The Discovery Club is yet another destination club that implements a model seperate from the traditional destination club plan. As opposed to clubs like Exclusive Resorts, Ultimate Escapes, and Distinctive Holiday Homes that own a global collection of properties available to members, The Discovery Club offers a collection of "Affiliate Properties" for members to access. The properties are typically five star hotels and resorts in addition to unique travel experiences, including safaris, cruises, and luxury train travel.
This type of model allows the club to continually add new properties without a set number of new members joining the club. As such, new destinations can quickly come online and become available to members. Since their launch, The Discovery Club has already added dozens of international destinations to their collection of properties, including Costa Rica, Beijing, London, Sydney, Kuala Lampur, Whistler, Bangkok, and Jamaica amongst others.
First officially offered in June of 2007 and wholly owned by The Discovery Club Luxury Destinations Ltd., The Discovery Club's shareholders Kevin and Shawna Walker are also the owners of Walker Hospitality Ltd. and The Oak Bay Beach Hotel. The Walker family brings over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry. In November of 2008, two of Walker's firms joined forces for an incentive that allowed members who joined The Discovery Club the opportunity to apply between 70% and 100% of the cost of their membership directly towards the purchase price of a private residence or vacation hotel sweet at The Oak Bay Beach Hotel.
In a blog posting by Mr. Walker, he stated "When we were creating our Club framework, we considered a model that would have us acquiring and owning destination Condos and Homes and could see that the maintenance and care and associated carrying costs of ownership could be quite a burden for our club in a down economy. Well the current down economy is certainly reaffirming our decision to form our club the way we did."
The club also offers a financing option that allows members the chance to join by paying a 20% down payment on their membership and pay off the rest of their membership over a ten year period.
While the club does not have resort real estate to protect members' deposits, The Discovery Club does factor security heavily into their model. According to the resignation policy in the club's membership agreement, members can exit the club after five years of membership and receive 70% of their membership deposit repaid to them within six months of notification. The terms of the membership agreement are secured by a security indenture which is held on behalf of the club members by the law firm Pearlman Lindholm. The Discovery Club is required to file full financial statements with Pearlman Lindholm for review every three months to ensure that they can fulfill the terms of the membership agreement. If the club is deemed unable to meet these demands, Pearlman Lindholm is able to exercise the security indenture and take control of the club on behalf of the members.
MEMBERSHIP PLANS
Unlike other destination clubs that traditionally own the real estate available to members, the Discovery Club instead contracts with various luxury hotels and residences on a wholesale basis for members' use. This type of membership option drastically reduces the debt of the club and allows for rapid increases in the number of properties and destinations available to members.
Like many other destination clubs in the industry, the Discovery Club follows the medal membership plan structure with Silver, Gold, and Platinum membership offerings.
Silver Level
The entry level membership at the Discovery Club, the club's Silver Level allows for 14 nights of annual usage across two to three weeks. The club's membership fee is $98,000 with annual dues of $1,800 per annum.
Gold Level
The Discovery Club's Gold Level allows members the opportunity to travel up to 25 nights per year across three to five weeks. Joining requires a capital contribution of $175,000 with annual dues of $2,700.
Platinum Level
The club's most elite offering, the Platinum Level affords members 40 nights of annual travel across five to seven weeks in the growing collection of Discovery Club residences. Platinum Memberships require a $270,000 membership fee and annual dues of $4,000.
Each of the three Discovery Club Membership Plans have identical resignation policies. To learn more about the club, please use the Discovery Club quick links sections found to the right.
MEMBERSHIP PRICING
Using a model where the club does not own the properties available to members, but rather enters into wholesale agreements with various five-star hotels, resorts, and adventure experiences, the Discovery Club can largely charge significantly less than many of their competitors.
The Discovery Club has three different membership plans that allow for different levels of usage throughout the year.
Silver Level
The entry level membership at the Discovery Club, the club's Silver Level allows for 14 nights of annual usage across two to three weeks for a membership fee of $98,000.
Gold Level
The Discovery Club's Gold Level allows members the opportunity to travel up to 25 nights per year across three to five weeks. Joining requires a capital contribution of $175,000.
Platinum Level
The Platinum Level, the club's most elite offering, allows members 40 nights of annual travel across five to seven weeks in the growing collection of Discovery Club residences. Platinum Memberships require a $270,000 membership fee.
