Exclusive Resorts is leading the way! Take a look at this unique solution for business travel needs with Jet Linx Private Jets.

The challenge? Think corporate Iron Chef. The setting? Scottsdale, Ariz. The players? The executive team of Exclusive Resorts, a destination club which provides access to a $1 billion dollar portfolio of luxury residences now frequently used for corporate travel and employee incentives.

“We were in this beautiful setting, and as a team-building exercise, we went to our shared homes in teams and cooked with ingredients given to us,” says Kristen Nolte, senior vice-president of marketing for Exclusive Resorts. “It was about getting us to think creatively.”

And while Nolte’s team won with its menu of caper lemon chicken, breaded fried artichokes and chocolate bread pudding, all the team members walked away with something more: the sense of bonding and connectedness that underpins all good teamwork.

WHY TRAVEL IS CHANGING

Exclusive Resorts has more than 300 concierge-equipped homes in 75 destinations and Nolte knows there are two reasons why corporate travel is shifting in this direction. “Companies are realizing there’s a tremendous amount of innovation that comes from getting out of the office,” she says. “When you’re staring at four walls for too long, you tend to come up with the same ideas over and over again.”

At the same time, companies also know that they need newer, fresher ways to retain top employees. “If people are happy in their jobs, they’re going to stick around longer. And if you offer incentives to them that encourage that, that’s what keeps them around,” says Nolte. “Studies have shown that people just become more productive when they take their vacation. This is a huge switch. The mantra used to be ‘work yourself to death, show the company how loyal you are and never take vacation.’ And now people realize all that does is create burnout and lack of innovation.”

Nolte knows of what she speaks. An avid explorer, she fell in love with traveling when she was the executive director of marketing with Dell and based in Amsterdam. “In that time, I saw about 30 countries and 45 to 50 cities. And I realized the memories I recount over and over again, the life-changing activities, they all happened while I was traveling,” she says. That experienced galvanized her into switching to an industry she was passionate about: travel with Exclusive Resorts. She was drawn to the type of personalized travel that the Club offered—visits where groups of individuals can experience and get to know the local culture in a way that also builds teamwork and and bonding among employees. “And what comes to mind in these environments are fantastic ideas that I don’t think you could come up with in a conference room,” she says.

LUXURY AT A FIXED PRICE
Clients also like access to a property without the headaches of owning one. “It gives me a vacation home without having to pay property tax or hiring people to manage it,” says Lina Hu, CEO and chairman of Carson, CA-based Clipper Corp. Hu has been with Exclusive Resorts since 2004 and visited properties in Cabo, Costa Rica, Tuscany and more. “I take my clients over there and they’re impressed with the quality of the property and service.”

In response to this growing corporate interest, Exclusive Resorts is taking its initiative one step further and formalizing a product that many companies have already been using—namely, letting companies buy a minimum of 21 nights with the Club at a fixed nightly rate of $1,550/residence to be used over a three-year period. Not only does Exclusive Resorts allow clients to use their purchased nights for reward travel or company getaways, the Club also locks it into their budget. “Coming from any corporation working on a budgeting cycle, you don’t want a last minute I-thought-I-could-get-this for-$1,000/night-and-it-ends-up-as-$2,000/night,” says Nolte. “With Gateway, our new travel card, companies can simply purchase the number of nights they want at a fixed rate that will not change. This makes it much easier to budget.”

And part of that deal also includes using as many cocktail napkins as visitors like. “I always say the best ideas are written on cocktail napkins,” says Nolte. “I can’t tell you how many meetings I’ve sat in and struck up a conversation with someone and you just grab the pen and start drawing or writing something and your mind just starts flowing.”

Information current as of 3.17.2015. Offers are available only to Jet Linx clients and is not transferable. Gateway purchase complete when all documents and funds are received. 15% discount off list price. Gateway purchase must be completed on or after by December 31, 2015 to be eligible for offer. Gateway Card subject to terms and conditions of Gateway Agreement. Reservations for specific days, destinations and events subject to availability. Complimentary vacation will consist of one consecutive three-night stay in an eligible Exclusive Resorts residence for an individual (23 years of age or older) and his/her guests. Vacation is subject to terms and conditions of the Exclusive Resorts occupancy agreement, including without limitation maximum occupancy restrictions. Vacation must be reserved directly through Exclusive Resorts and may only be reserved within 90 days of the desired check-out date (with the exception of New York and San Francisco which may only be reserved within 30 days of the desired check-out date). Travel must occur between May 1, 2015 and November 15, 2015, and will be forfeited if not completed by November 15, 2015. Reservations for specific dates, residences and destinations are subject to availability. Travel not available to all Exclusive Resorts destinations and subject to black-out periods. Eligible destinations and black-out periods subject to change from time to time. Offer for accommodations only. Air and ground transportation to and from destination and all other expenses, including but not limited to meals and drinks, chef experiences, phone calls, government fees, transfers, insurance, and any taxes are the sole responsibility of traveler. One vacation per family. Offers cannot be redeemed multiple times. Offer not applicable to existing Exclusive Resorts members or Gateway Cardholders. Offer subject to change or termination at any time. Membership is subject to terms and conditions of membership documents. See www.exclusiveresorts.com for more information about Exclusive Resorts and Club Membership. Be a Collector is a service mark of Exclusive Resorts, LLC. Exclusive Resorts and the Exclusive Resorts flower logo are registered trademarks of Exclusive Resorts, LLC. ©2015, Exclusive Resorts, LLC. All rights reserved.