In 1994, two brothers started a internet service provider out of a garage, and within ten years their company, Internet Home Users Group, most commonly referred to as ihug, had grown to become New Zealand's third largest ISP and soon was sold for close to $100 million.
When the company was sold, the CEO and largest shareholder was Nick Wood, one of the two brothers working out of a garage less than a decade earlier. After the sale of ihug, Woods purchased and overhauled the Octopus Resort in Fiji and started to develop the concept of his own destination club. A world traveler himself, Woods implemented a global reach for the club, having sales divisions in the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. The club's launch followed this vision with a 17th century villa in Tuscany, a ski lodge in Colorado, and an 86' yacht in Southern France as a part of the club's April 2007 launch.
The diverse collection of properties helped Distinctive Holiday Homes move from emerging launch club to one of the top clubs in the highly competitive sector. The global focus helped create a global membership base, with members in the US, Mexico, France, the UK, Sweden, Scotland, New Zealand, and Fiji amongst other.
DHH also places a focus on the hospitality angle. Most properties are stocked with a luxury vehicle for member's use while they are in residence. $500 worth of food and beverages are stocked in the fridge prior to arrival. Homes include a phone with local restaurants and attractions pre-programmed in for the member's ease.
The club has membership options for virtually every price level and usage pattern available. With seven Individual membership plans ranging from $49,000 up to $449,000 with annual dues of $5,900 up to $49,900 and four Corporate membership plans from $179,000 to $329,000 and annual dues from $19,900 to $34,900.
In August of 2008, Distinctive Holiday Homes augmented their membership programs by introducing pre-paid travel cards, similar to membership plans offered at One Key World and Emperum Club. Members can purchase these "Pre-paid Card Membership" for $25,000 to $40,000, offering the member 14 to 28 nights of travel that could be used any time over four years.
By early 2009, the club had grown to approximately 60 members and Woods looked to change the club's operational structure my transitioning to an invitation only club. "We have decided the destination club part of our business can grow quietly and organically by invitation only," Woods said. "We aim to add one to two new destinations per year. As we have created something quiet special, we have decided to make it exclusive."
The club will begin operating under this new structure once a final 60 weeks of membership usage is sold. After that point, the club will only accept new members that are referred from current club members.
MEMBERSHIP PLANS
Distinctive Holiday Homes not only has one of the most diverse lists of properties, but also one of the most diverse set of membership plans.
Not only does the club offer traditional destination club memberships where members pay an up-front membership fee and annual dues, but also a pre-paid travel card option, similar to the structure used at the former One Key World.
Lite Membership - Individual
Distinctive Holiday Homes seven night membership plan, Lite costs a one time deposit of $49,000 with annual dues of $4,900. Like all other DHH membership plans, additional nights can be purchased on top of the allotted number of nights. The Lite Membership additional nights can be purchased for $950 per night within 60 nights of the first night of travel.
The Lite Membership Plan does not have a Corporate Membership Plan.
Standard Membership - Individual
Providing 14 nights of annual usage, Distinctive Holiday Homes' Standard Membership is offered at $99,000 with $11,900 in annual dues. Much like the Lite Membership, members can purchase additional days past their allotted nights for $950 per night.
The Standard Membership does not have a Corporate Membership Plan.
Premium Membership - Individual
Adding another week of travel, the Premium Membership is available for $149,000. Members receive 21 nights of annual travel for $17,900 in annual dues. The higher membership level allows members the ability to purchase additional nights beyond their 21 night limit for a decreased $750 per night cost and can reserve these stays 90 days in advance, rather than the 60 night limit at the Lite and Standard Membership levels.
Premium Membership - Corporate
Distinctive Holiday Homes' lowest corporate level offering, the Premium Corporate offering costs an additional $30,000 from its Premium Individual counterpart. The $179,000 membership plan allows members 21 nights of annual travel for $19,900 in annual dues. Members can purchase additional nights for $750 per night within 90 days of the first night of travel.
