Robb Report - USA (2019-08)

38 AUGUST 2019

ILLUSTRATIONS

BY

PADDY

MILLS

The Goods | TRAVEL

It’s official: Internet booking sites are the worst. Which means travel agents are back in a big way, to such a degree that the

crème de la crème among them are so selective that they’ll work with only a small group of card-carrying members.

We talked to the top dogs at four very different membership travel companies to find out what kind of VIP hook ups they’ll get you—

and how much hand-holding you can expect along the way. J.C.

Join the Club

SOURCE

THE GIST

THE MEMBERSHIP

THE CLAIM TO FAME

HAND-HOLDING

QUOTIENT

FISCHER TRAVEL ESSENTIALIST MARCHAY INSPIRATO PASS

Stacy Fischer

Rosenthal,

president

Joan Roca,

founder

Karl Backlund,

cofounder

Brent Handler,

founder

Founded almost 54 years ago by

her father, Bill Fischer—who got

his clients into sold-out spots like

the Hotel du Cap in Antibes in the

’80s—this family-run business is as

exclusive as a club gets. “We have a

very serious vetting process,” says

Fischer Rosenthal.

Former Travelocity exec Roca

ditched digital and went private

bespoke in 2017 after realizing travelers

didn’t need more choice—they needed

more curation. His cabal of experts

includes more than 75 journalists and

editors specializing in various

destinations around the world.

With partner Jon Ein of private

equity firm Foundry Capital, Backlund

devised not an agency but a “travel

community of like-minded

individuals,” in which pay-for-play

travel agents wouldn’t be welcome.

Handler is like the Thomas Edison

of travel clubs. He invented the

destination club with Exclusive

Resorts in 2002, then went on

to create Inspirato, a similar but

more affordable club in 2011.

The Inspirato Pass, his latest

brainchild, is a subscription app.

You might want to sit down

for this: a $100,000 initiation

fee, plus an annual $25,000 renewal

fee, plus service fees for all trip

planning. And that’s only if you’re

accepted. Right now, Fischer has

just 175 members.

A flat fee of $1,400 per household

per year includes unlimited

travel-planning services by a

designated “travel designer” who

knows everything about you,

from what you like to eat to what you

like to drive.

$4,500 for a full annual membership

with unlimited bespoke trip planning,

or $1,750 for a one-trip planning fee.

“We admit limited members to make

sure the service standards are

maintained,” Backlund says.

$2,500 per month gets you

household booking rights to

exclusive trips, events and

accommodations—all at no added

cost. The catch? After booking a

trip, you have to take it before you

can reserve another.

One-on-one tennis lessons

with John McEnroe, a private tour

of the Egyptian pyramids, Christmas

dinner cooked by a Michelin-

starred chef—you name it,

Fischer Rosenthal can do it. If she told

us her team could move mountains,

we’d almost believe her.

Ultra-insider experiences are the

name of Roca’s game, whether it’s the

best paella in Majorca at a secret

restaurant few locals know or a

private dinner in a Venetian palazzo.

“It’s not about the price tag,” he says.

“It’s about discovering things that are

under the radar and unique.”

Minimal. “Our client doesn’t require

a lot of hand-holding,” Roca says.

“They don’t want people standing at the

door of their hotel room every

morning. They just want to go.”

(essentialist.com)

Next-level. “My clients will never

check in at a front desk, they will

never fill out any forms, they

will never have a moment when

their trip isn’t absolutely seamless.”

(fischertravel.com)

Seamless execution of even the

most complicated itineraries, whether

it’s an island-hopping extravaganza

in the Caribbean via private jet

and yacht or a Scottish golf spree with

11 tee times in 11 days.

There’s the usual hotel suites and

over-the-top villas, but what

gets really interesting is Inspirato

Pass’s access to marquee events and

experiences, from US Open seats

to a European river cruise.

That’s up to you. “Our clients

appreciate a significant portion of

discovery—the thirst for exploration is

definitely there,” Backlund says.

But he’ll still hold your hand if you ask.

(marchay.com)

Surprisingly high, for an app.

“All Inspirato Pass trips include pre-

trip planning by our expert travel

designers, including custom

itineraries,” says Handler. Impressive.

