A Pool Pass Is The Ticket To Your Best Staycation Yet

There are few acts of self-care more decadent than taking a vacation day for yourself and booking an afternoon on the rooftop pool or day spa of your local hotel, book in hand and frosty drink nearby. 

Hotel or resort day and pool passes can be excellent ways to splurge on some time alone (or with friends) for a fraction of the cost of a full-blown overnight hotel stay. You don’t have to splurge on a full spa day or take a weeklong trip to experience the relaxing vibes of a vacation day all to yourself with a hotel day pass.

Here are a few ways to make your pool-for-a-day plans a reality—and some fantastic examples of hotels and resorts across the South that offer these passes.

How to Relax for the Day at Boutique and 5-Star Resort Pools

One of the most well-known companies offering pool day passes at hotels and resorts is ResortPass, a website that represents more than 1,000 hotels and resorts, from chains to boutique hotels, across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Day passes range from accessing a 3.5-star pool with basic lounge chairs and amenities to more luxury, 5-star boutique resorts that offer daybeds, cabanas, and spa facilities for a per-day rental fee. You can book your date weeks or months in advance on the website, or find something last-minute. Essentially, the pass allows you to access pool or spa facilities the way a hotel guest would. Parking fees may cost extra—read the terms and conditions before you book.

Of Southern states on ResortPass, you’ll find the most representation in big cities such as Miami, Atlanta, Savannah, Nashville, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, and Austin, says Kaitlyn Roche, ResortPass’s head of brand.

“We see everyone from the person who just wants a solo daycation to lay by the pool and relax to people who want to connect with friends and family,” says Roche. “We also have trendy rooftop pool properties in Austin, Dallas, and Atlanta, and you can have a fun, full day with friends by renting a cabana and getting food and drink and hanging out by the pool. Those are also great for birthday parties, bachelor, or bachelorette parties.”

Examples range from the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, an upscale resort in North Miami Beach with a pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean to the hip and trendy Ace Hotel New Orleans, which draws both locals and visitors to its rooftop bar and pool hotspot. Even families can get into the daypass game—for a waterpark-style environment with a lazy river nestled in the woods, check out Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa located just south of Austin in Cedar Creek, Texas, where you can rent a cabana or visit the pool for the day with your kids.

Correspondingly, pool day passes range from $25 per day to $500 and up for cabanas—the higher fees often are for groups and include additional amenities like fresh fruit platters and minibars stocked with sodas and waters, and the cost can be split for a day with friends making it more affordable.

Book a Pool Pass Directly Through Resorts and Hotels

Just because your local hotels and resorts aren’t listed on ResortPass doesn’t mean facilities aren’t open to you. Many hotels offer day passes to their pools or other facilities on a first-come, first-served basis. Here are just a few of our favorite spots to enjoy a day poolside around the South.