The Economics of Experience with Exclusive Resorts & Maybach Ocean Club

In “The Economics of Experience,” the conversation shifted the idea of luxury ownership away from assets and toward something more elusive: time, flexibility, and the quality of shared experiences. Moderated by Worth Media CEO Josh Kampel, the session brought together Karey Finch of Exclusive Resorts and Carolina Tarazona of Maybach Ocean Club to discuss how affluent travelers are rethinking traditional ownership models. Kampel suggested that “rather than think of this as alternative ownership models, we should be thinking differently about how we spend our time,” and both speakers embraced that framing. For them, the future is less about owning more things and more about creating access to the right experiences, with fewer burdens and greater intentionality.

Finch described Exclusive Resorts as “a membership travel club,” not a fractional model and not a substitute for a second or third home. “It is a supplement. It is a vacation strategy,” she said. That distinction was central to her argument. The appeal is not simply access to luxury residences, but the ability to adapt travel to the changing rhythms of family life. She shared that she first joined the club when traveling with four young children made hotel rooms impractical and a single vacation home too limiting. Over time, the value of the model only expanded: “Sometimes you want to travel with the kids, sometimes you want to travel with friends, sometimes you want to travel with your girlfriends or a golf trip.” In that sense, the club is designed to evolve alongside its members. More than anything, Finch framed the offering as an investment in scarcity itself: “It’s investing in what you don’t have a lot of, and that’s time.”

Tarazona echoed that philosophy from the sea. Maybach Ocean Club, she explained, is “basically shared ownership,” capped at 300 members, with each receiving four weeks of usage aboard a highly exclusive vessel. But like Finch, she emphasized that the concept is “not a replacement. It’s an addition.” Even owners of private yachts, she said, are drawn to the model because it removes the operational headaches (crew management, logistics, planning) while preserving the lifestyle. The biggest misconception, she noted, is that Maybach is a cruise product. “We’re not a cruise,” she said. “We’re a members club that floats.” Unlike a cruise ship with a fixed itinerary and mass-market access, the Maybach model is built around curation: a limited membership, intentional destinations, and a community of travelers who “understand and value luxury.”

That emphasis on community became one of the strongest through-lines of the session. Both speakers argued that, especially after COVID, people are prioritizing connection as much as comfort. Finch described year-round member events, local gatherings, dinners, golf outings, and travel-based experiences that help members form relationships beyond the trip itself. “People are craving that interpersonal connection,” she said, noting that these communities often create both friendship and, occasionally, business opportunity. Looking ahead, both speakers see continued growth in these membership-based models as travelers increasingly prioritize personalization, service, wellness, and meaningful experiences over traditional ownership. As Finch put it, “People now are not accumulating wealth like they used to. They are accumulating experiences.” Tarazona took that one step further, arguing that the next phase of luxury will be defined not just by living longer, but by “living better.”