Exclusive Resorts Expands into Branded Residential with Costa Rica Launch

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Exclusive Resorts Expands into Branded Residential with Costa Rica Launch

2025-06-26 23:56 Last Updated At：06-27 00:00

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 26, 2025--

Exclusive Resorts today announced the launch of a new branded residential vertical, marking a strategic step in the company's transition from a private club focused on luxury travel to a fully integrated lifestyle platform for the ultra-high-net-worth. The initiative is designed to deepen engagement with Exclusive Resorts’ 4,500 Member families seeking extended stays and ownership opportunities, while also positioning the brand to capture new demand in the growing branded residential segment.

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While The Club will remain the cornerstone of the new travel and lifestyle platform, the move underscores a broader diversification strategy—recently endorsed by investment from Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners, a private real estate firm and strategic investor in Exclusive Investments LLC, the newly established holding company of Exclusive Resorts.

"Exclusive Resorts has established a best-in-class platform, and we’re proud to help accelerate its next phase of growth,” says Webb Wilson, CEO and CIO at Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners. “We focus on backing exceptional management teams and empowering them to build enduring value. Exclusive Resorts has built something truly rare: a loyal Member community, an exceptional service ethos, and a leadership team that understands how to scale. We look forward to supporting this next chapter as the brand expands thoughtfully into residential real estate and continues building a lifestyle platform with long-term relevance.”

The inaugural residential project will break ground at Punta Cacique, a master-planned coastal development on Costa Rica’s Cacique Peninsula, just 25 minutes from Liberia International Airport. The site plan is being developed in partnership with Hart Howerton, the internationally recognized architecture and planning firm known for its work on high-end resorts and residential communities. Exclusive Resorts’ entry into branded residential builds on The Club's 20-year track record of disciplined capital deployment and operational oversight of a $1 billion real estate portfolio, including 21 residences on Costa Rica’s Peninsula Papagayo. The expansion also responds to ongoing demand from The Club’s 4,500 Member families—more than 60% of whom already own second homes and regularly seek ownership and extended-stay opportunities in destinations where The Club operates.

“Many of The Club’s Members have built deep connections with the destinations we serve. As a result, they are not only frequent travelers—they’re also active buyers,” said James Henderson, CEO of Exclusive Resorts. “By entering the branded residential market, we are providing our Members with an opportunity to invest in homes backed by the same quality, trust, and service standards they have come to expect from The Club. And for the first time, we’re introducing an extended stay option—a request we’ve heard for years.”

Ownership, Reimagined: A Model That Extends Beyond the Home

Existing Members of Exclusive Resorts will receive priority access to purchase homes in the initial release with sales expected to begin in early 2026 during the project’s pre-construction phase. Select homeowners will have the option to place their residence—professionally managed and operated within the Exclusive Investments platform—into a closed-network portfolio. Unlike traditional vacation rental models, this approach offers owners the opportunity to generate income while retaining greater control over how, when, and by whom their home is used—providing peace of mind to those who value both return and discretion. The homeowner experience is expected to reflect many of the same service hallmarks that have defined The Club.

Since its inception in 2002, Exclusive Resorts has evolved into a highly curated community of Fortune 500 executives, leading entrepreneurs, Michelin-starred chefs, renowned artists, and elite athletes. For those who join The Club, ownership extends far beyond a single residence—it becomes a gateway to a broader, experience-driven lifestyle. This integrated model sets the offering apart from traditional vacation-home ownership, providing access to an expansive portfolio of 400+ luxury residences and rare experiences across 75+ destinations, along with priority invitations to exclusive events around the world.

A New Vision for Luxury Living in Costa Rica

Punta Cacique, a new 600-acre coastal development on Costa Rica’s Cacique Peninsula, blends high-end hospitality, residential real estate, and regenerative design in one of the world’s most sought-after locations. Backed by Revolution, the investment firm founded by AOL co-founder Steve Case, the project reflects a growing demand for purpose-driven luxury rooted in wellness, sustainability and cultural authenticity. Waldorf Astoria was the first to develop on the peninsula, opening a flagship hotel and branded residences in April 2025. Punta Cacique also has plans to include a working farm, equestrian center, wellness campus, and a locally curated commercial village.

“Punta Cacique represents the future of luxury living—not a private enclave behind gates, but a vibrant, open community shaped by connection and everyday wellbeing,” says Steve Case, chairman and CEO of Revolution, and chairman and majority owner of Exclusive Resorts. “Exclusive Resorts, with its long-standing presence in Costa Rica and its mission to help Members live more meaningful lives, perfectly aligns with that vision, making it a natural fit for this project.”

Exclusive Resorts has an active pipeline of additional branded residential projects in development, with further announcements expected early next year.

For more information, visit www.exclusiveresorts.com.

About Exclusive Resorts

Exclusive Resorts, the world’s leading members-only club dedicated to luxury travel and curated experiences. Founded more than two decades ago, Exclusive Resorts has evolved into a fully integrated lifestyle platform—curating not just where its 4,500+ Members travel, but how they live richer, fuller, and more meaningful lives. With an ever-expanding portfolio valued at over $1 billion comprising 400+ private residences, rare experiences, award-winning partners, and an unmatched global network of industry leaders, tastemakers, and visionaries, The Club continues to redefine the art of living well. Exclusive Resorts is majority-owned by Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and chairman of Exclusive Resorts, and led by James Henderson, CEO. Exclusive Resorts is building a fully integrated lifestyle platform for the ultra-high-net-worth. In 2025, the company expanded into branded residential real estate, leveraging two decades of operational expertise and a global Member community to redefine ownership-led hospitality. For more information, visit ExclusiveResorts.com

About Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners

Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners (“KWHP”) is a hospitality-focused investment management firm founded in 2017 by the 3 rd generation of Kemmons Wilson family, the visionary founder of Holiday Inn hotel chain. Upholding the family’s legacy, KWHP manages value-add and opportunistic flagship funds as well as its Core Plus strategy focused on high-quality, income-generating assets. With approximately $500 million in assets under management, KWHP invests various capital structures throughout the USA. KWHP brings deep expertise across all facets of the hospitality sector including design, development, construction and operations, including limited‐service hotels, full‐service luxury resorts, timeshares, and short‐term rentals. For more information, please visit www.kwcmgmt.com.

Buddhist monks and their dog captivate Americans while walking for peace

A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route.

In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It's a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it's resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.

Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.

“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.

Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city's mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.

At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.

“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”

Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.

Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.

This is Pannakara's first trek in the U.S., but he's walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.

Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.

“I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.

The monk's feet are now heavily bandaged because he's stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.

Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.

“In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”

In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.

He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.

“Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”

After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.

“There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.

Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.

“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.

But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.

The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.

Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don't aim to convert people to Buddhism.

Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.

“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”

On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.

“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”

Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.

“Today is my peaceful day.”

Freelance photojournalist Allison Joyce contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.