from the ceo

—— CEO James Henderson mingling with Members at a recent Club event; a trip to Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica topped Henderson’s 2022 wish list.

IRECENTLY READ AN ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES ABOUT HOW 2022 MARKS THE YEAR TO GO BIG. After two years of stay-at-home orders and quarantines, travelers are beyond ready to explore. While we’ve rediscovered closer-to-home vacations and have reimagined the great American road trip, our 2023 Once-in-a-Lifetime Collection released earlier this year (with all 37 departures for nine itineraries selling out in record time) confirmed our Members share a go-big mentality, too. Of course, at Exclusive Resorts, we’ve always celebrated a go-big mantra. Since originally launching with just four trips, the Club’s Experience Collection has now expanded to more than 50 carefully curated group and private travel itineraries spanning the globe. To date, we’ve delivered more than 3,000 unique experiences. More impressive, however, is our Member post-trip satisfaction rating of 95 percent—for 10 years and counting. From African safaris and a Members-only Galapagos cruise on New Year’s Eve to a private jet around the world, our 2023 Once-in-aLifetime experiences are immersive and almost impossible to replicate. More importantly, these trips foster connections between Members and facilitate life-long friendships. During a recent Member event, I learned about eight couples that traveled to Morocco on our 2021 Oncein-a-Lifetime Journey and decided to reunite in 2023 on a OIAL trip to Mexico City. These relationships are what define us. Because we’re a club. And that means more than just luxury accommodations and experiences. We create connections that transcend the day-to-day niceties of a traditional vacation and open the door to new opportunities and friendships.

As I pondered my own go-big or bust vacations, three now top my wish list: the Kenya Wildlife Safari, a cruise aboard The World, and a stay at the Club’s flagship destination in Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica. My why to go big? I believe travel truly transforms us—as individuals, as a global community, and as a reminder of just how much there is to experience in this lifetime.

TRAVEL WELL. TRAVEL FAR. TRAVEL OFTEN.

JAMES HENDERSON Chief Executive Officer