Travel Trend: ‘Pooling’

Because vacation days are so scarce and travel can be so expensive, new travel trends popped up in recent years that cater to the budget travelers who don’t necessarily have weeks at a time to tour the world. One such trend involves gathering a group of your local friends and renting a nice hotel room or suite in which to have your own little staycation in your hometown, a trend called “pooling.”

The trend gets its name from the amenity most likely to be enjoyed by a group of friends, especially in the summer: the hotel pool. While some hotels open their pools to the public for special events like musical performances or major holidays, the entrance fee is often expensive, the pool area can be crowded and there may not be much room for swimming with the crowd of people. Instead, smaller groups of friends can book a hotel room and split the cost, and therefore are able to use the hotel’s facilities, including the pool, without having to fight for space to swim.

Unlike public pools, some hotel pools offer food and beverage service, or rentals of private cabanas for your own personal posse (often for an extra fee). This can be an added perk for friends who just want a relaxing afternoon by the water with food and drinks just a few steps (or one order from the attendant) away.