Membership Information
The Original Vacation Home Exchange and Luxury Home Exchange
Owners of luxury properties use our unparalleled exchange to trade weeks in their properties for stays in members' properties worldwide at 90% savings using our member messaging application!
Our points exchange makes it easy for owners to host at their convenience and travel whenever they wish. Give us a week and we give you the world!
If you own a luxury vacation property, the way we work is simple:
- Apply for Membership
- Deposit available dates in your property.
- Enjoy members' properties worldwide!
We charge no membership fee, no monthly fee or annual fee. All we ask is that members host at least one high season week per year, since having plenty of great availabilities is what makes our exchange work so well. By host, we mean to have members as personal guests in your property in exchange for points equal to the published rates for the accommodations, services, and amenities provided.
Exchange Fees: Members contact their fellow members using our messaging system to arrange trades (we call these "self-arranged trades") or they let our staff know when and where they want to travel and we are delighted to arrange accommodations for them (these are "staff-arranged trades").
Our fee for "self-arranged trades" is 10% of the rental value, saving you 90%. Our fee for "staff-arranged trades" is 20% of the rental value, saving you 80%. In other words, using the messaging system cuts exchange fees in half.
Depositing Weeks: When you deposit high season weeks, you receive the points immediately (if the dates are deposited at least 60 days in advance) and you will retain the points whether or not the weeks are booked by members. You receive "Double Points" for depositing weeks which include a major holiday. For weeks deposited less than 60 days in advance, and for weeks which are not high season, you will receive the points only if the dates are booked by members.
Points never expire. Each point represents $1. All points shown on our website are per week. For example, 7500 points = $7500 weekly rental value. For private properties which are not available for rent, point values are based upon the rental rates of comparable properties in the area. Points can be used by family and friends (as long as the member agrees to be the responsible party).
Member Messaging System: To contact your fellow members using our secure messaging application, please log into your account. When you view the profiles of properties you would like to visit, under the property number near the top of the profile, you will see "Submit Trade Request" which will allow you to send an inquiry directly to the member.
PLEASE NOTE that messages sent to members from our website will be received in their email. When you receive an email from a member, you will see a large "Click Here" button to view the member's inquiry and respond if you would like to accept, decline, or discuss.
If you send a message to a member and do not receive a response within 3 days, please let us know and we will be happy to contact the member for you. If they can host you when we contact them, we will consider it to be a "self-arranged trade" with only a 10% exchange fee since you tried to contact them yourself.
We ask that members never give or ask for personal contact information (phone number or email address) when using the messaging system so we can monitor all communications between members in order to be of assistance whenever possible. Each time a trade is arranged, we will send you a Confirmation which will include the contact information for your host or guest, and we will give them your contact information so you can call or email each other directly.
Serious Inquiries Only: Please only contact a member if you are certain that you will book the requested dates if the owner offers to host you. You may contact several owners at the same time if you will book the property of whichever owner offers to host you first (rather than waiting to see if one of the other owners you contacted might also offer to host).
Please check airfares to make sure that acceptable flights are available and coordinate travel plans with everyone in your party before contacting owners in order to not bother members unnecessarily regarding uncertain dates, date changes, etc. Please do NOT purchase airfare until a trade has been confirmed and you have received the Confirmation from our offices.
If a member offers to host for the requested dates and you do not book the dates, 500 credits will be deducted from your account and added to the owner's account to thank them for their kind offer of hospitality..
Please read the property profile on our website carefully to make sure any questions you may have are not answered in the information provided before asking the owner and please do not ask questions whose answers can be found on Google. If you have a question about a property which will affect whether or not you will book the requested dates if the owner offers to host, please let us know and we will answer the questions before the owner is contacted or we will contact the owner to get the answers.
Availabilities: To browse properties which can be booked immediately at 90% savings, see our "Availabilities." and please note that thousands of other properties are available upon request.
Save Your Favorites: Save all properties you would like to visit in your "My Favorite Properties" file. When they become available, an email will automatically be sent to notify you.
Cleaning Fees: Most members waive their cleaning fee when hosting their fellow members and in return we add $1000 extra points to their account to thank them (which works great for most owners since cleaning most properties costs less than $1000). If you do not wish to waive the cleaning fee for 1000 additional points when you host members, please let us know the amount of the cleaning fee and we will make sure members are aware of it before booking your property.
Staff Fees/Gratuities: Owners of staffed properties may require guests to pay staff fees and/or gratuities. Hosting members is a great way for property owners to help their staff earn income during unrented weeks.
Security Deposits: Members do not normally require a security deposit when hosting their fellow members since all members own luxury properties and treat their hosts' properties with care and respect. In our 31 years of being in business, we have never had a member cause any accidental damage for which they did not pay immediately and fully. If a member ever does cause damage for which they do not pay, we will pay up to $1000 cash and will credit your account with up to 10,000 points.
Referral Reward Points: When you refer a new member, you will receive the same number of points they receive the first time they host a member.
FREE Weeks: To enjoy luxury accommodations FREE of charge (no points or exchange fee), simply find a property you would love to visit anyplace on the planet and introduce the owner to "Trade to Travel." If they become a member, you will enjoy one free high season week in their property.
Green Points: To reward members for "greening" their properties to reduce carbon emissions and conserve natural resources, we offer points for all monies spent on things like solar power, ENERGY STAR appliances, low flow water fixtures and toilets, programmable thermostats, compact florescent light bulbs, low or no volatile organic compound paints, insulation, ceiling fans, etc. When you use your Green Points to enjoy properties worldwide, our exchange fee will be 20% of the barter amount (saving you 80% of the rental value) and we will donate half of the exchange fee (10% of the rental value) to environmental organizations like "The Oceanic Preservation Society."