Deluxe Membership - Individual
Adding yet another week of annual travel, the Deluxe Membership provides members 28 nights of annual travel. Deluxe Memberships are offered for $199,000 with accompanying annual dues of $23,900. At the Deluxe level, members can reserve additional nights in excess of their nightly capacity 90 days in advance of the first night stay for $650 per night.
Deluxe Membership - Corporate
Like the Deluxe Individual Membership, Corporate members are allowed 28 nights of annual travel. Memberships are offered for $239,000 with annual dues of $25,900 per annum. Members can reserve additional nights past their 28 night limit for $650 per night, up to 90 days in advance.
Platinum Membership - Individual
Distinctive Holiday Homes' Platinum Membership allows members to travel a full five weeks of travel each year. Once a members has reached the 35 night level, they can reserve additional properties for $550 per year within 90 days of the first night of travel. Platinum Memberships are available for $249,000 with annual dues of $29,900.
Platinum Membership - Corporate
For $279,000 and annual dues of $32,900, Corporate Platinum Members receive 35 nights each year. Like the Individual Platinum level, Members can reserve additional nights of usage beyond their 35 night cap for $550 per night, up to 90 days in advance.
Diamond Membership - Individual
DHH's penultimate membership level, Diamond allows members 42 nights of annual travel. For $299,000 and annual dues of $32,900, members can make reservations in excess to their 42 night limit 90 days or less in advance for $450 per night.
Diamond Membership - Corporate
Also offering 42 nights of annual usage, the Diamond Corporate Membership is available for $329,000 and accompanying annual dues of $34,900. Like the Individual Membership, additional nights beyond the 42 night limit can be purchased for $450 per night within 90 days of travel.
Elite Membership - Individual
Distinctive Holiday Homes' highest membership plan offers members 63 nights of annual travel, three weeks more than Diamond, the next highest membership level. Offered at $449,000 with accompanying annual dues of $49,900 per year, members also can make reservations up to three years in advance. At this level, members can reserve properties beyond their limit for $450 per day up to 90 days in advance.
The Elite Membership does not have a Corporate Membership option.
Similar to models used at Validus, A Destination Club and the former One Key World, Distinctive Holiday Homes also has membership plans that essentially function as pre-paid travel cards. Each card has a different amount of nights available and as the member travels, nights are pulled from the card. At all three levels, members must use their nights within four years of purchase. Unlike the Individual and Corporate Membership Plans, pre-paid cards do not have a refundable deposit or annual dues.
Bronze
For a non-refundable $25,000, members receive 14 nights of travel to any of the properties in the Distinctive Holiday Homes' portfolio of properties.
Silver
The middle membership plan for pre-paid cards, Silver Memberships are available for a non-refundable $30,000. Members receive 21 nights of travel and receive all the same membership benefits of other memberships.
Gold
The Gold Membership can be purchased for a non-refundable $40,000. Gold members receive 28 nights of travel to Distinctive Holiday Homes' portfolio of properties.
MEMBERSHIP PRICING
Distinctive Holiday Homes offers over a dozen different membership plans available to members, ranging from $25,000 up to $449,000 to join. Within those memberships are both Individual and Corporate membership plans and pre-paid travel cards similar to the ones used at the former One Key World.
Lite Membership - Individual
Distinctive Holiday Homes seven night membership plan, Lite costs a one time deposit of $49,000. Once a member reaches their seven nights of occupancy, additional nights can be purchased on top of the allotted number of nights. The Lite Membership additional nights can be purchased for $950 per night within 60 nights of the first night of travel.
Standard Membership - Individual
Providing 14 nights of annual usage, Distinctive Holiday Homes' Standard Membership is offered at $99,000. Much like the Lite Membership, members can purchase additional days past their allotted nights for $950 per night.
Premium Membership - Individual
Adding another week of travel, the Premium Membership is available for $149,000. Members receive 21 nights of annual travel can purchase additional nights beyond their 21 night limit for a decreased $750 per night cost and can reserve these stays 90 days in advance, rather than the 60 night limit at the Lite and Standard Membership levels.
