Privé Destinations
Resort-Style Living
A New Troon-Taylor Morrison Partnership Elevates the Homeowner Experience
By Scott Kauffman
If you find the idea of living on vacation every day appealing, homebuilder Taylor Morrison, an $8.2 billion publicly traded company based in golf-rich Scottsdale, Ariz., has what you’re looking for. Esplanade Resort Experiences, a new entity under the Taylor Morrison umbrella — in partnership with Troon — is redefining what resort-style communities can be.
“When Esplanade first launched over 10 years ago, our vision was to develop a brand centered around meaningful connections, signature resort-style amenities, and curated programs to invigorate the mind, body, and spirit,” said Taylor Morrison President of Resort Lifestyle Brand, Cammie Longenecker. “Through the formation of Esplanade Resort Experiences, we’re excited to curate a new level of concierge-type services and memorable everyday experiences as Esplanade continues to grow across the country.”
Longenecker said the plan for Esplanade Resort Experiences includes the formation of a specialized team dedicated to serving owners such things as world-class culinary experiences, wellness and sports programs, and other unique custom offerings such as having access to a national wine club or meaningful travel programs.
“Our desire is to truly hear our members and guests say, ‘I feel like I’m living on vacation every day of my life,’” Longenecker said. “Then we know we’re doing something really well. Our inspiration is to really be able to look at whether it’s a boutique hotel or whether it’s a beautiful international resort, and what are those elements that they might offer that we can include in our communities.”
Bill Bower, Troon’s senior vice president of operations tasked with leading the new venture for Troon, is no stranger to the types of luxury golf and non-golf resort communities Taylor Morrison is creating with Esplanade. Prior to joining Troon, Bower was a longtime golf professional and was part of the team responsible for two of the top private club communities in highly affluent Naples, Fla., and later co-founded a boutique management firm that specialized in overseeing these kinds of highly amenitized homeowner associations (HOAs).
“Troon is proud to partner with Esplanade to deliver this elevated resort-lifestyle experience to residents across the country,” Bower said. “The Esplanade team has already established a reputable brand focused on hospitality and delivering a luxury experience that makes every day a vacation — and we look forward to providing unparalleled service. This national partnership will leverage both teams’ expertise to make Esplanade communities comparable only to that of the finest resort.”
The Troon-Taylor Morrison relationship is nothing new. Troon Privé already oversees several Taylor Morrison-developed golf course operations and/or homeowner associations in southwest Florida, including the newest Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota.
Since launching the Esplanade concept, the brand has expanded to include nearly 30 communities across the country, most recently launching in Charlotte and California markets such as Temecula and Sacramento.
Longenecker is enthused about the new Troon partnership and mutually taking the Esplanade brand to even higher levels.
“It was really interesting because there were such synergies between Taylor Morrison and Troon,” she said. “Troon has evolved not only to be leaders in golf, but also as a full-fledged hospitality management company, with deep expertise in all areas of the ‘resort’ experience. We saw that in their platform and their alignment with our vision. Their willingness to work with us to deliver white glove service and leverage that hospitality expertise whether it’s golf, racquet sports, travel, or dining, really cemented our analysis of the right approach to this situation.
“The synergies started at the top with the CEOs; both respected in the industry; both leaders in their respective industries. So, we strategically made the decision to go after a hospitality company that happened to have an HOA as part of their wide array and scope of services because it would best support what we’re trying to accomplish. I’m excited to start this journey on a national scale with Troon and see where it goes.”
