I paid $50 for a day pass to a 5-star resort in Hawaii, and I would've gone back if the price hadn't increased

• I recently booked a hotel pool pass for the Fairmont Kea Lani, a 5-star resort on Maui, for $50.

• The pass included 4 hours of access to 3 pools and hot tubs, a waterslide, poolside dining, & more.

• The experience was worth it but the higher busy-season prices made me reconsider if I'd return.
  

I live in Hawaii and I recently tried taking a daycation at a nearby resort.

Fairmont Kea Lani is a five-star hotel.

Living in a tropical paradise like Maui means getting to explore the island's natural wonders year-round, but the luxurious resort experience that tourists indulge in has always felt out of reach for me.

With one night at a three-star hotel costing at least $300 in Maui, the high prices don't lend themselves to locals looking for an affordable staycation.

But an opportunity presented itself when I recently discovered ResortPass, an online marketplace that facilitates daycations at resorts across the US, including over 25 properties in Hawaii.

I was excited for the opportunity to book a hotel pool pass that would grant me access to most of the amenities that make staying at a hotel appealing, but at a fraction of the cost.

For this experience, I booked an afternoon pass to Fairmont Kea Lani, a five-star hotel in Wailea.

I chose to visit the Fairmont Kea Lani because it had the cheapest pool pass I could find.

I booked my ResortPass a few weeks before my visit. | Credit: Ashley Probst/ResortPass

At the time I booked, other offerings available on ResortPass included a day pass ($90), daybed ($300), or cabana ($500) at Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort; a room for the day at Maui Beach Hotel ($180) or Maui Seaside Hotel ($219); and access to The Spa at Hana-Maui Resort ($80).

I opted for an afternoon pass at Fairmont Kea Lani, which cost $50 when I booked in February.

Bad weather forced me to reschedule my visit, but ResortPass made it easy to change my reservation.

The ResortPass staff was helpful.

The entire island was hit with a massive storm the week I planned to hit the pool, so I changed my reservation online through ResortPass.

Even after I made a mistake while rescheduling, I reached out to customer service and they got back to me the same day to correct the error and help me rebook properly.

When I finally made it to the resort, the afternoon pass granted me half-day access to its pools and surrounding property.

The Fairmont Kea Lani property was gorgeous.

The afternoon pass was from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the full day pass, which cost $50 more, would have allowed me to be on the property from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Since I didn't plan on going in the pool first thing in the morning, the afternoon pass seemed like the better option.

This pass granted me four hours of access to Fairmont Kea Lani's three resort pools, including an adults-only pool and two lagoon-style family pools, as well as the surrounding property.

An abundance of other amenities came with the pool pass.

My pass for the Fairmont Kea Lani property also got me Wi-Fi access

One of the lagoon-style pools also featured a swim-up bar and waterslide. Other amenities included three hot tubs, lounge chairs, towel service, poolside dining, Wi-Fi, and beach access.

Upon arrival at the resort, I took advantage of self-parking and found a spot in the covered garage.

I was able to park my own car at Fairmont Kea Lani.

Since I planned to be at the resort during the hottest part of the day, I decided to leave my truck parked in the shade.

The lobby was worthy of exploration prior to hitting the pool.

The architecture was beautiful, too.

The entrance of the resort paid homage to Hawaiian culture through art pieces like a statue of Queen Liliʻuokalani, paintings that depicted ancient practices and landscapes, as well as mermaid sculptures crafted from rare local woods.

After checking in at the pool pavilion, an attendant set me up with a lounge chair, umbrella, and towels.

The attendant helped get me set up.

At my request, we found a spot where I could lounge comfortably in the shade. The attendant then laid out my towels on the chair I had selected and adjusted the closest umbrella to ensure it would protect me from the sun.

My original lounge chair was near the swim-up bar, but I ended up moving to the adults-only pool.

The area near the waterslide was a bit too busy for my liking.

I assumed that the swim-up bar was going to be in an adult-oriented area but it was right next to the waterslide, which meant high traffic and lots of noise.

The adults-only pool felt more peaceful, even if it was a bit crowded.

I had to get a chair on the lawn.

In order to prioritize peace and quiet, I moved to the adults-only pool. The main pool deck was full when I arrived, so an attendant showed me to a lounge chair on the nearby lawn.

