On the time, Keenan was making an attempt out a brand new life-style — dwelling out of an all-inclusive luxurious resort on the Yucatán Peninsula for 27 days. Nonetheless, this wasn’t precisely a gluttonous getaway. The 31-year-old Seattle resident spent most of Might on the Ocean Riviera Paradise Lodge to conduct a (sponsored) experiment he floated on social media.
This yr, Keenan made a TikTok that requested the viral query: Might dwelling in a tropical resort outdoors the USA be cheaper than dwelling at house? Within the video, which has been seen by greater than 7 million folks, the full-time public relations advisor breaks down his bills — roughly $4,100 month-to-month between hire, utilities, meals and different spending classes.
Expedia contacted him with a suggestion to cowl the price of lodging overseas, so Keenan had nothing to lose. He determined to fly to Mexico to place his concept to the take a look at.
“We found Ben whereas scrolling on TikTok, and we couldn’t assist however take him up on his problem,” an Expedia spokesperson mentioned.
To Keenan, it wasn’t simply concerning the sheer greenback quantity saved. Residing at an all-inclusive additionally didn’t include the luggage of day-to-day duties. Due to this fact, he may simply, in his phrases, “exist.” Quick ahead just a few months later, and his simulation turned a day by day vlog-style documentary on social media.
A video that began as a ‘joke’
In February, Keenan was sipping beers with pals at a brewery whereas discussing town’s excessive value of dwelling.
Whereas Keenan was paying $2,300 per thirty days for a downtown condo — not too far off from the present U.S. median hire of $2,128 — two of his companions had been renting for a lot lower than that.
“My pals had lived in an condo for six or seven years and one way or the other hadn’t seen a single hire enhance,” he mentioned. Nonetheless, that was lastly set to vary. Whereas on the hunt for a brand new house, Keenan’s pals have been shocked at how costly issues had develop into.
The group then threw out a wild concept: Wouldn’t it be cheaper to stay in a lodge?
“We took it one step additional and mentioned, ‘What about an all-inclusive resort the place meals was included, alcohol was bottomless, and there’s a pool and a seaside?’” he recalled.
The Pacific Northwest’s dreary winter climate drew Keenan to analysis lodging choices in Mexico, largely as a “joke.” Nonetheless, what piqued his curiosity probably the most was having the next high quality of life.
“Having anyone clear my room, cook dinner for me, and simply have every little thing taken care of at a resort was actually the attractive half,” he mentioned. “I stay inside my means at house, however there are particular luxuries I want I had.”
From a thought experiment to a real-life one
Keenan wasn’t planning on making his thought experiment a actuality. All-inclusive resorts are removed from his most popular sort of journey fashion.
“I sometimes keep at boutique motels which can be centrally positioned in a metropolis the place I can stroll round,” he famous. It was solely after Expedia provided to cowl the price of a month-long all-inclusive keep did he take into account it.
In late April, the Seattleite packed his baggage, made a social media announcement and set off for a 27-day solo tour. Quickly after, his day by day check-in movies acquired a cultlike following.
In every documentary-style clip, Keenan takes us alongside for a voyeuristic day-in-the-life. As viewers, we rapidly be taught the resort meals is superb, the drinks are robust, and Keenan’s truthful complexion doesn’t do properly within the solar.
There are detailed, and typically humorous, accounts of how he combats boredom (by creating his personal occasions calendar), explores outdoors the resort (by taking a day journey to town of Playa del Carmen) and alters his morning ritual (by merely wandering to a restaurant with iced espresso as an alternative of sizzling).
Keenan additionally follows a traditional Monday-to-Friday routine for the sake of the experiment. That features working remotely through the week, consuming comparable meals to what he would have at house and (trying to) sustain together with his common gymnasium habits.
A way of group has no price ticket
As a self-proclaimed extrovert, Keenan mentioned he isn’t afraid to speak to strangers and strike up conversations when he’s alone.
