Why now: innovation and shifting habits

Day passes are no longer fringe. In 2025, luxury and lifestyle hotels are pushing pay-as-you-go access to amenities, tapping local residents and “staycationers.” ResortPass in the U.S. is a textbook case: offering pool, spa, and gym access without an overnight stay. 

In Europe, day passes are gaining ground as well. A Spanish article notes that hotels like Barceló, Meliá and VP Plaza are embedding day-offer packages combining wellness, dining and pool access for locals and visitors alike. 

On the innovation front, Accor + Wojo are doubling down. Accor’s working & meeting solutions extend their brand into coworking and day office models within hotels. 

Coworking data supports this shift: for every €1 spent in Wojo spaces, customers spend an additional €3 across hotel services—food, wellness, rooms. That 3:1 upsell ratio is strong evidence that day studios can fuel brand growth, not cannibalise it. 

These shifts signal two things: (1) customers now expect flexibility and service on demand, not rigid stays; (2) smart brands can reframe idle hotel real estate as an asset, not a cost.

User Experience meets brand: how to deliver day studios that feel premium

A day-studio cannot be a messy add-on. It must feel part of the brand’s narrative. Here’s how UX and identity come into play:

Visual identity alignment

If your hotel brand is calm, minimal and tactile, your day pass signage, check-in apps, digital badges, wristbands or QR cards must speak the same tone. No cheap stickers. Use matching type, materials and voice. A guest should feel they are entering a branded experience, not a side hustle.

Flow design and friction removal

Day-studio UX must hide friction. Check-in should be digital or QR based. Access credentials (wristband, digital badge) should auto unlock doors. The transition from pool to workspace to meeting room must feel seamless. Every sign, every corridor, every screen or touchpoint must reinforce you are in a “hotel day” zone.

Feature packaging and mental models

Offer bundles that make sense: “Work + Lounge + Coffee” or “Swim + Spa + Snack.” Clear names, no surprise fees. UX research shows people abandon when the product feels too complex. Use real language, not jargon.

Local discovery & identity extension

Day pass users become local ambassadors. Offer small downloadable maps: “things to do around us before or after your day studio.” Use maps branded with your brand colors, subtle markers for cafés, walking routes, wellness shops. It extends your brand into town.

Real examples to learn from

• Accor + Wojo: their “Working & Meeting” brand is already active in hotels. They integrate cowork, day offices and meeting rooms within their hospitality network. 

• ResortPass: in the U.S., hotels are monetizing underutilised amenities by selling day-access to pools & spas without requiring an overnight stay. 

• Barceló / Meliá (Spain): integrating day pass offers into resort brands to attract locals during off-peak seasons. 

• Workin.space / hybrid hotel coworking: Accor launches “Workspitality” offerings such as “Wojo Spots” and “Wojo Corners” inside hotels—blending workspace and hospitality under one roof. 

Each of these shows how hotels can stretch brand codes into day experiences.

How to package and pilot (with innovation discipline)

Start with one hotel and one day SKU. Choose between “Work,” “Swim,” or “Meet.” Do not launch all three at once. Keep it lean.

Design tight touchpoints. Build a simple booking page with clear names and visuals. At check-in, digital badge or wristband must feel premium. Doors, lockers, and amenities should unlock or activate seamlessly.

Build upsell paths. Use your day pass to seed interest: offer 20% off a spa treatment or a late check-out add-on. When day users enjoy a pool or lounge, they may return for overnight stays. That is how day users become brand fans.

Track key UX metrics.

• Dropout rate in booking flow

• Time to check-in or badge issuance

• Use rates of amenities (pool, meeting rooms)

• Spend beyond pass

• Return bookings

• Net Promoter Score or satisfaction comments

Iterate fast. Drop features that confuse. Keep what delights.

Why this matters from a design & brand lens

Hospitality is trending toward blended work + leisure experiences. One 2025 trend list includes “blended work-leisure tourism” as key. 

Also, travel tech is shifting toward embedded services and flexible consumption (e.g. booking components inside generative chat). Hotels must adapt from selling nights to selling modular experiences. 

By designing day studios with UX care and brand alignment, you do more than monetise space. You extend your identity into local life and build flexible, lasting guest relationships.

Closing

Idle hotel space is a design problem and a brand opportunity. Day studios can deliver premium UX, clear identity and new revenue without breaking your core. Start small. Design for coherence. Iterate. You’ll find locals, build loyalty, and give your brand reasons to be visited more often.

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