Premium Membership - Corporate
Distinctive Holiday Homes' lowest corporate level offering, the Premium Corporate offering costs an additional $30,000 from its Premium Individual counterpart. The $179,000 membership plan allows members 21 nights of annual travel. Members can purchase additional nights for $750 per night within 90 days of the first night of travel.
Deluxe Membership - Individual
Adding yet another week of annual travel, the Deluxe Membership provides members 28 nights of annual travel. Deluxe Memberships are offered for $199,000. At the Deluxe level, members can reserve additional nights in excess of their nightly capacity 90 days in advance of the first night stay for $650 per night.
Deluxe Membership - Corporate
Like the Deluxe Individual Membership, Corporate members are allowed 28 nights of annual travel for $239,000. Members can reserve additional nights past their 28 night limit for $650 per night, up to 90 days in advance.
Platinum Membership - Individual
Distinctive Holiday Homes' Platinum Membership allows members to travel a full five weeks of travel each year. Once a members has reached the 35 night level, they can reserve additional properties for $550 per year within 90 days of the first night of travel. Platinum Memberships are available for $249,000.
Platinum Membership - Corporate
For $279,000, Corporate Platinum Members receive 35 nights each year. Like the Individual Platinum level, Members can reserve additional nights of usage beyond their 35 night cap for $550 per night, up to 90 days in advance.
Diamond Membership - Individual
DHH's penultimate membership level, Diamond allows members 42 nights of annual travel. For $299,000, members can make reservations in excess to their 42 night limit 90 days or less in advance for $450 per night.
Diamond Membership - Corporate
Also offering 42 nights of annual usage, the Diamond Corporate Membership is available for $329,000. Like the Individual Membership, additional nights beyond the 42 night limit can be purchased for $450 per night within 90 days of travel.
Elite Membership - Individual
Distinctive Holiday Homes' highest membership plan offers members 63 nights of annual travel, three weeks more than Diamond, the next highest membership level. Offered at $449,000, members can also make reservations up to three years in advance. At this level, members can reserve properties beyond their limit for $450 per day up to 90 days in advance.
While the membership options found above are the most commonly purchased in the Distinctive Holiday Homes structure, the club also has a trio of pre-paid travel cards available. Each card has a different amount of nights available nights are pulled from the cards as the member travels. At all three levels, members must use their nights within four years of purchase. Unlike the Individual and Corporate Membership Plans, pre-paid cards do not have a refundable deposit or annual dues.
Bronze
Silver
Gold
ANNUAL DUES
With a myriad of membership options, Distinctive Holiday Homes has a wide array of different levels of usage and accompanying annual dues ranging from $4,900 to $44,900 per year and a trio of pre-paid membership plans that do not have an annual dues component.
Lite Membership - Individual
Lite's annual dues of $4,900 provide members seven nights of usage. Like all other DHH membership plans, additional nights can be purchased on top of the allotted number of nights. The Lite Membership additional nights can be purchased for $950 per night within 60 nights of the first night of travel.
Standard Membership - Individual
Providing 14 nights of annual usage, Distinctive Holiday Homes' Standard Membership requires $11,900 in annual dues. Much like the Lite Membership, members can purchase additional days past their allotted nights for $950 per night within 60 nights of travel.
Premium Membership - Individual
Adding another week of travel, Premium members receive 21 nights of annual travel for $17,900 in annual dues. The higher membership level allows members the ability to purchase additional nights beyond their 21 night limit for a decreased $750 per night cost and can reserve these stays 90 days in advance, rather than the 60 night limit at the Lite and Standard Membership levels.
Premium Membership - Corporate
Distinctive Holiday Homes' lowest corporate level offering, the Premium Corporate offering costs $19,900 in annual dues and provides 21 nights of annual travel. Members can purchase additional nights for $750 per night within 90 days of the first night of travel.
