The Maybach Ocean Club is redefining ultra-luxury membership by offering millionaires something money alone can’t buy: access.
Hosted aboard a custom-built 508ft (155-metre) superyacht, admission to perhaps the most exclusive private members’ club going comes with a raft of uber luxe experiences, and an overflowing toy box aboard its 229ft (70-metre) shadow vessel. For Caring, who is responsible for the club development and community building, the real draw is rare access to a highly curated network of like-minded individuals.
“I’ve been very focused on building an architecture for the community,” he says, noting that interviews and letters of recommendation will go a long way to securing membership. “Hopefully they’ll feel like they’re part of an incredible, vibrant, exciting, dynamic group of people who are socially gifted and have nothing to prove.”
While some may balk at the $4m buy-in and seven-figure annual membership fee in exchange for four weeks at sea a year (excluding food, beverages and optional activities), it’s the community aspect that differentiates the offering from a typical superyacht charter or soiree spent in the coveted cloisters of Annabel’s, says Matthias Bosse, co-founder of marine consultancy Splendid Sea, which collaborated with Mercedes-Maybach on the project. “It’s not simply about wealth. One of the earliest questions we hear when speaking to prospective members is: ‘Who else will be on board?’”
The answer for the Dölker + Voges-designed vessel, Beyond Horizons, is “a lot of Americans.” Around 70 percent to be exact, with the remainder of the yacht’s 300 “co-owners” expected to be made up of Europeans. “The US is the biggest market for yachts, the biggest market for shadow ownership, and for residential projects and members’ clubs,” says Bosse. “For interested parties outside of those regions, we’d look to build a second yacht.”
Announced at the end of last year and planning its maiden voyage in 2029, Beyond Horizons will sleep up to 72 guests in 30 residential-style suites, each evenly sized at 242-sq-ft (74-square-metres) and decorated in the Mercedes-Maybach rose gold accent color. Six guest cabins forward are reserved for daily rental to cater for members wishing to invite friends and family. Unsurprisingly, there will be all the onboard yachting amenities that members could wish for, from an expansive beach club and spacious spa to helicopter transfers and wellness programs.
Cultural engagement will also be woven into the package, with live concerts and art exhibits taking place as the yacht cruises the Mediterranean in summer and the Caribbean in winter. Additional partnerships with fashion houses, watch brands, and jewellery labels, as well as other members’ clubs, including CORE and The House of KOKO, will provide year-round land-based entertainment, such as film screenings and evenings with visiting luminaries.
The proposition speaks to a growing trend of brands branching into community-and-network-oriented models to expand beyond their initial offering, pipped to be a key driver of the luxury industry in 2026 and beyond. Yachting examples include the recently announced Jumeirah Privé partnership with 299ft (88-metre) superyacht Maltese Falcon, which sees private itineraries curated by the hotel group, and the Solace Odyssey in partnership with EYOS Expeditions, that uses the 187ft (57-metre) 187ft Feadship for an extended circumnavigation program where guests can book specific segments or chapters of the voyage rather than just ad-hoc weeks.
On land a litany of branded residences tied to automotive marques, including Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini, Bulgari, and Bugatti, have sprung up in recent years, each offering a seasonal social calendar of events to create a relationship-driven ecosystem among residences. The only difference being, says Bosse, you can’t choose who you live next to.
“Unlike residence vessels, such as The World, where individual occupancy is statistically between three to four months a year leaving multiple suites empty for large amounts of time, and branded residences where you might dislike your neighbor, the Beyond Horizons model encourages repeat gatherings with a stable base of peers, which cultivates relationships and shared memories.”
This is something that Bosse can attest to having already conducted a trial sailing aboard the 344ft (104.9-metre) superyacht Lady Moura, which he formerly captained for 15 years. From the handful of guests invited to try-out the membership model at sea, two companies were formed by individuals who had previously never met.
“You need to have a certain level of affluence to afford this membership opportunity,” says Caring, “but that means members are looking to work together, not just socialize and sail together.”
As for the yacht itself, only the likes of Elon Musk could ever consider owning one, and yet the Maybach Ocean Club offers a slice of that selective pie, too, says Caring. “It democratizes that sort of ultra luxury.”
