How to enjoy luxury hotels for less with a day pass

A day pass allows you to optimize your budget by combining economical overnight accommodation with access to the facilities of a more luxurious hotel during the day. With this option, you benefit from top-of-the-range amenities such as pools, spas and private beaches, without having to book a full night’s stay.

Let’s find out how these passes can enrich your vacation experience, and what are the best websites to book them.

How to enjoy luxury hotels for less with a day pass - Hanging Gardens of Bali-aerial

A day pass to treat yourself

The day pass allows guests to use hotel facilities without spending the night. Some luxury establishments from major hotel chains, such as Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, Fairmont and many others, offer the opportunity to take advantage of their facilities thanks to day passes.

Facilities accessible with a hotel day pass include :

Swimming pools;
Spa packages;
Cabanas or loungers;
Water slides;
Private beaches;
Food and beverage credits;
Gyms;
Conference rooms and more!

Day pass – Sites and applications

Here are five sites where you can buy a day pass. Remember :

It’s best to book in advance, as places are often limited.
Busy periods such as weekends and high season can sometimes be excluded.
Most establishments require a deposit or full payment on booking. Be sure to read the terms and conditions regarding cancellations.
Children benefit from reduced rates and children under three years old are often welcomed free of charge.
The price of a day pass at the same location may vary from site to site. Take the time to compare.

How to enjoy luxury hotels for less with a day pass - bahamas-pool-warwick-paradise-island

ResortPass

ResortPass is a goldmine for finding U.S. resorts and hotels that offer day passes. Florida, California, Arizona, Texas and Hawaii are particularly well represented. Hotels can also be found in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Caribbean and as far afield as Hong Kong and Bali. In short, a bank of over 1,000 hotels in 250 cities.

Just a few examples to whet your appetite:

The Hilton Orlando with its pools, slides and lazy river
The Fairmont Orchid and its beachfront paradise resort in Hawaii
The JW Marriott Guanacaste in Costa Rica, including pools, private beach and meal credit
Hanging Gardens of Bali in the Ubud jungle for a three-course meal, a massage and a breathtaking swimming pool

How to enjoy luxury hotels for less with a day pass - fairmont-orchid-hawaii-piscine

Daycation

Although smaller in scope than ResortPass, Daycation covers much the same destinations, with a focus on the U.S. and five-star hotels.

What’s more, our booking policy is very flexible: you can cancel and get a full refund up to 10 a.m. the same day. Handy when the weather decides to play a trick on us.

For inspiration, take a look at :

ModernHaus SoHo (formerly The James SoHo) in New York for a refreshing dip in the rooftop pool while admiring the view.
W Hollywood and its superb swimming pool with trendy decor, restaurant and bar
Conrad Bali beachfront with cabanas and sun loungers to enjoy the Indonesian sun

How to enjoy luxury hotels for less with a day pass - james-soho-nyc

DayPasses and Resort for a Day

DayPasses offers a selection of 20 beautiful locations on less-visited Caribbean islands such as Aruba, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin and Antigua. Day passes are also available for Croatia and the Greek islands, destinations not covered by ResortPass.

How to enjoy luxury hotels for less with a day pass - sheraton-rhodes-resort

Resort for a Day is essentially the same website as DayPasses, but is aimed at cruise passengers only. For example, a day pass at the Hilton Rijeka Costabella Beach Resort in Croatia is US$150 on DayPasses compared with US$125 on Resort for a Day. To benefit from the discount, you will need to provide the name of your ship and the date of arrival in port.

Dayuse

Dayuse is a platform for booking hotel rooms for a few hours or a day at reduced rates compared to a full night. The site offers hotels in 27 countries (Canada, France, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Brazil, Singapore and many more) and over 2,000 cities. Dayuse focuses on well-located 3 or 4 star hotels in major cities around the world rather than resorts in sun destinations.

