As travel costs soar, consumers are taking cheaper daycations to local spas and resorts (2024)

That’s the thinking behind ResortPass, which sells day passes to hotels and spas. The service enables travelers and locals alike to take advantage of the many amenities and offerings at an array of properties, such as the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton as well as more affordable brands like Hilton and Hyatt. Passes on the platform start at $25 and can go up to a few hundred, a fraction of the cost of an overnight stay.

What you get varies. Some offer access to a lounge chair on the hotel’s private beach, for example, while a higher price tag can get travelers a poolside cabana. Other places let customers book spas with cold plunge pools and saunas, activities like yoga, work amenities like conference rooms, or even day rooms.

The passes are a boon for hotels looking to make up for lost time during the pandemic, says Michael Wolf, CEO of ResortPass, which offers access to over 1,600 hotels in 250 cities around the world (but mostly in the U.S. and Caribbean). The concept works especially well in destinations where overnight guests are likely to be busy at other locations for the majority of their stay—say, tourists checking out the sights or business travelers attending a conference—and where the hotels can let others into spaces that might go underused during the day. Aside from ResortPass, by far the biggest player in the space, there are other options depending on the location, includingDayPass, Dayuse,and Resort For a Day.

“I don’t need an overnight room because I have a too expensive apartment in New York City, but I would be a great customer to enjoy their spa or pool,” Wolf says of the appeal. “Historically, the assumption has been that the hotel isfor people who are traveling, but why?”

Workers have already caught on. As first reported by CNBC Make It, so-called quiet vacations, in which an employee takes time off without telling his or her manager, are becoming increasingly popular. ResortPass has seen around 50% growth over each of the past two years in both bookings and new hotels on the platform, the company says.

Daycation all I ever wanted

All that said, day passes are a thrifty option for travelers looking for deals, too. Say you book an Airbnb to save money, but don’t have access to a pool. Booking a daycation at a fancy resort in your destination will let you have a taste of luxury all the same. Another traveler might need to check out of their hotel by 11 a.m. or depart a cruise ship in the morning, but has a late flight—a day pass can give them a way to pass the time economically, says Wolf: 70% of the day passes on the platform are $65 or less.

Daycationers can search the resorts by vibe: there’s family-friendly properties, trendy hotels, serene spas, and luxe experiences.

Of course, there are bound to be issues for some users. Tamara Palmer, a freelance writer for SFGate.com, reported a few issues using the app, including large holds on her credit card and hotel employees who weren’t familiar with it. She recommends calling ahead of time to ensure things go smoothly (and checking on how much they will charge your credit card).

When asked about the possibility of over-crowding—which lead to a less than idyllic experience—Wolf says each property has a self-determined daily limit of passes.

“People don’t need necessarily a five-day vacation. There’s nothing bad about that, but the reality is you can’t take that all the time,” says Wolf. “But if you have flexibility during the week, you can be by the pool in a relaxing environment. There’s something magical about it.”