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I joined Inspirato as a “Pass Member” in January 2022 and have been very happy with the decision. So much so that I renewed for another 12 months in January 2023 and then again in 2024.
I get a lot of questions from friends and family about why we joined and whether we like the program, so I thought I would write an “Inspirato Pass Review” article to help answer those questions.
This article will provide an in-depth review of the Inspirato Pass program and focus on my experience as a Pass member. I’ll cover the most important topics, such as the program’s cost, the types of properties, their availability, and how the subscription model works.
If you read this article all the way through, you’ll have a solid understanding of how Inspirato Pass works and whether it would be a good program for you. Enjoy!
Inspirato Pass Review: What is Inspirato?
Let’s start with a basic understanding of Inspirato. Inspirato LLC (NASDAQ: ISPO) is a luxury vacation company that provides access to a portfolio of five-star vacation properties (homes, condos, and hotels) and experiences delivered through a monthly subscription model.
The Inspirato portfolio of properties includes luxury vacation homes, accommodations at five-star hotels and resorts, and custom travel experiences.
In addition to providing access to these properties, Inspirato’s subscription model includes five-star personalized service, including pre-trip planning, onsite concierge, and daily housekeeping with every trip. All of these are included in the cost of your monthly subscription with no hidden fees!
Inspirato Destinations & Real Estate
The Inspirato portfolio consists of over 500+ residences in 95+ destinations which are then classified into “beach”, “mountain”, “lifestyle” or “metropolitan” locations.
The properties include luxury vacation homes maintained and managed by the Inspirato team, as well as hotel rooms, suites, and resort residences contracted with their five-star luxury hotel partners.
The largest portion of the portfolio is in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean with a growing presence in Europe.
Options are currently very limited in Asia, Australia, and Africa, so if you plan to travel extensively in those locations, Inspirato might not be the best option for you.
Inspirato Homes and Residences
The vast majority of the properties available via Inspirato are luxury single-family homes and resort residences. These include expansive estates in aspirational destinations and 2-4 bedroom villas and residences within luxury resorts.
Here are some reviews of the luxury homes I have stayed in as an Inspirato Pass Member:
Each of these homes exceeded my expectations in terms of both quality and design. I would not hesitate to stay at each of them again.
Inspirato Hotels & Resorts
In addition to luxury homes, Inspirato offers access to an extensive list of exclusive 5-star hotels and resorts. These hotels can be booked via your Inspirato Pass membership or a paid Virtuoso booking.
Inspirato Collection Hotels & Resorts
If a hotel is part of Inspirato’s Hotel Collection, you can book a stay with your Pass membership. This is a group of well over 200 luxury hotels that Inspirato has partnered with, giving you access to some of the most exclusive hotels and destinations in the world.
Properties in the “Inspirato Collection Hotels” include amazing properties with five-star brands such as Rosewood, One & Only, Park Hyatt, Ritz Carlton, Montage, Como, and St. Regis and a collection of independent and boutique hotels.
The hotels offer both traditional hotel rooms and 2-4 bedroom residences. I have stayed at both with my Pass membership. Here are some reviews of the resort properties I have stayed at with my Pass members:
- Montage Palmetto Bluff: 2-bedroom Guest House
- Conrad Fort Lauderdale: 2-bedroom Condo
- Faena Miami Beach: Traditional Hotel Room (Partial Ocean View)
- Aqualina Resort & Residences: Ocean Front Hotel Room
- The Boca Raton: 2 Bedroom Bungalow
Hotels Outside of the Inspirato Collection
If you’re looking for a luxury hotel that has not partnered with Inspirato, you can book it through Inspirato’s partnership with Virtuoso.
In this situation, Inspirato is your travel agent, helping you book a room that includes bonuses like a room upgrade (if available), breakfast for two, early check-in / late check-out, and possibly some resort and dining credits.
You can use your “Pass Subscription” to book trips at the Inspirato Collection Hotels properties. If a luxury property is not part of the collection, your Inspirato care team can help you book through Virtuoso, which will be a paid booking, outside of the membership.
Inspirato Property Search Tool
Another great feature of the Inspirato program is the search tool and the fact that you don’t need to be a member to access the tool and see what type of properties are available to you.
When using the search tool, just enter your desired geography and dates. The tool will then deliver a list of locations available at that time. You can then use the filter to refine location types such as beach, mountain, or metropolitan locations.
You can also add another filter if you only want to spend a certain number of Pass Days on a given trip or want a home with a minimum number of rooms.
If you want to get the best value for your Pass days, be flexible with your search. The more open you are to different locations and dates, the more value you will get from your Pass.
Inspirato Membership Options
Here’s a summary of the three membership options available through Inspirato:
1. Inspirato Club Membership
The Club membership is Inspirato’s base membership.
Inspirato Club members pay nightly rates when they travel to enjoy access to the full Inspirato Collection of exclusive homes, hotels, resorts, and experiences. They also receive first-class, personalized service from a team of hospitality experts, from pre-trip planning to an on-site concierge.
This membership essentially gives you access to the portfolio of properties, as well as the Care Team and Destination Planners. It’s generally used by people who want to “test drive” the program.
To learn more about the Club program, read our article on Inspirato Club vs. Pass.
2. Inspirato Pass Membership
In 2019, Inspirato introduced Inspirato Pass and promoted it as the world’s first luxury travel subscription. As an Inspirato Pass member, you pay $2,550 per month for access to their complete portfolio of properties, including nightly rates, taxes, fees, and housekeeping.
The benefits include flexibility to book outside the Pass Trip List, dedicated service on every trip, member events, Bespoke travel, and more.
