Introducing our Member Journeys
This is a celebration of the people who have shaped the heart of LHVC over time. Through their stories, we explore the paths that turn a first visit into a lasting connection, and the moments that keep members returning year after year. These are not reflections of a single stay, but experiences built through time, familiarity, and shared connection. As we begin this series, we invite you to step into the lives of our members, to understand what draws them back, what they have built together, and why LHVC has become more than a destination. It has become a place that feels deeply personal, meaningful, and enduring.
Sharon and Brian
Members Since 2012
Sharon and Brian first arrived at LHVC in 2012, drawn by the Dominican Republic’s natural beauty and a sense of ease they felt almost immediately. At the time, they were not searching for something permanent or defining. They were looking for a place to enjoy, to return to, and to feel comfortable spending time together. What they could not have anticipated was how deeply the experience would become woven into their lives over the years that followed, shaped not by a single moment but by familiarity, continuity, and relationships that strengthened with time.
“When we first went, it was the beaches and the people,” Sharon recalled during our conversation. “Everyone was relaxed. People were enjoying themselves. There was no rush. That feeling stayed with us, even after we went home.” As they returned year after year, often extending their stays, something began to shift. Familiar faces appeared again and again, and conversations resumed naturally without effort. What started as casual interaction gradually turned into connection, and over time those connections became friendships grounded in shared experience rather than coincidence.
Brian reflected on how quietly that transition happened. “You start seeing the same people every time you come back,” he said. “At first you say hello. Then you sit and talk. Then you realize you’re actually looking forward to seeing them again. It stops feeling random.” Those friendships began to shape how Sharon and Brian planned their visits. Travel dates became flexible, stays became longer, and time together became intentional. As Sharon explained, “We actually plan our trips around when other members are coming in. If we know friends are arriving, we’ll change our dates or extend our stay. It turns into a community vacation.”
What emerged over time was not an assigned sense of belonging but a community members actively nurtured. Long-standing members made introductions, welcomed new faces, and created a shared rhythm where people looked out for one another and took pride in the atmosphere they were building together. That sense of shared ownership often appeared in unplanned moments. When weather shifted and beach days turned indoors, people gathered rather than retreating, finding ways to stay connected.
Sharon recalled one rainy afternoon when members came together simply to pass the time. “Someone suggested a little group game,” she said. “It started small, then more people joined. Before long, we were all sitting together, laughing and cheering each other on.” When it ended, Brian explained, no one kept anything. “We gave it to the staff that had been taking care of us. It wasn’t discussed. It felt natural.” It was a simple gesture, yet it reflected a deeper culture of generosity and care that had grown over time.
“You feel like you’re part of something,” Sharon said. “People care.” Across more than a decade, Sharon and Brian have watched this community deepen, with familiar faces returning year after year and friendships growing stronger through shared time. New members do arrive, but many stay, drawn into a circle where connection already exists and belonging comes easily.
That same sense of care extends into every part of the experience. Over the years, Sharon and Brian noticed that staff interactions are defined by attention and consistency. “The staff are not going through the motions,” Sharon shared. “They remember you. They check on you. If you’re not feeling well, they notice, and the next day they ask how you’re doing.” Those moments accumulate, turning staff into trusted, familiar faces rather than roles.
Brian noted how that care flows both ways. “When people feel cared for, they want to give that back,” he said. That mutual respect is especially present in dining experiences, where Sharon and Brian make a point of speaking directly with chefs when a meal stands out. “You can see how much it means to them,” Brian added. “It turns a meal into something shared.”
Variety also plays a key role in why they continue to stay for extended periods. With multiple beaches, restaurants, and social spaces, each day unfolds with flexibility rather than routine. “You’re not locked into one experience,” Brian said. “If one place feels too busy or too quiet, you move. There’s always another atmosphere.”
That freedom reshaped how they think about travel. Before LHVC, Sharon and Brian were dedicated cruisers, drawn to the variety and cultural exposure that came with moving from place to place. Over time, they realized those same elements existed at LHVC in a more natural, grounded way. “It feels like a cruise environment without the sailing around,” Brian explained. “You’re getting different cultures through food, people, and experiences, but everything is right there.”
The comparison became clear when they brought their granddaughter on an early visit. “She said, ‘Grandma, this feels like a cruise ship,’” Sharon recalled, “and then added, ‘except you don’t have to get on and off the boat.’” For Sharon and Brian, that moment captured what LHVC had become. A place where variety and familiarity coexist, where community replaces movement, and where staying present matters more than moving on.
“You’re not rushing here,” Brian said. “You’re staying in the moment.” After more than a decade, LHVC has become part of their family story, a place where connections deepen, memories grow, and people who arrive as guests leave feeling like family.
