When Cadie Carroll and two college friends planned a recent weekend reunion in Sedona, Ariz., they booked a vacation rental to have more space than a hotel room and to be able to cook, something they enjoyed doing together at the University of Texas.
The only thing missing was a swimming pool. For that, they booked a day at L’Auberge de Sedona where, for $100 each, they gained access to the resort pool, complimentary valet parking, lunch and a sound-healing session, part of a roster of daily activities that passholders have access to.
“It felt fancy, like we were getting the five-star treatment,” said Ms. Carroll, 31, a logistics consultant in El Segundo, Calif.
Day passes to resorts can be a thrifty traveler’s splurge or a local’s daycation. While the concept isn’t new, it’s grown rapidly in the wake of the pandemic as hotels, still recovering from the tourism collapse, seek to monetize their underused spaces such as pools, spas and even meeting rooms.
This spring, Hilton announced a partnership with ResortPass, the leading seller of day passes. And while the initial 175 resorts offering passes through the platform are just a few of the hotel company’s more than 7,600 locations, Hilton expects more hotels to enlist.
“Hilton’s 2024 Trends Report found that the number one reason people want to travel is to rest and recharge, and we see our partnership with ResortPass as a great way of delivering this experience for the traveler stopping in a destination for a day or the local visitor wanting a daycation in their neighborhood,” said Jessica Shea, the vice president of wellness, retail and leisure operations in the Americas for Hilton.
Indulging for less
The day-pass boom dovetails with concerns about rising prices. In a 2023 survey by Booking.com, nearly 70 percent of American respondents said they planned to budget more tightly for travel in 2024, and 64 percent reported paying closer attention to travel deals than in the past.
For travelers, day fees can be a fraction of overnight rates. The average luxury hotel in the United States cost $381 a night in May, according to CoStar Group, which tracks the hospitality industry.
ResortPass access, sold on its app and website, starts at $25 a day and the company says over 70 percent of its more than 1,500 hotels globally offer a day pass for $65 or less.
“Hotels are good at filling rooms with guests from other places,” said Michael Wolf, the chief executive officer of ResortPass, who added that the business has tripled since 2022. “We’re really good at filling other spaces with people who are in your community.”
At the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, Calif., ResortPass users tend to be Los Angeles-area residents, said Zachary Courtney, the marketing director for the hotel.
ResortPass lists the landscaped pool setting as “serene” and sells passes from $65 on weekdays and $95 on weekends. (Fairmont’s overnight rates start around $500.) Day visitors can also book massages ($150) and access to a bungalow for the day ($899) on the platform.
“It’s a great way to engage with the community and let people come on property without renting a $500-plus room for the night,” Mr. Courtney said, noting the hotel manages pool capacity by curtailing pass sales when hotel occupancy is high. “It’s an easy way to monetize what we have.”
Day-beds, baths and beyond
There are plenty of splurges on ResortPass, including a $1,500 cabana for up to 10 people at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the island of Hawaii that includes 10 ice pops, five cocktails and a beach ball. And the platform is expanding to offering more upgrades, including spa services, meeting spaces and programs like movie nights or rooftop yoga.
“It’s can be anything that happens within the four walls of a hotel,” Mr. Wolf said.
ResortPass claims to control 95 percent of the day use market, but its competitors often occupy specific niches. In far-flung destinations like Bali and Dubai, DayPass has more listings than ResortPass. Resort For a Day focuses on cruise passengers with pool and beach access organized around popular ports.
Sites such as Dayuse and Hotels By Day sell daytime stays at hotels targeted to digital nomads, daycationers, travelers with layovers and couples. A recent Hotels By Day listing for the use of a room between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel cost $69.
Rather than using an intermediary, many resorts offer day access directly through their own websites, including the Great Wolf Lodge chain, which operates indoor water parks (passes start at $40 for a half day and $50 for a day in Gurnee, Ill.).
In Costa Rica, Botánika Osa Peninsula sells day access at $150 for two guests that includes use of the resort pool, fitness center and a day room. Virgin Hotels New York City offers a two-hour “recover day pass” in its spa facilities, including a cold “snow room,” steam room and sauna (from $50).
Party by the pool or take a family break
Pools with live D.J.s are labeled “party” on ResortPass. The most popular category is “family-friendly,” comprising nearly half of all searches.
When Leandro Sanchez first moved to the Dallas area in 2022, he was looking for things to do on the weekend when he discovered that the Omni Las Colinas, in Irving, Texas, offered pool access through ResortPass. At $35, the price was right and the social setting made it easy to meet people.
Since then, Mr. Sanchez, a gym manager, 41, has purchased passes several times to the Omni and the Westin Dallas Southlake, where there is often a D.J. spinning by the pool.
“It’s a very sociable, fun experience,” Mr. Sanchez said, noting that the option is much cheaper than attending one of the pool parties that are popular in Las Vegas.
Lauren Conklin, a mother in San Francisco, started using ResortPass a few years ago as pandemic lockdowns were loosening and she sought outdoorsy things to do with her daughter, now 9, who loves to swim. She has since used the service to access area pools with friends and family and has even booked a pass that included a day room.
“It’s not like a waterpark where you’re following someone around all day and you’re cold and wet,” Ms. Conklin, 44, said. “It feels like a luxury.”