Deluxe Membership - Individual
Adding yet another week of annual travel, the Deluxe Membership provides members 28 nights of usage. Deluxe Memberships are require $23,900 in annual dues. At the Deluxe level, members can reserve additional nights in excess of their nightly capacity 90 days in advance of the first night stay for $650 per night.
Deluxe Membership - Corporate
Like the Deluxe Individual Membership, Corporate members are allowed 28 nights of annual travel. Memberships cost $25,900 per annum. Members can reserve additional nights past their 28 night limit for $650 per night, up to 90 days in advance.
Platinum Membership - Individual
Distinctive Holiday Homes' Platinum Membership allows members to travel a full five weeks of travel each year. Once a members has reached the 35 night level, they can reserve additional properties for $550 per year within 90 days of the first night of travel. Platinum Memberships cost $29,900 each year in annual dues.
Platinum Membership - Corporate
For $32,900 in annual dues, Corporate Platinum Members receive 35 nights each year. Like the Individual Platinum level, Members can reserve additional nights of usage beyond their 35 night cap for $550 per night, up to 90 days in advance.
Diamond Membership - Individual
DHH's penultimate membership level, Diamond allows members 42 nights of annual travel. Annual dues of $32,900 provide members 42 nights of occupancy plus the ability to reserve additional nights past their limit for $450 per night within 90 days of travel.
Diamond Membership - Corporate
Also offering 42 nights of annual usage, the Diamond Corporate Membership costs $34,900 per year in annual dues. Like the Individual Membership, additional nights beyond the 42 night limit can be purchased for $450 per night within 90 days of travel.
Elite Membership - Individual
Distinctive Holiday Homes' highest membership plan offers members 63 nights of annual travel, three weeks more than Diamond, the next highest membership level. Annual dues of $49,900 per year allows members the opportunity to make reservations up to three years in advance and the ability to reserve properties beyond their limit for $450 per day up to 90 days in advance.
Bronze
Silver
Gold
PROPERTIES
Nick Wood, Distinctive Holiday Homes' President and Founder, spent his youth in New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, and Los Angeles. The club continues on this globetrotter trend and features one of the most robust collection of vacation properties in the destination club industry.
Pacific/Asia
- Noosa, Australia
- Queenstown, New Zealand
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Fiji
Oceans
- Crystal Cruise Ship Apartment
- Lady K 86' Motor Yacht
Americas
- Beaver Creek, Colorado
- Squaw Valley, California
- New York, New York
Europe
- Megeve, France
- Corsanico, Tuscany
Africa
- Morocco
USAGE
Distinctive Holiday Homes purchases one new property for every six new members that join the club or for every 30 weeks of membership usage that are sold.
DHH offers numerous membership plans, each with their own reservation windows and annual usage levels. The club also has a trio of pre-paid travel cards that are designed for prospective members who don't want a large, up-front membership fee but who want to test the destination club experience.
Members can stay in a specific property between 2 and 21 days consecutively and can make reservations up to three years in advance. In addition, depending on the membership plan, members who don't use all of their nights in a given year can roll over some of their nights to the following year. Likewise, members can pull nights from the next year to the current year if necessary.
Distinctive Holiday Homes prides themselves on providing superior availability to members and is one of the only clubs in the industry to publicly disclose the availability of each home in their portfolio.
Understanding the usage rules and regulations of the club and how you are able to access the club's properties and amenities are an integral component in evaluating a destination club.
HOLIDAY ACCESS
One of the most global destination clubs, Distinctive Holiday Homes has offices in New Zealand, France, California and the United Kingdom.
Due to this global focus, Distinctive Holiday Homes would attach holiday dates to each property to account for regional holidays.
"Any of the Days the Club publishes from time to time on the Website as Special Holiday Dates for each destination. Generally, Special Holiday Dates will be international (e.g. Christmas, New Year’s) and national/special holidays (e.g. July 4th)."
