For generations, owning a superyacht has been the ultimate expression of freedom at sea. The ability to go where you choose, when you choose, aboard a vessel that bears your name has long defined what it means to live well on the water. Yet a compelling new proposition is quietly shifting that assumption, one built not on ownership, but on something more considered: intelligent access, a curated community, and a standard of experience that ownership alone has rarely delivered.
The Maybach Ocean Club, founded by Splendid Sea AG in partnership with Mercedes-Maybach and developed with Mercedes-Benz Design, is that proposition. Invitation-only and deliberately intimate, it brings together a private circle of like-minded individuals aboard a custom-built superyacht, with itineraries spanning the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, and a wellness offering that extends to over 800 square metres of dedicated space on board. At its helm are two Co-Founders whose combined experience spans the worlds of private equity, luxury hospitality, and over one million nautical miles at sea. In this exclusive interview for The Executive Magazine, Michael Hehn and Capt. Matthias Bosse explain how they built it, what drives it, and where it is headed next.
You both bring an extraordinary breadth of experience to this venture: Michael, your background spans management consulting, private equity at firms including the Boston Consulting Group and Morgan Stanley, and the co-founding of Ruby Hotels before theacquisition of the brand by IHG; Matthias, you have logged over one million nautical miles and commanded vessels across the Arctic, Antarctica and the Amazon. How did two careers as distinct as yours arrive at the same destination, and what did each of you see in the other that made a partnership feel right?
MH: “On paper, our paths couldn’t have been more different. But that contrast turned out to be the common ground.
“We were both, in our own ways, drawn to the same idea: closing the gap between high-end hospitality and the reality of owning a private yacht – bringing those two worlds together into something more complete and more meaningful for the guest.”
MB: “What I saw in Michael was the rare ability to take a compelling idea – and make it work. Not just conceptually, but in a way that is structured, commercially sound, and built to last.
“In yachting, there are many beautiful concepts, but very few that truly open new paths and endure beyond the initial vision. He has a way of turning ambition into something real, without losing what made the idea special in the first place.”
MH: “Matthias brings something you can’t learn in a boardroom: an instinct for people, and an ability to bring together the best minds in the industry. He also has a deep understanding of what truly makes sense for a yacht, both in terms of design and in yacht management: He finds the balance between opulence and reason, between experience and practicality – and ultimately between what impresses and what actually makes sense at sea.”
The Maybach Ocean Club offers something the yachting world has not seen before: the freedom of superyacht living, curated itineraries, familiar faces, and a private community of like-minded people, without any of the administrative weight that has traditionally come with it. What was the founding vision behind this model, and what made you confident that the time was right to bring it to market?
MH: “We kept coming back to a simple observation: owning a superyacht is extremely costly and irrational for most people, but the desire behind it is completely rational.
“At this level of scale and craftsmanship, true value lies not in sole ownership, but in intelligent shared access, ensuring the asset is fully utilised and brought to life throughout the year.
“Equally, when one chooses to spend their most precious time in such an environment, the experience is elevated by the company it keeps. This is why the concept is rooted in a private members’ club, a curated community of exceptional individuals, where the social fabric is as considered as the setting itself.”
MB: “The best place to meet people and the best place to create a community is probably on board a ship, a yacht. The moment you set foot on board, the moment you let go the lines, you are in a different world, sort of detached from the rest. You look at the world from the outside, if you will. And that creates a feeling of belonging and sparks its own dynamic. You meet, you communicate, you part, do something else, enjoy, laugh, reconvene, within a week or so on board you will be creating relationships that last. Friendships. And I have seen this happening again and again in my life. We all want to be part of a community. Or, at least most of us. The best place to create such a community is a ship, a yacht with a diverse crowd of accomplished individuals, not too many but big enough.
“The confidence came from seeing a shift in mindset. People are no longer collecting assets; they’re curating how they live. The timing felt right because priorities have changed.”
Michael, you have built a reputation for creating membership and ownership models that combine genuine innovation with long-term financial credibility, most notably with Ruby Hotels ahead of the brand acquisition by IHG. How does that experience inform the way you have structured the Maybach Ocean Club, and what makes the proposition as sound commercially as it is experientially?
MH: “Ruby taught me that people value focus – substance over excess. If you design something intelligently, strip away what doesn’t matter and double down on what does, you create both a more resilient business – and a better experience for your guests.
“With the club, the principle is similar. It’s not about offering everything, but about offering the right things, consistently, at an exceptional level. That creates trust, and trust is ultimately what makes a model credible.”
Matthias, after decades at the helm of some of the world’s most celebrated superyachts, including Lady Moura and the Carinthia vessels, you have a rare vantage point on what UHNW guests value the most from life at sea. What does that experience tell you about what the club must deliver, and how has it shaped the way the offering has been designed from the water up?
MB: “It’s often misunderstood. It’s not the size of the yacht or the number of amenities.
