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Hotel-Condos /
04/01/2005
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| Two destination club residences—the Portofino Club and Exclusive Resorts combine the independent, intrepid traveler with the pampered and indulged.
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A psychiatrist once said that most of us are schizophrenic without being
mentally ill. Those words came back to me in London, where I had the privilege
of sampling two destination club residences—the Portofino Club and Exclusive
Resorts. When it comes to vacations, one side of me wants to be the independent,
intrepid traveler, and the other side wants to be pampered and
indulged.
 These different residence club experiences symbolized
my conflicting selves. Like vacations, the second-home experience is typically
oriented either to someone who simply wants a house fully stocked or to the
traveler who prefers a full range of services available at all times. (Click image to enlarge)
The
Portofino Club’s London residence is a large flat on an upper floor of an
elegant building (above) overlooking Hyde Park. Our concierge met us when we
arrived, and was on call throughout our stay. We had a fully stocked
refrigerator, all ordered from our prearrival shopping list, a regular attribute
of the private residence club. A large workout area plus a heated lap pool,
steam room and sauna were on a lower floor. Daily maid service is available.
Next door is an elegant Marriott hotel, and you can take advantage of its room
service, laundry and dry-cleaning facilities.
Exclusive Resorts’ four suites
near Buckingham Palace at 51 Buckingham Gate had a completely different feel.
The building, which was constructed in 1897, boasts High Victorian architecture
and touts the longest Shakespearean frieze in the world. The suite (below) looks
over a flower-filled courtyard, and members share the use of many of the Taj
hotel’s five-star facilities: a Sodashi spa, three award-winning restaurants and
a state-of-the-art health club at St. James Court. The concierges, butlers and
valets were trained at the Ivor Spencer School for Butlers and Personal
Assistants, and the experience is for the individual who needs pampering and
avid attention.
Each residence defines a differing experience. Fortunately,
there is room for both in the evolving private destination club continuum.
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