With a daytime reservation, you can access hotel services such as meeting rooms, the swimming pool or even the spa. It’s also an excellent option for resting during a long daytime airport layover!

How to enjoy luxury hotels for less with a day pass - dayuse-fr

For families: Great Wolf Lodge

This hotel chain operates some twenty family resorts in North America. They all feature indoor water parks with multiple facilities, restaurants, arcades, spas and activities. Visit Great Wolf Lodge are all located in the United States, with the exception of Niagara Falls in Ontario.

Day passes can be purchased directly from the website or at the reception desk. Prices start at US$32 for a half-day pass and US$40 for a full day. Prices rise sharply on weekends and around vacations such as Christmas and Easter.

How to enjoy luxury hotels for less with a day pass - 20230323-great-wolf-lodge

Day passes in Canada

Some hotels in Canada are listed on ResortPass :

Club Med Charlevoix (the only one in Quebec available on ResortPass)
Fairmont Banff Springs
Fairmont Vancouver Airport
Fairmont Pacific Rim
JW Marriott Parq Vancouver
St Regis Vancouver
Fairmont Empress
Hotel X Toronto
Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Mississauga
Toronto Athletic Club
Adelaide Club Toronto

Many Canadian hotels also offer day passes on Dayuse, including the William Gray Hotel in Montreal, The Yorkville Royal Sonesta in Toronto and the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver.

The Best Terraces for Chilling this Fall in Quebec - Terrace

Which card should I use to pay for my day pass?

On ResortPass, Daycation, DayPasses and Resort for a Day, transactions are made in U.S. dollars. To avoid an additional 2.5% foreign currency conversion fee, use a no-conversion-fee credit card such as the Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card or Scotiabank Passport^™ Visa Infinite +* Card.

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Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card

Scotiabank Scene+

Annual fee: $120
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$500Total$500Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $500
Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 12 months: Up to 50,000 points; Ends Nov 1, 2026

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers an excellent welcome bonus.

Until November 1, 2026, you can earn up to 50,000 bonus Scene+ points, broken down as follows:

30,000 Scene+ points by charging $2,000 in purchases to the card within the first 3 months
20,000 Scene+ points by making $7,500 in purchases on the card in the first year

This represents a value of up to $500 for travel (including Airbnb).

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you earn 6 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Also, you earn 5 points per dollar for:

Grocery stores
Restaurants
Entertainment centers

And 3 points per dollar on gas, transit and streaming services purchases.

You can redeem your points on travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back rewards with Scene+.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card also offers no foreign transaction fees, excellent insurance for your travel or purchases, concierge service, exclusive American Express benefits like the Front of the Line program.

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* The potential value of savings and rewards during the first 12 months includes the value of the welcome offer, the potential value of points earned in the first year and the value of foreign transaction fee savings as of May 22, 2026:

$300 in travel rewards (30,000 bonus Scene+ points) for new Scotiabank Gold American Express Cardholders who make purchases totaling $2,000 in the first 3 months

$200 in travel rewards (20,000 bonus Scene+ points) for making purchases totaling $7,500 in the first 12 months

$59 in foreign transaction fee savings based on the average annual amount of foreign currency purchases made per account over the last 24 months (saving on the 2.5% foreign transaction fee typically charged by other credit card issuers);

$398 corresponding to the potential value of points earned in the first year (38,500 Scene+ points) based on the average amount of purchases made, per account, over the last 24 months, assuming an average spend of 28% of purchases in categories eligible for accelerated earn rates of 6X, 5X and 3X points.

Maximum potential value after the first year = $957 (rounded to $950)

The actual value of offers, savings realized and rewards earned will vary depending on card usage and eligibility for offers. Conditions apply.

1 Offer Description and Conditions: The 50,000 Scene+ points offer (the « Offer ») applies only to new Scotiabank Gold American Express credit card accounts (the « Accounts ») opened between July 2, 2026, and November 1, 2026 (regardless of the date you apply for the account), subject to the conditions below. All other program terms and conditions continue to apply during the Offer period. The Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer.