“What truly matters for them is the ability to be fully present. When responsibility is entrusted to the right people, guests can focus on what they came for: time with friends, experiencing places, and enjoying moments with a sense of ease and depth.
“The best moments at sea are quiet ones – when everything happens seamlessly, without being noticed. When the crew anticipates rather than reacts. From that perspective, the club had to be designed “from the water up.” Every decision – layout, service flow, itinerary, crew – comes back to how it feels in motion, not just how it looks in a brochure.”
The club’s membership is by invitation only and kept exclusive and intimate, which means every member has been chosen with real care. How would you describe the community that is forming around the Maybach Ocean Club, and what does being part of that circle offer its members?
MH: “It’s a group of people who value access over ownership and depth over surface. They’re curious, globally minded, and quite intentional about how they spend their time. We also say “it’s for interesting people who are interested in people”.”
MB: “What’s special is that the community forms naturally. When you see familiar faces across different voyages and activities, something shifts. It stops feeling like a product and starts feeling like a circle. Membership, in that sense, isn’t about exclusivity for its own sake. It’s about coherence – ensuring that the experience remains personal and meaningful for everyone on board.”
The partnership with Mercedes-Maybach is central to the club’s identity, and the brand’s maritime heritage stretches as far back as the 1890s. How does that heritage inform what the club is today, and how closely has Mercedes-Benz Design been involved in shaping the physical environment aboard the vessel?
MB: “Mercedes-Benz Design has been closely involved, particularly in translating automotive principles into spatial ones: proportion, flow, materiality.There’s also a historical continuity. The brand’s maritime roots go back over a century, which gives this project a certain legitimacy – it’s not an artificial extension. The Maybach vision of delivering the best from the best perfectly reflects what we have in mind.”
MH: “Maybach has always stood for a very particular kind of luxury – one that is quiet, engineered, and deeply considered. That philosophy translates surprisingly well to our project at sea.”
Michael, you have spoken about health and longevity as the new definition of wealth, and the club’s philosophy reflects that shift. How does that thinking translate into the practical design of life aboard, from the destinations you choose to the rhythm of a voyage itself?
MH: “We’re seeing a shift where time and vitality are becoming more valuable than status.
“Wellbeing sits at the very core of the Maybach Ocean Club. We have developed a dedicated concept built around the unique conditions of life at sea – where the yacht and the ocean itself create an environment that cannot be replicated on land.
“We have allocated over 800 square metres on board to this philosophy, including a high-performance fitness environment, thermal and recovery spaces, and a scientifically grounded longevity and performance lab – featuring cutting-edge technologies and therapies, and medical supervision. The result is not just an added amenity, but a fully integrated system that positions Maybach as a true innovator in the maritime wellness space.”
Matthias, you grew up across Nigeria, Ireland and India as the son of a luxury hospitality executive, which gave you an early education in what genuine service looks and feels like. How does that upbringing shape the standards you hold the Maybach Ocean Club to, and how do you ensure those standards remain consistent across every journey?
MB: “Consistency and a passion for hospitality doesn’t come from rules – it comes from culture. I grew up around hospitality that was intuitive and deeply personal, and that’s the standard we aim for. Through partnerships with 5-star hospitality players on land, we can also offer broader development paths and long-term perspectives.”
MH: “A key part of that is how we lead. We place real emphasis on respect and creating an environment where the crew feels valued and motivated.
“Because in the end, service quality is a direct reflection of the people delivering it. A well-led, respected, and engaged crew will always create the best possible experience.”
The voyage itineraries span destinations as varied as St. Barths and Sardinia, and the club places real emphasis on the connection between life at sea and life on land. How do you go about curating experiences that feel genuinely rooted in each destination, and what does the planning process behind a single voyage involve?
MB: “We call it a hub-based itinerary, following the seasons: operating in the Mediterranean from April to October and in the Caribbean from November to March. Once a week, there is a fixed port with arrival and departure options; beyond that, everything remains flexible.
“What we are offering is far away from cruising. We move away from typical cruise ship routes, curating only the very best each region has to offer: Routes, anchorages, and stops are chosen dynamically, adapting to local conditions. That flexibility is what creates a more authentic yachting experience.
“At the same time, certain moments define the rhythm of the year, events like the Monaco Grand Prix, the Cannes Film Festival, or New Year’s in St. Barths – fixed highlights around which everything else evolves.”
You have created something that sits in a category of its own, neither ownership, nor charter, nor a conventional members’ club, but something which combines all of the excitement of a luxury life at sea without any of the drawbacks. As the Maybach Ocean Club has already established itself as the premier leader in this space, where do you see it heading next, and what does the longer-term vision look like for the club, its membership, and the experiences it offers?
MH: “We’re not trying to scale in the traditional sense. Growth, for us, is about depth and limited size rather than volume. If we do it right, the club becomes something people integrate into their lives – not as an occasional escape, but as a recurring chapter.
“The focus is on refining the experience, expanding the network of destinations, and gradually building a global community that feels connected beyond individual voyages.”