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When my friend Tommy - a personal chef to the stars and super wealthy told me about a new Luxury Destination Club program his current employer was considering, I was a bit ho hum on the idea, after all I had spent four years in Sales and Marketing in the Vacation Rental industry. I was not interested in attending a tour, or turning my vacation time into a deeded liability.

However, my hold nothing back friend went on to tell me about the estates and yachts and other services included with membership in this Destination Club 2.0 model. We were also starting to get questions from clients about Destination Clubs so I took a look at their website, www.vitaluxury.com and at first it seemed too good to be true. With my luck I would arrive and the Red Ferrari and Yachts would most likely not be available or there would be a catch. As the next cold front of Ice and Snow moved into the New York area, I decided I would go and experience what it would be like to live the “Vita Luxury Life” at least it would be warm and sunny, even without the Ferrari.

Soon I was landing in West Palm Beach and was whisked away by private car and river, A Dark blue Bentley with the softest leather seats ever. The chauffeur as it tuned out was also a military trained body guard, a good thing to have around when traveling by Bentley. Soon we arrived at our destination and I checked my current lifestyle at the door and took on that of a Multi-Millionaire. I soon discovered it was more like the life of a Billionaire.I was greeted by a waiting and courteous staff. I later found out that I was the first guest in the past week to use the estate and when your life is about service, well it can get a bit mundane waiting around for someone to serve, I suppose.

Quickly my luggage disappeared into the estate and was taken to my suite. Next I meet with the estate manager, a beautiful and classy woman by the name of Daniela and I was soon taken to my Vita suite. A comfortable, spacious and tastefully decorated suite complete with a HD flat panel TV, iPod docking station, Bulgari amenities, robes, slippers and the softest towels on earth. I’m not sure what the thread count of those sheets were but they were smooth, soft and a sheer delight to sleep in.

Since the estate was empty and I must have looked impressed thus far, she offered a full welcome tour of the estate. I was promptly introduced to one of the personal chefs of the house who’s name was Todd, in the state of the art kitchen. The chef wanted to ensure the profile I had completed was complete and accurate. We reviewed some of the special requests I had made and what he had in mind, based upon my preferences- No peanuts, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh squeezed juices, mescaline greens, pignoli nuts, heart healthy poultry, assorted pastry’s and espresso. He also assured me their would be plenty of Stella Artois, Peroni and Corona to go around, as well a selection of fine Chianti’s and Cabernet to pair with dinner. He commented, anything you want, at anytime - just ask or help yourself. Wait did he say help myself? Yes, he did. This was a ProSumer kitchen and they were making it all accessible to me, at anytime? The 3 or 4 refrigerators were all stocked to the hilt too. Very cool indeed.

As we continued the tour, we found ourselves in the former Master Bedroom of this Ocean front estate when it was a private home. A massive suite with a fireplace that rivaled the size of the 10×10 Pool Cabana back in New York. Carved from Indiana limestone, just like the White House- it was certainly worthy of being in the White House, that’s for sure. The bath was definitely larger than my homes kitchen and the master closets rivaled the size of any studio apartment I have had the pleasure of visiting in New York City.

Each Vita suite was uniquely designed and decorated and offered a sense of uniqueness and intimacy usually found in smaller luxury boutique property’s, even though some suites were just massive. One of my favorites was the Safari Room. Rich woods and leathers filled the suite and a massive safari inspired chandelier illuminated the room in a soft amber glow. The cool part of this room, were the bookshelves and secret rooms. A quick push here and slight touch there and soon a secret passage way leading me to a private study, another massive bathroom and another walk in closet. It was very cool and quite impressive.

Continuing the tour, we walked through the common areas of the estate. An entry foyer, easily the size of my entire suburban home with coral tiles and a sweeping limestone staircase. A wonderful courtyard that offered just enough protection from the wind and sun to bring the outdoors in. A living room that by my measure was 60 x 40 with 30 foot cavernous ceilings and fireplace that could most likely hold a cord of wood, if not two at one time- it was a gas fireplace that had a 4 foot wide fire footprint.

The outside grounds were fairytale. This was the Vita ocean front estate in Palm Beach and that means a plush lawn leading to a private beach. The Moorish inspired architecture was reminiscent of the Alhambra, the rolling lawn to the beach was just pure class.

The front of the estate housed a pool, and a sizable cabana that could accommodate an overnight guest and a lovely newly surfaced tennis court. As we walked down the gravel driveway and out the Estate Wrought Iron Gates, there was still no sign of those Red Ferrari’s though.

We were crossing South Ocean Drive now and onto a path through some landscaping and then onto a dock to the inter coastal waterway where the Vita fleet of 3 yachts waited for use. I knew yachts were part of the deal, but I just imagined and was expecting to visit a marina in order to use them. These were right there, ready to whisk you away by either Private Crew. You could use the smaller 20 and 30 footers, as you wished. Just grab a key or a crew and you’re on your way. I asked Daniela, “How do you top this?” she said, “Well if your into boats and yachts, it may be hard to, but if your into fine automobiles and fast cars, we may be able to accommodate you. Let’s check out the garage” Ok, the moment of truth has arrived.

We entered the garage and all I saw was a pool table, sensing my surprise she said, Oh this is just a game room we are developing. The garage continues through here. Apparently a number of guests thought a game room would be a good idea so they began to build a pool hall for member use at the back of the 15 car climate controlled garage. here is my ride outside the open air entry foyer.

And there they were a fleet of Ferraris’s, Bentleys, Mercedes and SUV’s. She then said the magic words “Any and all of these are at your disposal to use.”

Hhhm, lets see Vita has private jets, drivers, tennis, yachting, ocean front living, Bentley’s and convertible Red Ferrari’s- I thought, this place is the perfect place to get over a mid life crisis.

There is also a Private Jet Service component as well to this Club, which I did not take advantage of. The way the Ferrari’s, Yachts and Jets work, is only the cost of use is passed on, so when I took a drive in the Ferrari, it costs $2 per mile and the Yachts would cost me the price of gas and a crew if necessary. I was told the cost to fly by Private Jet was currently $1500 per hour.

Although there were other costs beyond membership dues, they seemed very reasonable as compared to buying these toys and and assets and paying the cost of use anyway. I put 40 miles on the Vita Ferrari’s (Coupe and Convertible) over the course of 3 days, it cost me a total of $80. I have personally paid more for a Toyota Corolla from Alamo and put less mileage on the car. What a bargain. Overall, I say look into a Luxury Destination Club if you have the resources and can afford it. For someone who travels by Private Jet, it seems like a good value for the dollar versus purchasing a jet for $20-$30 million and paying $1500 per hour in the air!

As for Vita Luxury (www.vitaluxury.com), It was a fantasy and surreal dream come true. It ended with an invite to a party they were hosting for the Art Basel exhibition in South Beach at Versace’s Mansion - Casa Casaurina where I bumped into Paris Hilton of all people. We all know she knows how to enjoy La Dolce Vita. This is definitely worth checking them out and its a real option to consider. Check out the Podcast with a current member who regularly uses the club and its services. His quote sums it up perfectly, “Why should I settle for standards that a hotel sets versus standards I demand for myself.”

Listen in on one of the hottest trends in vacationing today - Luxury Destination Clubs. Vita Luxury has delivered big on its promises so far with impeccable service, ultra class accommodations and oh those toys. My stay was kind of magical. Thanks Vita for including me in on a taste of the good Vita life.

 

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