The cost of joining Pennsylvania's only luxury vacation home club
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The lounge at Serenité, a private luxury vacation home club in the Poconos. Photo: Courtesy of Serenité
Pennsylvanians in the market for a vacation home have another option this summer: Joining a second-home club.
The big picture: Private residence clubs are sprouting up across the country.
- They operate like hotels — come, check in and leave.
- They also offer more flexibility than timeshares and require less investment than owning a second home.
Driving the news: Serenité, Pennsylvania's only vacation home club, first opened atop the Poconos' Camelback Mountain in 2022 and is expanding its footprint.
- They're opening a new 10,000-square-foot clubhouse this summer, with a lounge, spa, rooftop gym, bars and co-working spaces.
The club — which has about 400 members, roughly 30% from the Philly area — currently has 22 residences and is looking to add dozens more in the coming years, Serenité CEO Todd Cannon tells Axios.
How it works: The base membership starts at about $69,000 and goes up to $164,000. Members also pay $2,000-$4,000 in annual fees.
- Rentals work on a points system: Bigger vacation homes cost more points depending the time of the year. Prime slots like summer and holidays are more expensive than other times.
Serenité has one, two, three- and five-bedroom digs that you can book on short notice.
- The club takes care of pre-stocking your fridge, fluffing your pillows and sheets, and shuttling you to the ski lodge.
What they're saying: "We know you on a first-name basis. We know when it's your kid's birthday. You get that home away from home feeling," Cannon says.
If you go: The club offers trial runs for prospective members.