Thirdhome launches Reserve Program to offer luxury homes as vacation rentals

This collection of reserved homes, averaging up to $5 million in value, are a new level of Adventures experiences led by Mondavi and Cousteau and more.

If you’ve got a luxury second (or third, or fourth) home, becoming a member of Thirdhome should be a no brainer. Founded by Wade Shealy, the luxury travel club offers home and yacht exchanges and rentals around the world, with the stock currently at over 11,000 available properties in 95 countries. Unlike some other exchange companies, every property enrolled has to be the member’s vacation home (not a primary residence), there’s no annual fee (just a rental fee each time you book), you don’t exchange homes (or money) directly with another member, and every property is vetted for quality of location, furnishings, and value. But even with all the focus on offering a five-star service, some members felt they wanted an even higher-level experience—so Thirdhome has just launched a Reserve level of high-worth residences, as well as a collection of small-group Adventures led by experts in their fields.

“The Reserve came about from members who loved the concept of Thirdhome and of a private home exchange, but felt like they wanted even more exclusivity on who would be staying in their homes,” explains Shealy. “Additionally, they wanted to know that the homes they would have access to exchange with were equitable to their own,” which, if rented on the open market, “can go upwards of $25,000-$50,000 a week.”

Accordingly, the homes in the Reserve collection have an average value of $5 million (with some coming in at $50 million), and often come with staff, lots of bells and whistles and unique design elements. All bookings are handled by the Reserve team to guarantee a hassle-free experience, so members will not book directly from the inventory available on a website, but instead view the portfolio of homes (via images and drone footage) and reach out to the team to handle the arrangements.

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