How to Vacation Like a Billionaire

3rd Home gives you access to the houses of the super-rich

By The Editors
March 25, 2016 9:00 am

“I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.”

Smart quote. Stupidly wrong.

Especially if you’re traveling this summer, when you’ll want to be a part of 3rd Home, a members-only travel club for the luxury set.

3H promises members weeks-long access to some of the world’s most expensive private properties (average value: $2.4 million): beachfront villas, country estates, actual palaces, etc.

Overall, the company has access to about 5,000 properties worldwide, $10 billion of prime private real estate (along with some luxury resort properties).

How it works: Homeowners are “pre-screened” before offering properties. There’s a one-time fee to start, and then an “exchange fee” for any property you’re interested in using.

Good news is, partaking in these homes doesn’t require a simultaneous exchange of yours. Instead, you build up “keys” for renting out your own property, earning more for higher-valued spaces or for offering up room during peak seasons.

A good overview of the requirements is here. As we stated before when testing it out in New York, it’s like a timeshare of the 1%.

But thinking of summer, we asked 3rd Home to curate four enviable properties internationally.

Vienna Opera Apartment
Vienna, Austria

This elegant and spacious (2,100+ sq. ft.) apartment is on the first (noble) floor of a historical mansion block, situated on a quiet street in a former palace adjacent the Vienna Opera. The residence is surrounded by charming shops in a central location near the famous shopping street of Mariahilferstrasse. Your concierge can help you there.

Private home on Mamucabinhas Beach
Tamandare, Brazil

This is for the “get away from it all” crowd. Located on a secluded beach accessed via a private road (and near several other beaches), the home is 12,000 square feet divided into three pavilions. Inside and out: A home theater, four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a wraparound deck and an infinity edge swimming pool with waterfall.

One-Bedroom Apartment in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront
Cape Town, South Africa

Need something cozier (but still luxe)? Located in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, this 1,089 square-foot one-bedroom features fantastic marina views … no better to look out at your yacht, or at the numerous, playful Cape seals that make home nearby. Nearby: some of the world’s best fishing, golfing, equestrian and wine adventures.

Modern Home at Six Senses Con Dao
Con Dao Dist, Vietnam

A five-star resort in the Con Dao archipelago (a national park and nature reserve), the housing here is definitely high-end (king-size beds, private infinity pool, etc.), while the surrounding property has been purposely designed to resemble a traditional Vietnamese fishing village. Beaches, spa access and some of most up-close time you’ll get with nature, all in one property.

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