Nonetheless, on the resort, he discovered it difficult to have any significant exchanges past the fundamental pleasantries. That’s as a result of virtually all the opposite guests have been touring in pairs or teams. “Plus, when different vacationers discover out I’m right here for a month on my own, they’re completely confused,” he famous.
Keenan felt remoted at occasions, lacking the colourful group he had in Seattle.
“I believe the worth of getting a group is one thing you simply cannot put a price ticket on,” he mentioned. “If I have been to maneuver someplace, I might must be in a spot that permits me to construct one and I can’t right here.”
As an alternative, he bonded with the resort’s workers by attending to know them on a private degree. These are the folks Keenan usually noticed, and at this level, they knew him as “that man” who’s staying for a month. “I actually would come again to this resort simply to see the employees once more and reconnect,” he mentioned.
On the flip aspect, Keenan had a tough time getting used to the sometimes-obsequious degree of service. He even had a private butler, able to be at his beck and name. He was “getting a number of knocks on my door a day,” he says, pausing to let employees refill his mini fridge or full turndown service. He was shocked at how tiring and, frankly, annoying it turned.
“Clearly, I’m not being stored right here, however I’m a really unbiased individual and I didn’t count on to really feel as if you lose a little bit of management,” he mentioned.
Whereas the posh resort that Keenan chosen was $4,900 for the 27-day keep, considerably greater than the $4,100 that he spends on a median month in Seattle, there are such a lot of variables to think about.
Keenan mentioned he chosen a high-end Mexican resort with quite a few facilities and one which was oceanfront. There have been many extra inexpensive motels that he may’ve picked from. After which there are the luxuries that don’t have a sure “worth.”
“There are issues that I name ‘bonuses’; choices like leisure, swimming pools, housekeeping, and room service aren’t accessible to me at house,” he provides. “These line gadgets are extremely subjective from individual to individual.” So whereas he “spent” (keep in mind Expedia lined the price) $800 greater than what he would have at house, there have been intangibles to think about.
General, Keenan has no regrets about resort life for a month, however he concedes that this sort of association — particularly by himself — isn’t precisely a dream state of affairs. “Everybody I’ve talked to at house has mentioned, ‘If I lived this life, I wouldn’t get bored and I’d be comfortable’ however I don’t assume this life-style is for most individuals.”
To do that once more, Keenan mentioned he would have to be nearer to an enormous metropolis and in a spot the place he may discover different like-minded vacationers. Lengthy-term journey is a viable possibility in its place life-style, however it’s about the fitting circumstances. “It’s a special fashion of life, dwelling solo in a spot the place there are not any different solo folks round,” he mentioned.
Keenan would take into account paying for the same association together with his personal cash. However subsequent time, he would choose a vacation spot that’s not so sizzling. “I’ve by no means sweated a lot in my life,” he mentioned.
Suggestions for longer-term stays
Vacationers who wish to save on longer-term stays of a number of weeks or extra — all-inclusive or not — have just a few choices.
Think about lodging with an extended-stay lodge model from main U.S. chains like Hyatt Home (Hyatt), Residence Inn (Marriott) or Homewood Suites (Hilton). These motels supply the niceties of apartment-style dwelling, sometimes with kitchens or kitchenettes, separate dwelling and sleeping areas, and complimentary day by day breakfast. By reserving instantly with the lodge, you may as well earn beneficial loyalty factors (which might add up on prolonged stays).
Attain out on to the lodge’s gross sales supervisor for journeys which can be a month, says Stella Shon, a client journey professional for Upgraded Factors. “At some motels, it’s potential to barter a price if a keep is just a few consecutive weeks or extra,” she says.
Airbnb and Vrbo stay dependable choices, too, with many homeowners providing deep reductions for purchasers who ebook long-term. Vrbo says vacationers can save a median of 10 % when reserving non-public trip leases by utilizing the “month-to-month low cost” or “weekly low cost” search filters.
