Resort Day Passes are the New Entertainment
Adult playtime‚ Miami-Style, has never been more accessible
Staycations may not be over, but daycations are definitely in. Maybe the pandemic had something to do with that. People huddled at home, and while they did so, they upgraded not only their home gyms and their bath sanctuaries but also their beds, from the mattresses to the sheets.
Goodbye, Amazon basics; hello, Fili D'oro. It’s hardly news that, for years, affluent homeowners have tried to emulate the best hotel bedding they’ve experienced, but this impulse took on new urgency during COVID, when many of us were not only sleeping in bed, but living, eating and working there as well.
So, now that everyone is out and about, they want to hang out at hotel pools, beaches, spas, lounges and restaurants. But they also want to crawl back into their own newly plush beds. “If you live in Miami, our world-class hotels are your playground,” says Marco Tiné, principal of Casa Collection Group. “Locals take advantage of them almost as much as tourists. But people are putting so much into their homes, that they want to sleep in their own beds, where your room is the perfect temperature, and the bedding and lighting are just the way you like them. I speak to clients every day, and as much as they want to entertain in their homes, they’ve put a renewed focus on where they spend most of their time—the kitchen, the bathroom, and especially the bedroom.”
That’s where hotel day pass comes in. For a daily fee, you have access to all the amenities and social opportunities you want. You can work out, get a tan, a massage, and join friends and family for multiple meals. These passes are more popular than ever. In the old days, hotels wanted to keep non-guests out, but hoteliers have come to realize that day passes are an easy source of revenue. Best of all: Day visitors don’t require housekeeping services.
Check out resortpass.com to see the full range of offerings. At the top end, the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach charges $150 for a reserved poolside lounge chair, wifi and poolside service. There’s live entertainment on the weekends, and you can hang out for 10 hours, from 10am to 8pm. High-rollers can opt for a private den ($750 for two people) or a platform bed ($750 for four people).
Nearby, the National Hotel, famed for its breathtakingly long, iconic pool, asks $45 for a day pass (a minimum $50 food and beverage spend applies to each guest). The Sagamore offers a pool lounger, wifi and gym access for $35, and for $55 you can have all that, plus beach access and a reserved beach
chair.
Want to spend the day at the SLS Brickell? For $50, you can play in the hot and cold plunge pools, swim in the rooftop pool, and lay out in a pool lounger (first come, first served).
For a day of self-care, choose the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort ($109) and enjoy the cabana pool, whirlpool and coveted access to the spa, with its full thermal experience: a nine-station journey that includes a crystal steam room, a Finnish sauna, a foot spa—and even an igloo.