The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and the Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club Unveil First of Its Kind Partnership

ORLANDO, FL and DOWNERS GROVE, IL–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  Announced today, industry leading, equity based, luxury destination clubs, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club, have forged a new exchange opportunity for the benefit of their Members. This strategic alliance presents Members of both Clubs an expanding universe of extraordinary destinations only these two renowned companies can provide. This affiliation marks a first for the destination club industry through The Lion & Crown Travel Co., LLC, the exclusive external exchange company for The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club.

The collaboration allows Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members access to 17 Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club residences in North America’s finest beach, mountain and golf destinations including Scottsdale, Ariz.; Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Snowmass-Aspen, Colo.; Kiawah Island, S.C.; Punta Cana; Sun Valley, Idaho; Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Hawaii’s Big Island; Turks & Caicos; and Los Cabos, Punta Mita and Puerto Aventuras, Mexico. In return, Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club Members are able to convert their nights for use at 10 Ritz-Carlton Destination Club locations in Aspen Highlands, Bachelor Gulch and Vail*, Colo.; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.; Jupiter, Fla.; San Francisco and North Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Kapalua Bay in Maui and Kauai Lagoons, Hawaii; and Abaco, The Bahamas.

“Beyond our exceptional Ritz-Carlton Destination Club properties, it is our mission to continually offer our discerning Members the finest partners and most exclusive vacation experiences,” said Peter J. Watzka, executive vice president and chief operating officer for The Ritz-Carlton Development Company, Inc. (an affiliate of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC). “We see this relationship as a tremendous first step in building a worldwide, branded network of exchange and travel services for the destination club segment.”

“Additionally, we see our alliance with Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club as a logical extension of the newly formed relationship between The Ritz-Carlton and Abercrombie & Kent brands announced with the launch of The Ritz-Carlton Rewards program last month,” continued Watzka.

“This exclusive relationship demonstrates our commitment to expand the range of destinations and luxury vacation experiences our members can enjoy around the world,” explains Abercrombie & Kent founder and executive chairman Geoffrey Kent. “Both clubs were founded on an equity model, a fundamentally more conservative choice than other clubs in the industry.”

Both Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club Members benefit from coordination of everything from airport pick-up and pre-arrival provisioning of the residence, to arranging a seamless vacation experience. Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members may also escape with Abercrombie & Kent on a variety of luxury and adventure travel experiences, discovering inspiring destinations that include Antarctica, China, India and the Galápagos Islands, at their most intimate and authentic. The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members can participate in this program in a variety of ways, including preferred access to Abercrombie & Kent tours on all seven continents; opportunities to participate in three exclusive trips created especially for The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members in 2011; and the option to utilize Abercrombie & Kent Private Travel to personalize itineraries through their Member Experience Advisor.

For more information, please visit www.ritzcarltondestinationclub.com or www.akresidenceclub.com.

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