ANNUAL DUES
Due to their business model where the club does not own the properties available to members, the Discovery Club can charge significantly lower annual dues than many of their competitors across all three membership plans. In addition to the reduced annual fees, the club can also rapidly increase their portfolio of residences available to members.
Silver Level
The Discovery Club's Silver Level, the lowest priced membership option available within the club, allows for 14 nights of annual usage across two to three weeks for $1,800 per annum.
Gold Level
The Discovery Club's Gold Level allows members the opportunity to travel up to 25 nights per year over three to five weeks for $2,700 in annual dues.
Platinum Level
The club's most elite offering, the Platinum Level affords members 40 nights of annual travel across five to seven weeks for $4,000 in annual dues.
Learn more about the Discovery Club and their pricing and structure by following the quick links to the right.
PROPERTIES
Contrary to the more traditional destination club model where the club owns the real estate available to members, the Discovery Club provides members access to an ever increasing collection of "affiliate properties."
Below, please find a list of the residences currently available to members. Due to the club's real estate structure, properties within the portfolio can change significantly over time.
Asia
- Beijing, China - Beijing Marriott Hotel West
- Kuala Lampur, Malaysia - Le Meridien Kuala Lampur
- Bangkok, Thailand - Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok
- Singapore - Raffles Hotel Singapore
- Hong Kong - Hotel Nikko Hong Kong
- Singapore - Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore
- Hong Kong - Intercontinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong
- Hainan, China - Sanya Marriott Resort & Spa
- Shanghai, China - JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai at Tomorrow Square
- Kuala Lampur, Malaysia - Shangri-La Kuala Lampur
- Kowloon, Hong Kong - Kowloon Shangri-La
- Ubud, Bali - Ubud Hanging Gardens
Australia
- Brisbane, Queensland - Brisbane Marriott Hotel
- Sydney, N.S.W. - Marriott Sydney Harbour at Circular Quay
- Surfers Paradise, Queensland - Courtyard Surfers Paradise Resort
- Sydney, N.S.W. - Marriott Sydney Hotel
- Katoomba - Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa
- Sydney - The Observatory Hotel
- Melbourne, Victoria - Marriott Melbourne Hotel
Canada
- Quadra Island, BC - April Point Resort & Spa
- Halifax, Nova Scotia - Marriott Halifax Harbourfront
- Victoria, BC - Beaconsfield Inn
- Mont Tremblant, Quebec - Marriott Residence Inn at Mont Tremblant
- Kelowna, BC - Big White Ski Resort
- Vancouver, BC - Marriott Vancouver Pinnacle
- Ucluelet, BC - Black Rock Oceanfront Resort
- Whistler, BC - Nita Lake Lodge
- Mont Tremblant, Quebec - Blueberry Lake Resort
- Victoria, BC - Oak Bay Beach Hotel
- Ucluelet, BC - Canadian Princess Resort
- Campbell River, BC - Painter's Lodge
- Westbank, BC - Cove Lakeside Resort
- Vancouver, BC - Pan Pacific Vancouver
- Courtenay, BC - Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community
- Whistler, BC - Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside
- Victoria, BC - Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa
- Whistler, BC - Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre
- Nova Scotia - Digby Pines Golf Resort
- Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON - Queens Landing Inn
- New Brunswick - Fairmont Algonquin
- Richmond, BC - River Rock Casino
- Banff, AB - Fairmont Banff Springs
- Niagara Falls, ON - Sheraton Fallsview
- Lake Louise, AB - Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
- Silver Star, BC - Silver Star Mountain
- Whistler, BC - Fairmont Chateau Whistler
- Malahat, Victoria - The Aerie Resort & Spa
- Jasper, AB - Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
- Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island - The Great George
- St. John's, Newfoundland - Fairmont Newfoundland
- Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON - The Pillar and Post Inn
- Toronto, ON - Fairmont Royal York
- Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON - The Prince of Wales Hotel and Spa
- Vancouver, BC - Fairmont Vancouver Airport
- Banff, AB - The Rimrock Resort Hotel
- Kelowna, BC - Grand Okanagan
- Kelowna, BC - The Royal Private Residence Club at The Grand Okanagan
