Sick and tired of the same stretch of beach? Longing for a new view of the Alps? Or just concerned your second home isn’t working hard enough to warrant its upkeep? A solution is at hand which gives you the choice of holidaying in some of the best addresses in the world, with none of the stress of maintaining a home abroad.
The Oyster Circle is a new club which has a growing portfolio of property all over the world worth an average of €2.5m+ and offers members up to 35 days a year staying in whichever property they choose with friends and family, with only annual maintenance fees to pay, and a promise of selling on your share at a profit when you leave.
Destination clubs have been growing in popularity in the US as a way of holidaying in different parts of the world without the bother of finding and booking hotels, or, at the other end, purchasing and maintaining your own property. All the houses are absolutely top end, with all the modern requirements visitors could want, but also, importantly the space and privacy to be able to fully relax.
Once you arrive, everything is taken care of: from butlers to chefs, every attention any guest could require has been thought of, and additionally there is also a personal concierge attached to each property who will call every other day – or as often as you ask – to make sure that all your questions about the local area are answered. Whether it’s the best local golf course or the unheard of local trattoria, each concierge is employed specifically for their local knowledge; equally if all you want is peace and quiet you will be completely left alone. The properties are particularly geared towards families, and concierges are well-versed in family-friendly activities, from ski-schools to golf courses and restaurants.
Current up and running destinations include Quinta De Lago, Sotogrande, Cannes, St Tropez, Chamonix, Les Trois Vallées, Orvieto, Lake Garda, The Bahamas, New York, Miami, St Lucia, and Cape Town and the idea is to have 67 properties to choose from by the time the club is actually full. The owners are looking for a total of just 400 members, and once the membership is full, coming and going is on a one-in one-out basis (until then it is three in and one out).
Membership costs €300,000 as a one-off payment (the deposit on an equivalent property of such value), and after this there are annual management fees of between €21,000-€25,200 depending on the level of use you opt for which includes linen, upkeep of the property and gardens and any repair work which needs to be undertaken. Fees may seem high, but Paul Crowe Managing Director of the Oyster Circle, argues that these charges are just a fraction of what you’d be spending if you had your own property abroad, quite apart from the bother of making sure it’s secure and well looked after when you’re not there.
The Oyster Circle doesn’t have a fixed term membership – you can be a member for as long as you like and when you leave, if you’ve been a member for at least four years, you get back 80% of the value of a single share at the market price (which will have increased) or 100% of your original investment, whichever is more.
The team behind the project are keen to listen to feedback: if they buy a property and members don’t use it they will be prepared to sell and make sure they locate something which people will use, and investment in Oyster Circle is safe: they own the majority of these properties outright thanks to some heavyweight initial investment.
Financially if you’re spending an awful lot of money on family holidays this is a perfect way to be pampered in style without having to worry about a thing apart from which property will most suit your needs at any particular time. It’s a secure investment you can continue to enjoy for as long as you please while having the time of your life all over the world. If you don’t want to return to just one place again and again, The Oyster Circle provides the advantages of a second home but none of the worry, and at a fraction of the expense. For more information visit www.theoystercircle.com or telephone +353 1 2799525.