To qualify for the 30,000 bonus Scene+ points (the « 30,000 Bonus Points Offer »), you must make eligible purchases totaling at least $2,000 within three months of the account opening date. To qualify for the 20,000 additional bonus Scene+ points (the « 20,000 Additional Bonus Points Offer »), you must make $7,500 in eligible purchases on your new account during the first year (twelve months). Eligible purchases mean purchases, less refunds, returns and any other similar credits, and exclude payments, cash advances (including balance transfers and quasi-cash transactions), interest charges, card fees and other fees.

Fulfillment of the Annual Bonus: Bonus points will be credited to the Scene+ account within approximately eight weeks after you qualify for a bonus, provided the account is open and in good standing. In the case of a joint account with a primary borrower and a co-borrower, bonus points will be credited as follows: (i) the 30,000 bonus points and the 20,000 additional bonus points will be credited to the Scene+ account linked to the account of the borrower who made the transaction that reached the eligible purchase threshold ($2,000 or $7,500) within the appropriate timeframe (the first three months or the first 12 months). If a supplementary cardholder makes the transaction that reaches the eligible purchase threshold for the 30,000 bonus points or the 20,000 additional bonus points, the bonus points will be credited to the Scene+ account linked to the primary borrower’s account. Points can be transferred between the Scene+ accounts of a primary borrower, co-borrower or supplementary cardholder by contacting Scene+. An account is in good standing if it is not delinquent, the credit limit is not exceeded, and the holder(s) have complied with the terms of the Revolving Credit Agreement applicable to the account. All other program terms and conditions continue to apply during the Offer period. The Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Eligibility and exclusions: You are not eligible for the Offer if you are currently a primary or secondary cardholder of a Scotiabank personal credit card or if you have been within the past two years, including if you transfer your balance from an existing Scotiabank personal credit card account, and if you are a Scotiabank employee. Subject to the exclusions mentioned above, Scotiabank small business credit cardholders are eligible for this Offer.

Rates and Fees: The current annual fee is $120 for the primary card and $29 for each additional card (including those issued to joint account holders and additional cardholders). The preferred annual interest rates currently applicable to the account are: 21.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances (including balance transfers and quasi-cash transactions).
Rates, fees, features and benefits, which are described in the application statement, are subject to change.

Annual fee

Primary card$120

Additional card$29

Annual income required

Individual$12,000

Household$12,000

Conversion fees

Earning rate

6xWith the partner brand
5xGroceries
5xEntertainment
5xRestaurants
3xStreaming
3xTransit
3xGas & EV
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,460

2nd Year Value$461

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days

Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days

Trip CancellationUp to $1,500

Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500

Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000

Lost BaggageUp to $1,000

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $65,000 / 48 days

In addition to saving you money on fees, the Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card lets you earn Scene+ points, which can then be redeemed for travel expenses. For example, an $80 day pass would be free with a redemption of 8,000 Scene+ points.

Bottom Line

To treat yourself to a little more luxury on your next vacation in the sun, consider day passes on ResortPass, Daycation and DayPasses (or Resort For a Day if you’re planning a cruise).

On Dayuse, you’ll find hotels available during the day in major cities around the world: perfect for a staycation or a comfortable bed during a stopover. Families will also be interested in the water parks available with a day pass at Great Wolf Lodge in the USA.

Finally, all day passes can be paid for with a credit card and earn points. Better still, you can use a card with no conversion fees and apply these points against the expense, which then becomes free.

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Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

American Express Marriott Bonvoy

Annual fee: $120
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$630Total$630Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $630
Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months: Up to 70,000 points

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on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points with the current offer:

Earn up to 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership.
Plus, earn 10,000 points after you spend $500 on your Card in your 13th month of Cardmembership.

The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 70,000 point welcome offer is worth about $630, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

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American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.