- Mont Tremblant, Quebec - Homewood Suites by Hilton, A Mont Tremblant Resort
- Vancouver/Victoria - West Coast Air
- Ingonish Beach, Nova Scotia - Keltic Lodge Resort & Spa
- Victoria, BC - Westin Bear Mountain
- Rivers Inlet, BC - King Salmon Resort
- Tofino, BC - Wickaninnish Inn
Caribbean
- Costa Rica - Barcelo San Jose Palacio
- Bermuda - Fairmont Southampton
- Costa Rica - Barcelo Tambor Beach
- Jamaica - Gran Bahia Principe
- Long Island, Bahamas - Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort
- Tobago - Hilton Tobago Golf & Spa Resort
- Barbados - Crane Resorts & Residences
- Puerto Rico - Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa
- Curacao - Curacao Marriott Resort & Emerald Casino
- St. Kitts - St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino
- Bermuda - Fairmont Hamilton Princess
- St. Johns, US Virgin Islands - Westin St. John Resort and Villas
Europe and United Kingdom
- London, UK - Grand Residences by Marriott - Mayfair, London
- Madrid - Hotel Ritz
- London, UK - Apartments
- Lisbon - Lapa Palace
- St. Andrews, Scotland - Fairmont St. Andrews
- London, UK - Marriott Grand Residences
- Dublin, Ireland - Four Seasons Hotel Dublin
- Paris - Renaissance Paris Vendome
- Galway, Ireland - Galway Bay
- Rome, Italy - Rome Cavalieri Hilton
Extraordinary Experiences
- Mississauga, Ontario - Adventure Canada
- Queen Charlotte Islands, BC - MV Charlotte Princess
- Banff, Alberta - Canadian Mountain Holidays/Heli-Hiking
- Queen Charlotte Islands, BC - MV Marabell
- Churchill, Mintoba - Churchill Wild
- Queen Charlotte Islands, BC - MV Salmon Seeker
- China - Cruise The Yangtze River
- Africa - Plains of Africa Safari
- Amsterdam - Elodie Barge & Bike Tours of Holland
- Egypt - Splendors of the Nile
Extraordinary Travel
- Port Hardy to Prince Rupert - BC Ferries Inside Passage
- Edinburgh - Royal Scotsman Train
- Granville Island, Vancouver - Cooper Boating
- Europe - Scenic Tours
- Sidney, BC - Juan Air
- Vancouver, BC - Sar Limousine
- Victoria, BC - Pacific Sky Aviation Charters
- Paris to Rome - Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Train Tour
- Vancouver, BC - Rocky Mountaineer Vacations
Mexico
- Cancun, Mexico - Hilton Cancun Golf & Spa Resort
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - Solmar Suites
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - Hilton Los Cabos
- Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo - The Tide Zihuatanejo
- Mexico - Mexicana Airlines
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Villa Del Palmar Flamingos Beach Resort & Spa
- Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico - Playa Grande Resort
South America
- Buenos Aires, Argentina - Four Seasons Buenos Aires
- Rio De Janeiro, Brazil - Sofitel Rio De Janeiro
- Costa Rica - Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort
- Belize - St. George's Caye Resort
United States
- Las Vegas, NV - Bellagio
- Waikoloa, HI - Hilton Waikoloa Village
- Beverly Hills, CA - Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel
- Scottsdale, AZ - Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa
- Scottsdale, AZ - Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa
- New York, NY - Jumeirah Essex House
- Miami Beach, FL - Delano Hotel
- Phoenix, AZ - JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa
- Maui, HI - Fairmont Kea Lani
- Palm Desert, CA - Marriott Desert Springs Villas II
- Seattle, WA - Fairmont Olympic Hotel
- Kauai, HI - Marriott Kauai Beach Club
- Kohala Coast, HI - Fairmont Orchid
- Kapolei, HI - Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club
- Scottsdale, AZ - Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
- Maui, HI - Marriott Maui Ocean Club
- Sonoma, CA - Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
- Koloa Kauai, HI - Marriott Waiohai Beach
- Aventura, FL - Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort and Club
- Seattle, WA - Pan Pacific Seattle
- Lanai City, HI - Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay
- Honolulu, HI - Royal Hawaiian
- Scottsdale, AZ - Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North
- Gleneden Beach, OR - Salishan Spa and Golf Resort
- Lihue, HI - Hilton Kauai Beach Resort
USAGE
Discovery Club members have access to a worldwide collection of "affiliate properties," ranging from five-star resorts to luxury cruises and tours.