(inspirato.com/pass)

38 AUGUST 2019

ILLUSTRATIONS

BY

PADDY

MILLS

The Goods | TRAVEL

It’s official: Internet booking sites are the worst. Which means travel agents are back in a big way, to such a degree that the

crème de la crème among them are so selective that they’ll work with only a small group of card-carrying members.

We talked to the top dogs at four very different membership travel companies to find out what kind of VIP hook ups they’ll get you—

and how much hand-holding you can expect along the way. J.C.

Join the Club

SOURCE

THE GIST

THE MEMBERSHIP

THE CLAIM TO FAME

HAND-HOLDING

QUOTIENT

FISCHER TRAVEL ESSENTIALIST MARCHAY INSPIRATO PASS

Stacy Fischer

Rosenthal,

president

Joan Roca,

founder

Karl Backlund,

cofounder

Brent Handler,

founder

Founded almost 54 years ago by

her father, Bill Fischer—who got

his clients into sold-out spots like

the Hotel du Cap in Antibes in the

’80s—this family-run business is as

exclusive as a club gets. “We have a

very serious vetting process,” says

Fischer Rosenthal.

Former Travelocity exec Roca

ditched digital and went private

bespoke in 2017 after realizing travelers

didn’t need more choice—they needed

more curation. His cabal of experts

includes more than 75 journalists and

editors specializing in various

destinations around the world.

With partner Jon Ein of private

equity firm Foundry Capital, Backlund

devised not an agency but a “travel

community of like-minded

individuals,” in which pay-for-play

travel agents wouldn’t be welcome.

Handler is like the Thomas Edison

of travel clubs. He invented the

destination club with Exclusive

Resorts in 2002, then went on

to create Inspirato, a similar but

more affordable club in 2011.

The Inspirato Pass, his latest

brainchild, is a subscription app.

You might want to sit down

for this: a $100,000 initiation

fee, plus an annual $25,000 renewal

fee, plus service fees for all trip

planning. And that’s only if you’re

accepted. Right now, Fischer has

just 175 members.

A flat fee of $1,400 per household

per year includes unlimited

travel-planning services by a

designated “travel designer” who

knows everything about you,

from what you like to eat to what you

like to drive.

$4,500 for a full annual membership

with unlimited bespoke trip planning,

or $1,750 for a one-trip planning fee.

“We admit limited members to make

sure the service standards are

maintained,” Backlund says.

$2,500 per month gets you

household booking rights to

exclusive trips, events and

accommodations—all at no added

cost. The catch? After booking a

trip, you have to take it before you

can reserve another.

One-on-one tennis lessons

with John McEnroe, a private tour

of the Egyptian pyramids, Christmas

dinner cooked by a Michelin-

starred chef—you name it,

Fischer Rosenthal can do it. If she told

us her team could move mountains,

we’d almost believe her.

Ultra-insider experiences are the

name of Roca’s game, whether it’s the

best paella in Majorca at a secret

restaurant few locals know or a

private dinner in a Venetian palazzo.

“It’s not about the price tag,” he says.

“It’s about discovering things that are

under the radar and unique.”

Minimal. “Our client doesn’t require

a lot of hand-holding,” Roca says.

“They don’t want people standing at the

door of their hotel room every

morning. They just want to go.”

(essentialist.com)

Next-level. “My clients will never

check in at a front desk, they will

never fill out any forms, they

will never have a moment when

their trip isn’t absolutely seamless.”

(fischertravel.com)

Seamless execution of even the

most complicated itineraries, whether

it’s an island-hopping extravaganza

in the Caribbean via private jet

and yacht or a Scottish golf spree with

11 tee times in 11 days.

There’s the usual hotel suites and

over-the-top villas, but what

gets really interesting is Inspirato

Pass’s access to marquee events and

experiences, from US Open seats

to a European river cruise.

That’s up to you. “Our clients

appreciate a significant portion of

discovery—the thirst for exploration is

definitely there,” Backlund says.

But he’ll still hold your hand if you ask.

(marchay.com)

Surprisingly high, for an app.

“All Inspirato Pass trips include pre-

trip planning by our expert travel

designers, including custom

itineraries,” says Handler. Impressive.

(inspirato.com/pass)