I received a marketing piece from Visit Austin with a special offer on Cabana Rental on selected rooftop pools in the city.

The definition of Cabana is ‘a hut, cabin or shelter at a beach or swimming pool but it seems to be the trendiest ticket in town at the moment.

After getting my breath back looking at the Austin prices even after the 15% discount I thought about the justification as a tourist in reserving a luxury cabana for a day.

It is true that they are for small groups to use and the cost can be split. Some cabanas are so much in demand that they are booked up at least a year in advance. Most cabanas have luxury padded recliners with tables and ceiling fans as well as flat screen televisions and WiFi. Each is assigned a ‘cabana boy’ to meet your drink and meal requirements. Towels service is included.

It seems that buying a day pass is a very popular option to get a leisurely day around the pool or pools with hot tubs. Some properties include access to their spas with additional treatments available to purchase. Some include complimentary water and teas.

I came across one that costs $66 per person to access the rooftop pool area between the hours of 11:00-19:00. It gives you a reserved lounge chair and access to the heated pool for up to 2 hours and 45 minutes – how they police how much time you are in the pool is questionable. Another and probably most likely bans any external food or drink so that you purchase the hotel’s food and beverage service with a whopping 24% service fee on all items.

The options generally offer a pool day pass, day bed or cabana. Prices do vary depending where you are of course but one example at the Margaritaville Resort Times Square, NYC mid-week in August is £78 pp day pass, £194 for a day bed for up to 2 people and £388 for a cabana for up to 4 people.

Honestly it isn’t something I would ever consider as it is a whole day not exploring where I am and way too indulgent. I thought though that if you have completed Route 66 why not treat yourself in either Santa Monica or Chicago to wind down from your 2448 mile road trip.

Look at Resort Pass which offers a variety of options to pre-book day passes, cabanas etc. It suggests that mid-week availability is better and you can also book for events. At the moment there are selected cities across America not including Chicago.

Below is a short YouTube video of a cabana at Disney’s Beach Club Resort as an example.