Travelers on tight budgets who want to indulge themselves now can do so, thanks to a growing trend.
Some swanky resorts are offering day passes to amenities — such as pool areas or spa treatments — for a price that is cheaper than booking a room, according to a New York Times report.
The trend itself is not brand-new, but it is becoming more widespread, according to the newspaper. The NYT cited the example of a woman and two friends who paid $100 each to enjoy some of the amenities at L’Auberge de Sedona, including pool access and lunch and a sound-healing session.
Purchasing a day pass might look expensive, but it can be much cheaper than booking a room. For instance, earlier this year, CNBC cited data from CoStar indicating that you could expect to pay about $400 per night for a luxury hotel stay in the U.S. between Jan. 1 and April 6.
Resorts increasingly are turning to day passes as an extra source of revenue as they continue to recover from the slowdown from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this year, Hilton announced that it was partnering with ResortPass, which sells day passes. Nearly 200 Hilton resorts have signed on to the program thus far.
You can search for so-called “daycations” at the ResortPass website.
In the vacation haven of Florida, Sanibel Island officials are discussing whether to approve day passes for resorts on the island. Further north in the state, more than two dozen Orlando-area resorts and hotels already offer day passes.
A survey by Booking.com found that 51% of travelers said they would be willing to pay for day passes to use amenities at five-star hotels instead of staying there.
