All Ben Keenan wanted was a bowl of cereal for breakfast.
Normally, that would mean walking from her bed to the kitchen. But in her temporary home in Mexico, it wasn't so easy. For a month, she had to walk outside in 95-degree heat, find a host to seat her, and order from a waiter. It sounds like a major problem in a developed country, but Keenan said she misses that sense of “independence.”
At the time, Keenan was trying out a new lifestyle: living at an all-inclusive luxury resort on the Yucatan Peninsula for 27 days. But this was no gluttonous vacation: The 31-year-old Seattle resident spent most of May at the Ocean Riviera Paradise Hotel conducting a (sponsored) experiment that he announced on social media.
Earlier this year, Keenan created a TikTok video asking a trending question: “Is living at a tropical resort outside the U.S. cheaper than living at home?” In the video, which has been viewed by more than 7 million people, Keenan, a full-time public relations consultant, breaks down her monthly expenses of about $4,100 between rent, utilities, food and other items.
Expedia had contacted Keenan with an offer to cover the cost of overseas lodging, so Keenan had nothing to lose: He decided to fly to Mexico to test his theory.
“I discovered Ben while scrolling through TikTok and couldn't resist accepting his challenge,” an Expedia spokesperson said.
For Keenan, it wasn't just money he saved: Living in an all-inclusive apartment meant he was free of the burden of everyday responsibilities, so he could, in his words, just “be.” A few months later, his simulation was turned into a daily video-blog documentary published on social media.
The video started as a joke
In February, Keenan was sitting with friends at a brewery over beers and discussing the high cost of living in the city.
Keenan was paying $2,300 a month for a downtown apartment, not far off the current median rent in the U.S. of $2,128, while two of his buddies were paying much less.
“My friends had been living in apartments for six or seven years, and for some reason their rent never went up,” he says. But that finally changed: While searching for a new home, Keenan's friends were surprised to find that rents were rising.
So the group came up with the crazy idea that it might be cheaper to live in a hotel.
“We took it a step further and said, 'What about an all-inclusive resort where meals are included, there's unlimited alcohol, and there's a pool and a beach?'” he recalls.
Attracted by the Pacific Northwest's dreary winter weather, Keenan researched accommodation options in Mexico, mostly as a joke, but what most piqued his curiosity was the high quality of life.
“It was really appealing to me that at a resort, someone was cleaning my room, cooking my meals, and everything was taken care of,” he says. “I live within my means at home, but there are some luxuries I want.”
From thought experiment to real experiment
Keenan had no intention of making his thought experiment a reality, as all-inclusive resorts are far from his preferred style of travel.
“I usually stay in boutique hotels that are centrally located and walkable,” he said. It wasn't until Expedia offered to cover the cost of a month's all-inclusive accommodations that he considered it.
In late April, the Seattle resident packed his bags, announced it on social media and set off on a 27-day solo trip, quickly gaining a cult following for his daily check-in videos.
In each documentary-style clip, Keenan takes us on a voyeuristic day in his life, and as viewers we quickly learn that the food at the resort is great, the drinks are strong, and Keenan's fair skin doesn't look good in the sun.
There you'll find detailed, and sometimes humorous, descriptions of how he combats boredom (creating his own events calendar), explores outside the resort (taking a day trip to the city of Playa del Carmen), and changes up his morning habits (simply going to a cafe for iced coffee instead of hot coffee).
For this experiment, Keenan is also sticking to his normal Monday through Friday routine, which includes working remotely during the week, eating similar foods he would eat at home, and maintaining his regular gym routine.
A sense of community is priceless
A self-described extrovert, Keenan said he's not afraid to approach strangers or start a conversation when he's alone.
But at the resort, he found it difficult to have any meaningful interactions beyond basic hellos, because most other tourists were traveling in pairs or groups, “and they're totally confused when they find out I'm here alone for a month,” he noted.
Keenan said at times he missed Seattle's vibrant community and felt lonely.
“I think the value of having a community is something you can't put a price on,” he says. “If I were to move somewhere, I'd want to live somewhere where I could build a community, and I can't do that here.”
Instead, he bonded with the resort's employees by getting to know them personally; they were the ones he saw regularly and by this point knew him as “that guy who's staying for a month.” “I would honestly come back to the resort just to see the staff again and bond with them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Keenan had a hard time getting used to the sometimes-subservient level of service. He even had a personal butler on call at any time. “We got knocks on the door multiple times a day,” Keenan said, keeping staff waiting for things like refilling the mini-fridge and turndown service. He was surprised at how exhausting and, frankly, annoying it became.
“Obviously, I'm not trapped here, but I'm a very independent person, so I didn't expect to feel like I was losing control at all,” he said.
Keenan's luxury resort of choice cost $4,900 for a 27-day stay, significantly more than the $4,100 he spends in an average month in Seattle, but there are a lot of variables to consider.
Keenan said he chose a luxury Mexican resort on the ocean with plenty of amenities, even though there were plenty of more affordable options available — and some luxuries don't have a particular “value.”
“There are what I call 'bonuses' – things like entertainment, a pool, housekeeping, room service, etc. that you don't get at home,” he adds. “These items vary greatly from person to person.” So, although you “spent” $800 more than you would have at home (remember, Expedia covered the cost), you also have to take into account the intangibles.
Overall, Keenan has no regrets about his month at the resort, but he does admit that this kind of lifestyle, especially on his own, is hardly a dream scenario. “Everyone I spoke to locally was like, 'If you live like this, you'll never be bored and you'll be happy,' but I don't think this lifestyle is for most people.”
To make the trip again, Keenan says he'd need to live closer to a big city where he could find like-minded travelers. Long-term travel is a viable alternative lifestyle option, but it's a matter of having the right conditions. “Living alone in a place where there are no other solo travelers around is a different lifestyle,” Keenan says.
Keenan would consider paying for a similar arrangement with his own money, but next time he would choose a less hot location: “I've never sweated so much in my life,” he said.
Tips for Longer Stays
Travelers looking to save money on a stay longer than a few weeks (all-inclusive or not) have a few options.
Consider accommodations from major U.S. chain extended-stay hotel brands, such as Hyatt House (Hyatt), Residence Inn (Marriott), and Homewood Suites (Hilton). These hotels typically offer apartment-style comforts, such as a kitchen or kitchenette, separate living and sleeping space, and free daily breakfast. When you book directly with a hotel, you can also earn valuable loyalty points (which accumulate with longer stays).
Stella Shawn, consumer travel expert at UpgradePoint, recommends reaching out directly to hotel sales managers if you're planning a month-long trip. “Some hotels will even let you negotiate rates for stays of a few weeks or more,” Shawn says.
Airbnb and Vrbo are also reliable options, with many owners offering significant discounts to customers who book longer periods. According to Vrbo, travelers can save an average of 10 percent when booking private vacation rentals using the “monthly deals” or “weekly deals” search filters.
