奢華旅游放低身段渡難關

????奢華旅游業江河日下。史蒂夫?凱斯旗下的高端旅游公司Exclusive Resorts最近新開設了一個私人俱樂部Portico，專門幫助會員以相對低廉的價格享受奢華的度假設施。

????按照Exclusive Resorts的現有業務，會員需一次性交納170,000美元的入會費，旅行期間每天另外支付1,045美元。今天正式開張的Portico俱樂部也實行類似的制度，只不過沒有設定每天支付的費用。Portico會員需交納10,000美元的入會費和2,500美元的年費，作為交換，他們能以低于市場的價格入住全球各地從楠塔基特島到波拉波拉島的度假村。這些設施的房價大多為500到3,000美元一晚，為人們提供五星級酒店標準的個性化服務。

????最近幾年，奢華旅游業與美國其他行業一樣在艱難中求生存。據酒店業調研公司STR Global的調查，2011年1-8月，度假酒店平均每日的房價漲到了252.15美元，相比2010年同期的237.06美元有所回升，但相比2008年同期的285.47美元卻有所下降。

????菲利普?布吉尼翁曾任地中海俱樂部（Club Med）首席執行官，現任Exclusive Resorts CEO。據他介紹，高端旅游市場正在回暖。人們仍然希望體驗奢華旅游但又不愿支付高額的費用，他的公司之所以新開Portico俱樂部，就是看準了這個商機。他在接受《財富》(Fortune)記者的采訪時就當前經濟環境下的旅游業及游客需求的變化發表了自己的看法。

????當初怎么想到要開設這個俱樂部的？

????6個月前我剛加入公司的時候，就把所有的事情都考慮了一遍。我琢磨了一下公司度過2008-2010年這段時間后有什么辦法可以繼續發展壯大。當時就有了創建Portico俱樂部的想法。我覺得這個點子很不錯，可以實施，而實施的時間就是現在。

????你喜歡這個想法的什么地方？

????這個構想并不是要擴大已有的市場，而是開拓全新的市場?，F在要是想去體驗奢華旅游，一般有兩種選擇。一是住酒店，然后整個過程就沒什么懸念了，大多數品牌酒店都有不少旅游線路可供選擇，但它們的服務基本都是一樣的。另一種選擇就是租度假屋，這樣可以和家人擁有更大的自主空間，但與此同時也享受不到酒店式的服務。不知道度假屋到底會不會安排管家，旅行的過程中也存在很多不確定性，沒有一個完整連貫的行程安排。所以我們堅信，這兩者的中間地帶肯定存在市場，很多人都希望在旅途中既能體驗更周到的服務，同時又能保證行程安排完整連貫、更有計劃性。Portico能讓人們入住寬敞的豪華度假別墅，同時享受高級酒店的待遇。

????Luxury travel is going downstream. Exclusive Resorts, a high-end travel company owned by Steve Case, is launching Portico, a new private club that lets members access luxury vacation properties at more moderate prices than they otherwise could.

????With Exclusive Resorts' existing service, members pay a one-time membership fee of $170,000, and another $1,045 per day for their travel. Portico, which officially launched to the public today, has a similar concept but it has no set rate per day. Portico members pay an initiation fee of $10,000, plus an annual fee of $2,500. In exchange, they have access to below-market prices for vacation homes around the globe, from Nantucket to Bora Bora. Most properties cost between $500 to $3,000 a night and come with a personalized service like you might find at a five-star hotel.

????The luxury travel industry has struggled along with the rest of the U.S. economy during recent years. The average daily room rate at luxury hotels rose to $252.15 in the first eight months of 2011, according to the hospitality research firm STR Global. That's up from $237.06 during the same period in 2010, but down from $285.47 in 2008.

????Philippe Bourguignon, CEO of Exclusive Resorts and the former CEO of Club Med, says high-end travel is picking up again. The company launched Portico with the idea that people still want to have a luxurious vacation, but they want to pay less for it. He spoke to Fortune about the travel industry in today's economy and the changing needs of vacationers.

????How was the idea for this club created?

????When I joined the company six months ago, I obviously assessed everything. I looked to see how after this period of 2008 to 2010 we could grow as a company. The idea for Portico was already there, so I decided the idea was a very good one and the time to launch it was now.

????What was it about this concept that you liked?

????This is not about growing an existing market -- this is creating a new market. Today, if you want to go on a luxury vacation, you have basically two choices. You can go to a hotel and you know what you will get. Most hotel brands have a wide selection of destinations, but they basically all offer the same service. Your other choice is renting a vacation home, where you obviously have more space for yourself and your family, but you don't have the service that you would find at a hotel. You might have a housekeeper, you might not. It's not predictable and consistent. We strongly believe there is a market in the middle where so many people want to have that consistent and more predictable experience with better service. Portico gives you hotel experience in a big nice luxury villa.