Members receive points annually to reserve stays and excursions within the Discovery Club collection. Each property has a per night cost based on the season, with higher accessed seasons requiring more points per night.
Members can make reservations up until 48 hours before arrival and the club continually adds new properties to their portfolio to maximize the club experience.
HOLIDAY ACCESS
How the peak periods of New Year's, Spring Break, and several other popular holidays are handled varies from club to club within the destination club industry.
The Discovery Club uses a point based structure, where members use their annual allotment to reserve properties within the Discovery Club collection. Each property has a low, medium, and peak period of access. The points required to reserve a property are correlated to the popularity of that specific time of the year.
Thus, if a member wants to travel during some of these more heavily accessed periods, more points will be required than if they were staying at low period seasons.
RESIGNATION
Unlike other destination clubs that traditionally own the vacation homes available to members, the Discovery Club instead contracts on a wholesale basis with various resorts to provide members accomodations. This structure provides for several distinct advantages.
Members may elect to resign from the club after five years and receive 70% of their purchase price back within six months of notifying the club of their intention to leave. While the five year waiting period is longer and the 70% refund is less than most destination clubs, the Discovery Club's annual dues are also substantially lower than other rival clubs.
EXECUTIVES
"When we were creating our Club framework, we considered a model that would have us acquiring and owning destination Condos and Homes and could see that the maintenance and care and associated carrying costs of ownership could be quite a burden for our club in a down economy. Well the current down economy is certainly reaffirming our decision to form our club the way we did."
Created by Kevin and Shawna Walker, the model used The Discovery Club is radically different from most other destination clubs.
As mentioned by Kevin above, most destination clubs own the properties available to members, and thus pay the large, up-front purchase cost for the properties, taxes, maintenance, and other associated costs. The Discovery Club instead offers members access to a group of "affiliate properties" that include residences in luxury five-star hotels and resorts around the globe.
Because of this model, The Discovery Club is able to bring on a great deal of properties available to members without incurring the costs traditionally associated with destination clubs.
The Canadian based company is operated by Kevin and Shawna who have long ran Walker Hospitality.
"It is wholly owned by The Discovery Club Luxury Destinations Ltd. a licensed travel agency in British Columbia,Canada. The shareholders are Kevin and Shawna Walker who together have a long standing history in the travel and tourism industry in Canada. They are also the owners of Walker Hospitality Ltd, a management company based in Victoria BC, and the Oak Bay Beach Hotel a world class facility currently under re-development in Victoria."
Kevin Walker
Co-Founder
Shawna Walker
Co-Founder
PARTNERSHIPS
As part of their club structure, the Discovery Club enters into partnership with their collection of "affiliate properties."
This type of model allows the club to continually add new properties to their portfolio. If you would like to learn more about the residences and tours available to members, please visit our Discovery Club properties page.
PRESS RELEASES
Based out of Canada, the Discovery Club enters into partnerships with leading resorts and tour operators around the world. This type of model continues to gain momentum across the destination club industry due to several of the distinct advantages it has over some of the other models used in the destination club sector.
We invite you to read more about the Discovery Club through the press releases found below.
The Discovery Club Celebrates Its Second Anniversary and Continuted Success
Date: February 2, 2009
After two years in operation, Canada's the Discovery Club is celebrating continued success within the industry and is proud to introduce a new financing option to potential members where members will pay 22% of the purchase price upfront to join.
Walker Hospitality Responds To Market Slow Down
Date: October 30, 2008
With real estate purchasers weary to spend money in the current economic climate, Walker Hospitality is offering a new incentive that joins their two businesses: The Oak Bay Beach Hotel and The Discovery Club.
Sotheby's International Realty Canada Lends Their Name To The Discovery Club
Date: April 23, 2008
Sotheby's International Realty Canada is lending their expertise to the Discovery Club. The new destination club will offer members first class serivce at the world's best properties and will make sure members "never pay for a hotel again."
"Rational Richs" Trend For Flexible, Personal Travel Experiences Moves Them Out of Ownership and Into Membership August 21, 2007