Luxury travel used to be as simple as booking a five-star hotel or a first-class ticket. These days, the bar is way higher. Modern luxury travelers want it all: guaranteed upgrades, secret member-only rates, VIP airport escorts, exclusive villas, and curated perks.
That’s where luxury travel memberships come in. These programs promise elevated treatment, insider access, and, when used correctly, some shockingly good savings. But not all memberships are created equal. Some of these programs deliver serious perks and behind-the-scenes access. Others feel more like a concierge in your pocket. And a few? They’re basically secret societies for people who really, really like nice hotels.
So whether you’re a frequent flyer, a points hacker who’s tired of spreadsheets, or someone who simply wants someone to plan everything for them, there’s probably a luxury travel membership with your name on it.
Let’s break down how these programs work, and which ones are actually worth the hype.
What Are Luxury Travel Memberships?
Think of them as VIP travel clubs. Instead of piecing together every element of a trip yourself, you get:
- A dedicated travel team or concierge
- Access to negotiated member-only rates
- Complimentary upgrades or perks
- Exclusive hotel partnerships
- Priority access to sold-out experiences
- Trip planning with insider expertise
- Airport or in-destination benefits
- Bonus values—like resort credits or free breakfasts
Some memberships require substantial annual fees; others are free but invite-only. The key is knowing what kind of traveler you are and choosing a program that matches your specific travel habits.
The Best Luxury Travel Memberships
These are our picks for the best luxury travel memberships.
American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR)
Best for: Luxury hotel lovers who already have an Amex Platinum or Centurion card
This is the OG of luxury travel perks. If you hold an Amex Platinum or Centurion card, you automatically get access to American Express’ Fine Hotels & Resorts program.
What you get:
- Guaranteed 4pm late checkout
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrade upon arrival (when available)
- Noon check-in (when available)
- $100 credit towards eligible charges
- Free Wi-Fi
- Special discounts such as a free third night or 25% off
Pros:
The value is consistent, predictable, and often offsets the card’s annual fee with just a couple of stays.
Cons:
Mostly hotel-focused; doesn’t help with flights, activities, or special arrangements.
Inspirato Pass and Inspirato Club
Best for: Travelers who want luxury villas, residences, and resorts without owning property or timeshares.
Inspirato is like a subscription service for high-end vacation homes. Instead of owning a villa, you pay for access to a global portfolio of luxury residences. The Inspirato Pass costs around $40,000 per year for unlimited travel. Once you’ve paid the yearly membership fee, you won’t have to pay any additional nightly rates, taxes, or fees.
Or, join the Inspirato Club, which operates under a pay as you go model. You’ll pay a one-time initiation fee starting around $15,000 plus annual dues of $6,000, to gain access to the portfolio of homes, along with a discounted nightly rate fore ach trip you book.
What you get:
- Members-only access to luxury homes, hotels, and experiences
- Personalized concierge service
- Transparent pricing (no Airbnb-style guesswork)
- Multi-room villas ideal for families and groups
- A team of travel agents who can book your flights and arrange ground transportation.
Pros:
Inspirato leases and manages its portfolio of homes, hotels, and resorts. This means every property is professionally maintained, regularly refreshed, and meets a consistent, high standard of luxury. Homes are all well-equipped with premium furnishings, electronics, and linens.
Cons:
Unlike some other destination clubs or fractional ownership models, your membership fees buy you access, not an investment or equity in any real estate. To maximize the value of the Pass, you often need a very flexible schedule, as the most desirable trips/properties—especially for larger homes and peak dates—may require booking many months in advance. Historically, Pass has had rules on how many reservations you can hold at once and the minimum time between trips, which can limit non-stop, back-to-back travel.
FoundersCard
Best for: Entrepreneurs, digital nomads, and people who split time between work and travel
FoundersCard is a members-only program designed primarily for entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals looking for exclusive access, discounts, and elite status perks across travel, lifestyle, and business categories.
Think of it as a premium subscription service that unlocks high-value benefits typically reserved for top-tier loyalty program members or premium credit card holders. The FoundersCard has two tiers: standard, which costs $595 per year and has a $95 initiation fee, or elite, which costs $995 annually. You’ll get higher-tier statuses, deeper discounts, and a complimentary companion card with elite.
What you get:
- Automatic elite status at top airlines, hotels, and car rental services
- Priority check-in
- Discounts at airlines and hotels
- Preferred pricing or exclusive access to live events
- Privately negotiated rates and extra perks at hundreds of high-end hotels
- Discounts on business services including technology and software, shipping, and co-working spaces
- Discounts with luxury and lifestyle brands
- Invitations to exclusive networking events
Pros:
A single hotel discount or airline upgrade challenge often covers the cost of the membership. This is one of the few luxury travel memberships that offers discounts on fares with major airlines..
Cons:
Benefits change frequently; many can already be obtained through a premium travel credit card.
