After months of planning, Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club officially rolls out its destination club and suite of membership plans at an event today at Christie’s International in New York.

The launch of Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club has been in the works since April when the brand acquired the destination clubs Crescendo and BelleHavens. The homes from those clubs form the basis of Abercrombie & Kent’s real estate portfolio. In addition to the homes owned by the club, it will offer a number of European villas leased through the luxury tour provider Abercrombie & Kent, rooms at boutique hotels, and access to a private yacht.

Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club’s launch underscores a new chapter for the burgeoning destination club industry. Clubs are increasingly looking to become purveyors of a wide variety of travel experiences beyond stays in luxury vacation homes. The new club, for instance, is able to provide members with a range of safaris and escorted trips for small groups through the famed luxury tour operator, Abercrombie & Kent. Depending on the plan, Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club members are able to exchange seven or ten vacation days annually for any of the tour operator’s 350 trips in 106 countries.

A&K’s destination club is launching with three tiers of membership that offer 15, 30 or 45 days of travel. Additional membership benefits are being extended under the club’s “Founders Offer,” available to a limited number of new members through the end of the year. Perks include guaranteed use of the club’s yacht for one week and the ability to allow unaccompanied family members and friends to use membership nights. The Founders Offer also increases the number of days available to exchange for A&K tours to up to 14 on the 30 and 45 day plans.

Industry watchers with long memories may recall that this new club isn’t Abercrombie & Kent’s first foray into destination clubs. The luxury tour operator briefly lent its name and brand to what became Tanner & Haley, a club that eventually declared bankruptcy. Although Abercrombie & Kent never had any operational control of Tanner & Haley, Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club executives have openly talked about how the new A&K venture is different from the failed club and discussed at length how they have worked to design a club with the strongest financial footing.

Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club has gained entry into the Destination Club Association (DCA), with club president Jarvis J. Slade, Jr. joining the group’s board. The DCA establishes best practices in the industry with an eye towards financial stability and protecting membership deposits by requiring clubs to pass a net asset test. Beyond this, Abercrombie & Kent has adopted an equity model, where homes are owned by the membership and are held debt-free.

The new club has ambitious plans for expansion, with an eye towards a global membership base. The strength of the club’s brand, expanded travel benefits and equity membership model will no doubt make it a compelling new entrant to watch.

Learn more about the costs, benefits and risks of joining a destination club by downloading our Decision Guide.