Club Esprit Review: The “Indianapolis Travel Showcase” That Took An Unexpected Turn (2024)
Club Esprits Flyer Lured Us In
So my wife and I went to a travel club presentation on Friday by Club Esprit in Indianapolis. Being experienced travel agents, we thought it was an event for industry folks like us. We attended what was billed as an “Indianapolis Travel Showcase” after receiving an enticing flyer. As travel agents always seeking new intel, we were particularly lured by the promise of a free 2-night stay at Great Wolf Lodge – a place we’ve been wanting to visit. Little did we know what we were in for. This post dives into my experience at the Club Esprit presentation, uncovering some interesting details and offering insights for anyone considering joining a travel club.
Not a Timeshare, But Definitely a Hard Sell
The initial impression was misleading. We were expecting an industry event, but it quickly became clear this was a sales pitch. Upon arrival, we learned this was actually a travel club presentation hosted by a company called Club Esprit. They quickly tried to do some expectation-setting, assuring us this had nothing to do with pushy timeshare pitches. Just a low-cost monthly membership, they said. As an experienced salesman, I could appreciate their attempts to emotionally invest us through their presentation.
Same Old White Label in Nicer Packaging
Here’s where things got interesting. The presenter mentioned Club Esprit having 2.5 million members worldwide. Seemed legit, until I did a quick Google search later and found, well, not much. Just their Indianapolis location. Intrigued, I decided to pay extra close attention during the website demo. Bingo! My suspicions were confirmed. This fancy travel website? It looked suspiciously similar to websites used by other travel clubs, including some MLM (multi-level marketing) companies. Talk about a plot twist!
The Jig Is Up! Playing Professional
By this point, I basically had the inside scoop on Club Esprit’s operation. When the sales pitch rolled around, I decided to have a little fun. I politely let the salesperson know I’d seen this exact website before, on multiple platforms actually. While I kept the MLM details to myself (gotta be nice to the sales guy!), my little revelation shut down the sales pitch faster than you can say “travel brochure.” Give them credit though – they didn’t get pushy or try to argue. The manager even said “Well, don’t think I can do much with that!” after I let him know that I understood their inner-workings. That being said, we went through the motions civilly and professionally.
The Verdict: Decent Deals, Amateur Covering
Look, Club Esprit’s travel deals seemed decent enough. But masquerading as a bigger, premium club with unique offers? That’s where they lacked polish.
Their fundamental honesty and avoiding high-pressure tactics was appreciated. But the attempt to overcompensate on their positioning misses for anyone who, like me, has been around the travel club block.
At the end of the day, I’ve simply found even better deals and pricing through another travel club I belong to. But Club Esprit is at least upfront about not being a timeshare! A few tweaks to their transparency and they’d be hard to ignore.
My Top Travel Club Pick
Look, statistics don’t lie – over half of people have dabbled in MLM in some way. So, if you’re open to it, here’s the real kicker: I want to share my current travel club with you! It’s my go-to source for amazing travel deals, often beating out those big-name travel websites. Seriously, the discounts are amazing, NO LIES TOLD and NO LIES DETECTED!
Intrigued? Click the snazzy image below to watch a short travel guide video and learn more. If you contact me using the method mentioned in the video, I’ll be happy to hook you up with a special 4-day, 3-night Vegas trip – because who doesn’t love a Vegas getaway?
This might not have been the travel showcase I expected, but hey, at least I learned a few things and maybe even scored you a sweet Vegas trip in the process! Now that’s a plot twist I can get behind.
