seasons.
Members pay a $3,500 down payment for the annual membership and are entitled to:
- Six day, five night stay at a CareFree owned property, with up to 9 additional guests, with their choice of vehicle for four days
- 24/7 concierge services
- Private Chef for four meals
- Two person personalized spa treatment
- Playboy Golf Invitation
- Chauffeured limousine service for one night
- Limousine airport transfer
- 30% off future exotic car rentals
- 20% off future property rentals and limousine services
- 10% off future yacht charters
Gold Card
CareFree Elite describes their Gold Card audience as those "individuals who want luxury on demand and require the maximum booking flexibility."
Members pay a $2,500 down payment for the annual membership and are entitled to:
- Five day, four night stay at a CareFree owned property, with up to 3 additional guests, with their choice of vehicle
- 24/7 concierge services
- Chauffeured limousine service for three nights
- Limousine airport transfer
- 30% off future exotic car rentals
- 20% off future property rentals and limousine services
- 10% off future yacht charters
ANNUAL DUES
One of a number of Florida based destination clubs that not only provides members with luxury accommodations, but with exotic automobiles, private jets, and a host of other options from spa treatments to limousine services, CareFree Elite offers three different membership cards.
Black
Designed for organizations and professional athletes in their off-season, Black Cards provide the most total benefits of all membership options. Included in the membership is:
- Six day, five night stay at a CareFree mansion/luxury home/penthouse for up to 12 people
- Exotic motor vehicle for six days
- 14 day, 14 night stay at CareFree luxury penthouse/condo/hotel for up to 4 people
- Half-day yacht cruise
- Private chef for five days
- Spa treatment for four people
- Playboy mansion invitation
- Playboy Golf event invitation
- Chauffeured limousine for three nights
- Chauffeured limousine airport transfer
- 30% off future luxury car rentals
- 20% off future luxury property rentals and limousine services
- 10% off future yacht charters
Platinum
A mix between the Black Card and their corporate focus and the Gold Card's individual and family design, Platinum blends the two different membership options
- Six day, five night stay at a CareFree mansion/luxury home/penthouse for up to 10 people
- Exotic motor vehicle for six days
- Private chef for four days
- Spa treatment for two people
- Playboy Golf event invitation
- Chauffeured limousine for one night
- Chauffeured limousine airport transfer
- 30% off future luxury car rentals
- 20% off future luxury property rentals and limousine services
- 10% off future yacht charters
Gold
The Black Membership Card is designed for corporations and businesses, and Gold Cards are designed for individuals and families. Included in the membership is:
- Five day, four night stay at a CareFree mansion/luxury home/penthouse for up to 10 people
- Exotic motor vehicle for five days
- Chauffeured limousine airport transfer
- 30% off future luxury car rentals
- 20% off future luxury property rentals and limousine services
- 10% off future yacht charters
PROPERTIES
Based out of Florida, CareFree Elite is designed primarily for members in the Flordia region. In addition to giving members access to a collection of luxury residences, members also enjoy access to exotic cars, private jets, and services ranging from private chefs to limousine airport transfers.
"CareFree Elite is a one-stop shop dedicated to creating ultimate experiences for all of our members," writes the club. "As a member, your Lifestyle Specialist will assist you in planning and enjoying your travel to exotic destinations of your choice with full-service accommodations designed to meet your requirements. With Carefree Elite, you will enjoy on-demand access to the most desirable restaurants, clubs and lounges; transportation arrangements in luxury vehicles; and excursions on privately chartered yachts."
Two different types of accommodations are available to members: Luxury Mansions and Condominiums.
Luxury Mansions
- Villa Spensierato - Miami, Florida
- Millionaires Row - Miami, Florida
- Park Avenue #1 - Miami, Florida
- Casablanca Mansion - Miami, Florida
- South Beach Mansion - Miami, Florida
- Boca Raton Mansion - Boca Raton, Florida
- Golfers Dream - Miami, Florida
- Dilido - Miami, Florida
- Sunset Island IV - Miami, Florida
- 1620 West Mansion - Miami, Florida
- Mansion 2700 - Miami, Florida
Condominiums
- Continuum II - Miami, Florida
- Setai - Miami, Florida
- Bentley Bay - Miami, Florida
- Icon South Beach - Miami, Florida
- Beach Penthouse - Miami, Florida
- Park Avenue Loft #2 - Miami, Florida
Other destination clubs have also taken regional focuses over the years with varying degrees of success. A regionally themed destination club can be a strong offering for members in the area or for people who do a great deal of traveling to one specific destination year after year for business or pleasure. On the other hand, for travelers who enjoy visiting a wide range of destinations, these types of clubs may not suit their interest.
MEMBERS
"At CareFree Elite, we focus exclusively on creating extraordinary experiences for our members. With a wide range of multimillion-dollar properties, a fleet of exotic cars, private luxury travel by air and sea, and concierge services for any need, you will not be left wanting more. Your personal Lifestyle Specialist can design customized experiences for you to create memories that will last a lifetime."
Members purchase membership cards that include a number of luxury services, including nights in club residences, access to private yachts, discounts on car rentals, and various other benefits. Three different membership plans are available: Black, Platinum, and Gold. Each has their own collection of amenities with Black offering the most.
Based out of Florida and with a property collection situated primarily in Miami, CareFree Elite largely courts members in the region and those who do a great deal of business in the area. Multiple other destination clubs have launched in Florida with a similar business model, but none have been able to establish themselves as major players within the sector.
As evidenced by their structure, CareFree Elite is designed for those who not only enjoy access to luxury residences, but yacht charters and automobiles, all under one membership.
Still one of the destination club industry's smaller clubs, information regarding their total number of members is not available.
RESIGNATION
"Relaxing in your beachfront mansion…driving your Rolls Royce to a soothing spa treatment… Enjoying a mouth-watering meal prepared by your own personal chef on your private yacht… Sipping champagne with your closest friends in the back of a chauffeured limousine on your way to an exclusive event."
"Whatever your pleasure, CareFree Elite provides access to the life and style you desire."
"CareFree Elite members enjoy the opulence, convenience, and extravagant lifestyles of the rich and famous at unbeatably low prices. Our annual membership plans entitle members to exclusive use of luxury mansions and condominiums, exotic motor vehicles and yachts, services and amenities, and provide our clients with year-round access to choice golf, tennis and social clubs and invitation-only celebrity events. In addition, our concierge services and Carefree Elite Lifestyle Specialists stand ready to serve you 24-7 to create ultimate experiences for you and your loved ones."
"Carefree Elite is the one-stop shop for people interested in unique, stress-free, luxurious vacations, and year-round access to the finer things in life at reasonable prices. Allow us to assist you in expanding your horizons and creating lasting memories with your friends and family."
Members of CareFree Elite have three different membership options to join the Florida based destination club. Based on the membership plan selected, members receive a travel card that includes a set number of nights of occupancy, discounts on luxury items such as yacht charters and car rentals, concierge services including personal chefs, and a list of other benefits. Members simply exhaust all of the amenities available to them as a cardholder. Once their card is depleted, they can elect to purchase another card or cease traveling and enjoying the other benefits of membership. As such, there is no true "redemption" or "resignation" structure in the CareFree Elite model.
Many other destination clubs use similar models where the club does not repay members at the conclusion of membership. Like CareFree Elite, most do not charge a large up-front membership fee as is the norm with most traditional destination clubs. The drawback is that members only have a set number of amenities available to them and must repurchase if they wish to remain with the club. The annual cost of these cards are often higher than the annual dues charged by most traditional destination clubs, equating to a higher per night/service fee.