"Advanced Bookings can be made from 3 years to 90 days for the Elite Plan and 2 years to 90 days for all other Plans or Pre Paid Cards (except for Lite Plan, Standard Plan or Bronze Card which are 2 years to 60 days;) in advance of the Arrival Date. Generally, a Member may make one Advance Booking per Year for each AB Credit in the Membership Plan. Certain Advance Bookings, such as for Special Holidays (such as Christmas or New Years), require two AB Credits. Each Advance Booking will use the Member’s Entitlement Days. Some destinations, yachts in particular, may use fewer or more Entitlement Days than the actual length of stay. If the Member has any Entitlement Days left after using all the Member’s AB Credits, the Club will convert those remaining Entitlement Days to Space Available Days for the Membership’s use during that Year."
There are multiple holiday policies used throughout the destination club industry, each with their own benefits and drawbacks.
If you are considering destination club membership, understanding how the club handles peak travel periods will likely be high on your list of questions.
RESIGNATION
Striving to let luxury travelers the ability to enjoy the destination club experience with less risk, Distinctive Holiday Homes allows members the ability to resign their membership in the first year and receive 100% of their membership deposit back.
Memberships following the first year can be transferred back to the club on a one in, one out basis, where one member exiting the club is replaced by one member joining the club. Members resigning their membership after the first year receive 80% of their membership fee refunded to them.
Understanding the intricacies of a club's resignation policies is one of the most crucial components of your destination club evaluation.
EXECUTIVES
Under the guidance of Nick Wood, the club's President and Group CEO, Distinctive Holiday Homes quickly grew to be one of the established names in the destination club sector. While led by Wood, the club's executive team is an eclectic mix of veterans in their respective fields.
Nick Wood
President and Group Chief Executive Officer
Stefan Johansson
Chief Executive Officer, Americas and Canada
Niall Cairns
Financial Advisor
Jeffrey Bunn
Chief Executive Officer, Group Finance
Constantin Capsis
Chief Executive Officer, Europe
Dave Fermah
Property Committee Chairman
David Good
Chief Executive Officer, Group Marketing
Robert Good
Senior Manager USA and Chief Executive Officer, Property Team Americas
PARTNERSHIPS
With a worldwide focus and a growing collection of vacation properties around the world, it isn't a surprise to see Distinctive Holiday Homes bring a private jet service into their club's benefits.
As few as eight hours in advance, Distinctive Holiday Homes' members can book flights and receive a special "Member's only" rate. The special rates provided to Distinctive Holiday Homes' members are not available in the Asia Pacific region.
PRESS RELEASES
Offering a truly global collection of luxurious vacation properties to members, Distinctive Holiday Homes has taken a worldwide approach to their destination club. Like many other clubs within the sector, DHH offers numerous membership plans for travelers to choose from, including traditional membership options and pre-paid travel cards.
Below, please find the club's press release archive, chronicling the club's history and membership benefits. You might also be interested in reading through the Distinctive Holiday Homes News section of our site to learn more about the club.
Distinctive Holiday Homes Membership Fees Lowered
Date: March 18, 2008
Distinctive Holiday Homes has announced that they will lower their membership fees to join the exclusive club. In addition, members have the opportunity to receive 100% of their membership fee returned to them within the first year if they elect not to stay with the club.
Life Styles of the Rich and Famous at a Fraction of the Cost
Date: February 1, 2008
Taking the shared ownership model pioneered in America, Distinctive Holiday Homes has created their club to provide members not only luxurious vacation accommodations around the world, but a financially savvy investment in their vacation experiences.
Distinctive Holiday Homes Announces New Jet Service in Partnership with Bombardier Skyjet
Date: November 1, 2007
Distinctive Holiday Homes has announced that have partnered with Bombardier Skyjet International, the world's largest provider of business jet charter services, to provide members discounts on charter jet flights to and from the club's growing collection of vacation properties.
"Quintessentially Distinctive" Holidays October 30, 2007
From The Internet To Bricks and Mortar, ihug Founder Launches Exclusive Holiday Club April 1, 2007