TRAVEL HOW TO SPEND THE DAY AT HIGH-DOLLAR RESORTS
If you’re a budget traveler like me, you might gravitate to hostels, Airbnbs and affordable ecolodges. Sure, you might daydream about lolling poolside at a full-service tropical resort, but you know you don’t want to pay for it.
Services like Dayuse and ResortPass offer a win-win solution – but not many travelers know about them.
With these websites/apps, you can visit a broad range of hotels, spas and resorts for just a few hours to a full day, without paying for an overnight stay. Participating hotels and resorts don’t openly tout the services, but they don’t seem to mind taking in the extra guest revenue during the slow times of day otherwise focused on checkouts and housekeeping.
On two Tuesdays this winter, I tried Dayuse on a long layover in Miami and ResortPass during a getaway day on Maui. Here’s how it went.
DAYUSE: THE BREAKWATER HOTEL IN MIAMI BEACH
My family of three had a grueling trip home from Buenos Aires in November, with an eight-hour flight arriving in Miami at 5 a.m., followed by a 12-hour layover. I knew I would be sleepless with my 23-pound infant daughter on my lap. But I always strive to take a “buffer day” after big trips: one more day off before going back to work. So I decided to make something of our day in Miami.
First, I extended our layover to 16 hours, with a 9:05 p.m. departure to Minneapolis. This required a phone call to American Airlines. Then I turned to Dayuse.com and Miami Beach.
Dayuse lets you reserve daytime hours at hotels around the country, whether you want to sleep, work, use the pool or whatever else you’re up to. Among the app’s boutique and trendy options in Miami Beach, I wanted to experience the Art Deco atmosphere of the South Beach district. So I reserved a room at the classic 1939 Breakwater Hotel.
Our reservation from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. included pool access for a grand total of $109. I also rented a car to get from the airport to Miami Beach and back ($86, including tolls), but an Uber/Lyft would have sufficed.
Our double room was clean and serviceable, with a courtyard view. We set up our travel crib and all took turns napping. After checking out the hotel pool – a modest sliver with an ocean view – I decided to skip it and just use the Breakwater as a base for exploring.
While my partner slept, I strapped the baby into her carrier and we headed out onto the Ocean Drive promenade, which was bustling with the early energy of a beach day. We crossed the street to the Art Deco Welcome Center, taking in an exhibit on the architectural styles of South Beach.
Out on the sand, I ogled a modernist lifeguard tower and was so taken by the scene that I reserved a beach bed we never made it back to. Then we hit the shops on Ocean Drive, where I picked up a tie-dyed Miami Beach baby onesie for $9. Back at the Breakwater, we had a touristy seafood lunch while people-watching on