The serene environment was my ideal respite from the boisterous family-friendly areas.

Complimentary water, sunscreen, and aloe vera were available at the poolside kiosks.

I brought my own sunscreen, but I appreciated the freebies.

I brought my own sun protection but loved seeing that the resort provided some for its guests.

As part of Project Reef, all of the sunscreen and aloe cooling lotion was sustainable, reef-friendly, non-nano, vegan, and cruelty free.

There were also various water stations where I could fill up my reusable water bottle.

In my opinion, the poolside dining was OK and certainly not worth the high prices.

The poolside menu prices were high, in my opinion.

While enjoying my lounge chair, I ordered food and refreshments from AMA Bar & Grill through a poolside server. 

My drink selections were a non-alcoholic Liliko'i No-jito ($15) as well as the Tidal Wave cocktail ($30), a rum-spiked punch that serves two and comes in a commemorative sand pail. 

For lunch, I tried the chicken quesadilla ($25), which was cut into four bite-sized pieces and served with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. 

In total, I paid $93 including tax and tip for poolside dining. This was not included in the cost of my afternoon pass.

Most of it wasn't worth the price, in my opinion, but the Tidal Wave cocktail felt like a good deal considering all of the other mixed drinks were $19 each.

I sat at the swim-up bar but didn't order a drink to save money.

The drink prices seemed high to me, so I just enjoyed the views.

Paying $19 for another drink didn't seem like a financially responsible decision for me, but I still wanted to experience the swim-up bar. I ordered a glass of water from the friendly bartender and we talked for a few minutes while I hydrated.

A trip (or, admittedly, two) down the waterslide was obligatory.

The waterslide seemed popular

I would have been remiss to pass up the opportunity for my inner child to play on the waterslide, so I went down it a couple of times. 

The pool attendant even offered to commemorate my experience with photos of me going down the slide — the images came out blurry, but I appreciated their hospitality.

The hot tub was one of my favorite parts of the experience.

There were a few hot tubs on the property.

Of the three hot tubs on the property, I especially enjoyed the one adjacent to the adults-only pool. The heated water loosened my muscles and left me feeling incredibly relaxed.

I didn't spend much time at the lower lagoon-style pool, but it looked like it was ideal for families.

Kids had a lot of features to interact with.

This lower pool area seemed like it was built with keiki (the Hawaiian word for kids) in mind. It had a waterslide, waterfall, basketball hoop, bridges to swim under, and a wading pool. 

After seeing the cabanas, I was grateful I didn't splurge on one.

The basic amenities are nice, so I'm not sure how necessary a cabana is.

The cabanas offered space for two to six people, with prices ranging from $399 to $699 when I booked.

Although some of them were decked out with lounge chairs, day beds, a mini fridge, and a ceiling fan, the price didn't seem worth it to me, even if I'd had a larger group. My lounge chair and umbrella setup was totally fine and much cheaper. 

I made a point to take a walk down to the beach.

The beach wasn't far from the resort.

The pool area was super close to the beach, so I made sure to check it out. 

A nearby kiosk provided information about beach conditions as well as towels or chairs and umbrellas that could be set up on the sand upon request.

I stayed at the pool until my pass ran out at 5 p.m., then changed clothes and went to Nick's Fishmarket for dinner.

Nick's Fishmarket is an upscale seafood eatery.

Nick's Fishmarket is one of six dining options on the property, including the poolside dining by AMA Bar & Grill. The menu's focus is seafood.

The food was impressive.

I had an impressive dessert at Nick's Fishmarket.

Everything was delicious, especially the scallops I ordered as my entrée. The most memorable part was the strawberry flambée dessert, which was finished tableside in a burst of blue flames.

The experience was originally worth the price for me, but my opinion changed when prices increased during the busy season.

ResortPass prices can change, so keep an eye out when you book.

I felt like the experience was worth the $50 I paid when I booked my pass. However, shortly after my visit, I saw that the price of the pass had increased to $75, a 50% increase.

A ResortPass representative confirmed prices are set by the resorts and explained that the increase could likely be attributed to the hotel entering its busier season.

I understand that prices change, but the cheapest pass is now about $75 for four hours at the pools. This experience was nice but I'm not sure I'd return at that rate.

I'd much rather go to one of the island's highly acclaimed beaches or other natural attractions free of charge.