Grab a slice of paradise

For some years the Asian hotel and resort group Banyan Tree has operated some of the most luxurious places to stay in the world. They pioneered such civilised ideas as all-villa resorts as well as the concept of pool villas (where each villa has its own pool). Now it is possible to buy yourself a piece of Banyan Tree action with the UK launch of the Banyan Tree Private Collection.

Membership buys you one week a year in a two-bedroom villa at luxury resorts in places such as Thailand, the Seychelles and China, as well as villas in Tuscany and Provence. And membership is perpetual and transferable—so it will stay in your family forever.
Priced at $120,000 (or just £60,000 at current exchange rates), with a $3,000 annual charge, the scheme is estimated to pay for itself within eight years. And thanks to the continued expansion of the collection, it's unlikely you'd get bored of going back to the same place every year.