Inspirato Review [2024]: Are Their Passes Scam or Bargain?

What do you think of when you see the word "travel"?

For some travelers, they reminisce back to the times they backpacked across europe budget traveling and staying at hostels. For others, they think about the times they spent on the beach relaxing, staying in a luxury resort.

But for some people, both types of travel sounds equally exciting and fun, but the latter type of travel comes with a hefty price tag.

Whether it's booking a private jet with Wingly or going glamping with Glampinghub, there's always a way to enjoy luxury without paying a fortune.

What if there's a subscription-based model that allows you to enjoy the benefits and perks of staying at luxury hotel rooms or residences without paying the hefty fee? That's where Inspirato comes in.

Is Inspirato as good as they make themselves out to be? I've done extensive research into the innovative luxury travel subscription brand so you won't have to. Find out what I discovered!

What is Inspirato?

Inspirato is a luxury hospitality company located in Denver, Colorado, that offers luxury vacations to club members in five-star hotels and vacation homes worldwide.

Unlike vacation rental sites like AirBnB or Vacasa, Inspirato operates using a subscription model.

Inspirato passes allow you to travel luxuriously with their subscription services that gives you access to millions of trips worldwide for a hefty fee of $2,500 per month, all inclusive.

Aside from luxury hotel and resorts, Inspirato members are also able to vacation and travel to Inspirato's "Signature Residences", which is a club-owned and maintained experience offered exclusively for members only.

But are they really all inclusive, and are they really worth the hefty monthly fee? Let's find out!

Who founded Inspirato?

Inspirato was founded by Brent Handler and Brad Handler in 2011 when they were disappointed by a vacation experience that was much-anticipated in Maui, Hawaii.

Using the disappointments that the Handler brothers experienced in Maui, Brad and Brent Handler decided to create a private club that looked to emphasize the luxury, space, and characters of a private vacation home and experience to people all around the world.

Since 2011, Inspirato took off and re-defined the ultimate luxury vacation experience using a subscription-based vacations model. Inspirato was listed on NASDAQ stock market in early 2022 under ISPO.

How much does Inspirato Passes cost?

As it's a subscription model, there is a cost associated with joining Inspirato. Given that they focus on luxury travel, there is a higher price tag associated with becoming a member.

They have two primary subscription options: Pass and Club.

Subscribing to Inspirato Pass has an enrollment fee of $2500 and then costs $2500 a month after that to use the Pass. This adds up to a total of $30,000 dollars for Inspirato Pass annual fee to gain access to their membership perks.

The subscription fee for luxury travel includes nightly rates, taxes, and fees. Still, it doesn't contain any additional expenses you may incur while traveling, such as flights, food, or experiences.

Inspirato Club has an enrollment fee of $600. It costs $600 a month, which gives you access to the Inspirator Collection of vacation homes, with no minimum or a maximum number of travel dates.

Both the Pass and Club subscriptions can be canceled at any time if you are not satisfied with their perks and benefits.

Inspirato Select Membership

Inspirato Select is another type of membership that allows travelers to pre-select 3 of 8 trips that can also be given to family, friends, or your business associates.

Inspirato markets Inspirato Select as the most flexible way to book and give away luxury vacations to your close friends and associates.

With your Inspirato Select, you can choose to book all of your trip up front or throughout the year, with more than 500,000 travel options, all-inclusive benefits, to choose from.

The 3 trips Inspirato select starts at $24,000 and the 8 trips Inspirato Select starts at $44,000. Note that membership installment fees are $2,000.

Customer Care: Inspirato's Highlights

Before you book with Inspirato, you can consult Inspirato's dedicated care team of in-house travel experts to help you plan your next trip.

They'll work with you to know what you like when you travel and recommend trips that fit those preferences, so you can have a peace of mind traveling.

There are also destination planners available that you can consult for help with making your itinerary, restaurant reservations, and more. You can even pre-order groceries to be stocked before your arrival using the Inspirato app at no extra delivery charge.

Inspirato subscribers also get access to a destination concierge on call during your trip to help you 24/7 with any assistance with bookings you want to make during your trip or any difficulties you have with the accommodation.

How does Inspirato work?

Let's dissect down how Inspirato works so you know where your money is going.

Inspirato's Club Membership subscription gives you access to exclusive member-only rates and discounts.

Inspirato's Club membership is perfect for the traveler who knows, according to Inspirato, "where, when, and how they want to vacation."

With the club membership, you can choose your specific destination, accommodation, and dates, paying nightly rates as you go.

This is different from the Pass membership, where nightly rates are included. Not only that, but you'll get personalized service from Inspirato's team, which includes pre-trip planning, daily housekeeping, on-site concierges, and more!

With Inspirato Club, you have access to the entire Inspirato Collection of luxurious places to stay for your vacation. You can see some of the locations below and find a list of their luxury vacation homes here!

Jaunt - Inspirato Collection

If you opt for the Inspirato Club membership, you also have access to Jaunt in addition to the Inspirato Collection!

Jaunt offers members-only rates and discounts on vacations throughout the Inspirato Collection. These vacations have set travel dates, so you have to be willing to go on those dates, but you'll get sizable discounts on those trips if you can make them!

What are people saying about Inspirato?

Out of 29 Inspirato reviews, they hold an average of 3/5 star rating on Yelp, with much of the complaints coming from the state of the accommodation (it not living up to the "luxury" expectations), availability, and customer service.

One of the biggest complaints regarding the Inspirato Pass membership is that you can only have one reservation at a time. While you can, in theory, hold multiple reservations at once, you can only book one vacation at a time and then wait to book the next. Many reviewers have also commented that you need to be prepared to book at least a year in advance to secure your chosen destination.

Some also find the property list limiting because they don't have homes everywhere. While there may be partner hotels, you're then at the mercy of their availability. Frequent travelers should be aware that if you book a hotel through Inspirato, you won't be able to gain points if you're a part of the hotel's loyalty program.

With the hefty annual fee (roughly 30,000$) for Inspirato's membership pass, many Inspirato reviews point to the fee not being worth its value.

Is Inspirato Worth it?

I personally don't think Inspirato is worth it, at least to the everyday budget-conscious traveler.

Inspirato Club Membership is unlikely to pay off for budget-conscious travelers as you'd still have to pay for nightly rates, in addition to the monthly subscription rate.

The Pass subscription doesn't include nightly rates but has a much higher price tag. You are also limited to Inspirato's availability, so if you aren't the most flexible traveler, you might find their service wanting.

That being said, if staying in luxury is an important element of travel for you, Inspirato could very well be worth it!

As alternatives, check out Airbnb or Vrbo for the everyday luxury vacation rentals! You can also check out ResortPass as an alternative luxurious travel service and spend a day living it up without having to spend the night in luxury accommodation.

Our Rating: 2.8/5

Pros:

• Luxury travel options across the world
• Various travel memberships
• Subscription-based model
• Exclusive members-only rates

Cons:

• Highly pricey
• Huge upfront costs for memberships
• Designed for people with flexible schedules

Ready for your next trip?

Inspirato aims to solve the solution for luxury travelers, but fails to hit the mark in my opinion. But what if you're more into the adventure and the everyday type of travel?

What if you can have fun planning your trips and take control of what you can see and experience around the world?