Inspirato Pass Days
Every time you book a trip as a Pass Member, you consume a number of “Pass Days”, which will vary by property, season, duration of stay, etc. Pass Days are the currency you have as a member to book an Inspirato property.
A Pass subscription costs $2,550 per month. So, the value of a Pass Day is the monthly cost divided by 30, making one Pass Day equal to approximately $85.
How Much Does Inspirato Cost?
The three membership options are priced as follows:
- Inspirato Pass Membership: $2,550 enrollment fee + $2,550 monthly subscription payment
- Inspirato Club Membership: $15,000 one-time initiation fee and first-year annual dues. The Annual dues of $5,500 are payable beginning with the second-year renewal.
Memberships can be canceled at any time with 30 days written notice (the enrollment fees are non-refundable).
Inspirato Experiences
In addition to booking homes and hotels, you can use your pass days for Inspirato Only Experiences, which include cruises, safaris, land adventures, cultural trips, and sporting events.
Just be aware that these fantastic experiences will not give you the best value for your Pass days.
We booked a 7-day Peru / Macchu Pichu tour, and it was fantastic. The hotels were all first class and we had our own private guide for the whole trip!
Other Benefits of Inspirato Pass Membership
Jaunt and Jaunt 52
Through the Inspirato Club program, you’ll have access to Jaunt 52 and Jaunt Now. Jaunt trips are significantly discounted trips that are emailed to members every Wednesday morning.
Jaunt Now offers member-only trips to the portfolio that are available in the next 60 days.
You can’t use your Pass days for Jaunt trips. These are discounted rates available to Inspirato Club members and paid for in cash or credit.
Jaunt 52 offers discounts on more than 100 pre-selected trips from the Inspirato Collection available each week. These member-only vacations are booked on a first-come, first-served basis and can be scheduled up to one year in advance.
Customer Service, Planning & Concierge Team
My experience with the customer service teams at Inspirato has been great. This includes everyone from the initial salesperson I bought my subscription through to the Midwest Care team I’m assigned to and work with regularly.
I’m based in Michigan, so I have been assigned to the “Pass Great Lakes Team”. My understanding is that the teams are divided up by region and further segmented by “Pass Members” and “Club Members”.
Each member has a dedicated support team, with their own direct phone line, email address, and after-hours line. The booking tool Inspirato offers is very intuitive, so you can often book trips without contacting your team, but if for some reason you do need them, they are easy to get in touch with for help.
In addition to your dedicated Inspirato Care Team, they also have Destination Planners that help you craft each trip itinerary. These planners are local to the destination and know all the insider tips and top recommendations.
Your Destination Planner will send you a list of recommendations for activities and dining 1-2 months before your trip. Once you decide what to do, they’ll make your dinner reservations, arrange excursions, provide transportation, buy groceries, and more.
The Pros & Cons of Inspirato Pass
Here is my view on the pros and cons of the Inspirato Pass program:
Pros:
- Access to amazing five-star homes and resorts (with homes that are only available to members)
- Great service and pre-trip planning assistance via the Inspirato Care Team and local Destination Planners
- Housekeeping is included in the monthly subscription fee at no additional charge
- There is an opportunity for significant outsized value if you manage the subscription properly
- The monthly subscription model allows you to spread your costs out evenly over the year
- Great value can be found with luxury home rentals (this includes resort residences)
- With homes, you can bring along friends and family members at no additional charge
- Pass membership can be canceled at any time, with 30 days’ notice
Cons:
- Cancellation policy (with individual stays, not with the membership itself)
- Short-term booking can be challenging.
- Designed for those with flexible travel schedules that are open to a variety of destinations. If you cannot be flexible, this is not a great option for you.
- You can’t book another trip while your pass days are in use (unless you book a paid club/jaunt trip or buy a bonus trip or second pass)
- Luxury hotels and experiences do not offer great value for your Pass days
- Pets are not allowed at Inspirato homes.
- Most homes are in the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. If you want to travel outside this area, there are not many options. Europe is growing but is still fairly limited. No homes exist in South America, Africa, Asia, or Australia.
Conclusion: Is Inspirato Pass Worth it?
You could argue that Inspirato is good for anyone who wants to luxury travel experience bundled into a monthly subscription, and that is absolutely true. But I look at it a little differently.
I would rather know what type of traveler can get the most value from an Inspirato subscription. When you look at it this way, it primarily appeals to the traveler that wants 5-star luxury vacations but also has the ability to be very flexible.
To get the most value out of your Inspirato subscription, you must be flexible regarding where and when you go.
For example, if you are the type of traveler that wants to go to a warm/beach location in the winter, with flexibility on the dates, and are open to any island in the Caribbean as well as Latin American locations (Mexico, Costa Rica, etc.), then this could be an amazing program for you. My Care team calls this “casting a wide net” to get the most options and value from your subscription.
However, a traveler who is tied to their children’s school vacation schedules and only has a couple of specific destinations in mind will not be able to get “outsized value” from an Inspirato membership, although they will still be able to access amazing properties at a good value.
In the fall, my kids will both be in college. I work remotely most of the time and have the freedom to go just about anywhere. I can even go somewhere without taking a vacation and just work remotely in a sunny, warm location to escape the dreary Michigan winters.
Consequently, I can potentially be the Inspirato “poster child” member. Time will tell if my wife and I are able to pull this off and maximize our membership, but I am optimistic it will work out and very excited to continue to take advantage of all Inspirato has to offer!
Inspirato Member Referral
If you want to join Inspirato and gain access to their amazing luxury vacation homes via a monthly subscription model, please use my referral link below to connect with an Inspirato representative who will hook you up with the latest promotion!
If you're interested in joining Inspirato, use my referral link to learn more about Inspirato membership packages & make sure you are getting the latest (and best) promotion.
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