Exclusive Resorts
Best for: Families, multigenerational travelers, and those who want a legacy membership with guaranteed access to luxury residences
Exclusive Resorts is one of the most prestigious residence-based travel clubs, famous for its nearly $1 billion portfolio of private homes, curated experiences, and insider-only events.. Members pay a one-time initiation fee (starting at $195,000 for a 10-year plan or higher for a long-term inheritable plan) plus set annual dues based on the number of “plan days” they commit to travel each year (usually around $1,750 per day). In return, they get access to the Club’s 400+ luxury residences and curated travel experiences in 75 destinations.
What you get:
- Access to large, 3- to 5-bedroom luxury homes or suites in over 75 destinations worldwide
- A dedicated Vacation Ambassador (for all the travel planning) and a dedicated on-site concierge at the destination (for grocery stocking, reservations, and activities.)
Pros:
Once you pay the initial fee and annual dues, your cost per night (per “Plan Day”) is fixed and generally predictable for the duration of your membership, regardless of season, location, or the home’s market value. This removes the variable and often skyrocketing costs of booking luxury villas during peak periods. Exclusive Resorts controls and manages virtually all of its 400+ homes and residences. This ensures a consistent, five-star standard of maintenance, furnishings, and amenities across the entire portfolio, eliminating the risk of quality variation found in private rentals. Plus, many residences are connected to five-star resorts (like Four Season or Rosewood), giving members the privacy of a large home combined with access to resort amenities.
Cons:
The non-refundable initiation fee is a significant upfront cost and a major barrier to joining. Unlike some equity-based clubs, this fee typically isn’t returned when you leave, so it shouldn’t be viewed as a recoverable investment. You also can’t sell your membership freely on the open market; instead, you’re required to go through the club’s internal exit process. Finally, while the homes themselves are stunning, the portfolio skews toward large, multi-bedroom properties. If you usually travel as a couple or as a small family, you may end up paying for more space than you actually need.
Priority Pass
Priority Pass is a global, independent membership program that grants travelers access to a network of over 1,300 airport lounges and other airport experiences worldwide, regardless of the airline they are flying or the class of ticket they hold.
What you get:
- Access to over 1,8300 (and growing) airport lounges and experiences worldwide across hundreds of cities and dozens of countries.
- Lounges with comfortable seating or workspaces, strong Wi-Fi, charging stations, complimentary snacks and drinks (often including alcohol), reading materials, showers, and a quiet space to rest or work.
- Discounts on airport car rentals and private transfers
A digital membership card + an app that helps you locate lounges, check what’s available, view maps, and manage lounge access worldwide.
Priority Pass Cost
| Membership Level | Cost | Includes |
| Standard | $99 annual fee + per visit fees to use a lounge (around $35) | N/A |
| Standard Plus | $329 annual fee | 10 free visits, after that, a per-visit fee applies |
| Prestige | $469 annual fee | Unlimited free lounge visits |
Some premium travel credit cards or bank cards also package Priority Pass membership as a benefit, which can effectively make you eligible for lounge access without a separate sign-up.
Pros:
Priority Pass is great for frequent flyers who aren’t always traveling in a premium cabin and want lounge access. Complimentary food/drinks in lounges may make up for the cost of the pass.
Cons:
Lounge quality and availability vary widely depending on the airport and time. Not all lounges are luxurious—some may be basic or crowded. At busy airports and during peak times, even a Priority Pass membership doesn’t guarantee lounge entry, depending on capacity or restrictions.
WheelsUp
Wheels Up offers a spectrum of private flying solutions, moving away from the traditional fractional ownership model (where you buy a share of a specific plane) toward a more flexible membership and on-demand approach.
The “Signature Membership” requires a prepaid deposit (e.g. $200,000 minimum) plus a monthly or ongoing commitment, to guarantee access to jets and “jet-ready” service.
What you get:
- Access to private jets: Wheels Up now offers a “Signature Membership” which gives year-round, nationwide access to their fleet of modern jets (like the Phenom 300 and Challenger 300 series).
- Flexible plans: Members can choose between a fixed-rate plan or a dynamic-pricing plan (with rates that vary by season, demand, and destination).
- Hybrid commercial + private travel: Through a partnership with Delta Air Lines, Wheels Up lets you combine private-jet legs with Delta commercial flights.
- Lifestyle and concierge perks: Membership often includes ground-side benefits — concierge services, travel-planning support, and access to curated experiences and events.
Pros:
Hourly flight rates are capped for members (depending on jet type) which gives more predictable costs compared with ad hoc chartering.
Cons:
Even with membership, jet use still incurs hourly flight costs, fuel surcharges, and possibly other fees.
Looking for more information on private jets? Read our stories on The Best Private Jet Charter Memberships and Jet Card Programs, How Much to Tip on a Private Jet Charter, and The Best Semi-Private Airlines.
