Did you know that the Department of Defense (via the Army) operates four military resorts around the world? And that military members can use these resorts to stay in popular destinations for significantly cheaper than equivalent hotels? Let’s talk about the Armed Forces Recreation Center program, shall we?
The AFRCs are four resorts – one each in Hawaii, South Korea, Germany, and Florida. Currently serving US military members and retirees, along with some other authorized guests, are allowed to use these facilities.
Note: there are other military resorts worldwide that I will discuss at the bottom of this post. This post is not about the normal military lodges found at US military installations around the world. We’re talking actual vacation spots today.
I’ve stayed at the Dragon Hill Lodge in Seoul, Republic of Korea for a weekend. I’ve also walked through the Shades of Green Resort at Walt Disney World a few times, although I haven’t stayed there yet.
Why Stay At An Armed Forces Recreation Center?
AFRCs tend to offer rooms that are larger, nicer, and cheaper than regular hotel rooms. They won’t necessarily be the cheapest, but they are often considerably cheaper than comparable hotel rooms elsewhere.
For instance, at Shades of Green a standard room is 450 square feet and goes for $105-$158/night in October 2018. Compare that to other Disney hotels for the same dates:
- A standard room at Pop Century, a Value resort, is 260 square feet and $115/night on sale
- A standard room at Caribbean Beach Resort, a Moderate resort, is 314 square feet and $242/night on sale
- And a standard room at Wilderness Lodge, a Deluxe resort, is 344 square feet and $408/night on sale
Quite a difference, huh?
Armed Forces Recreation Center Eligibility
There are several categories of eligibility. Because different locations have different categories (::cough:: Germany ::cough::), this is just an example. The links to each resort’s eligibility criteria is listed below.
- Armed Forces and their families
- Other Uniformed Services
- Armed Forces retirees and their families
- Others separated from the Armed Forces and their families
- Former and/or surviving spouses and family members
- Other supporters of the DOD
- US DOD civilians and their families
Cost of a stay at an Armed Forces Recreation Center
Rates are determined by rank, with the lowest ranking members paying the lowest fees.
For some resorts, there are also separate rates for leave/pass, PCS, and TDY status. Leave is by far the cheapest based on a quick glance through various dates.
Hale Koa – Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
This is oceanfront property on one of the most famous beaches in the world. And instead of paying $280-$400+ per night for an ocean view at the hotels next door, this one will cost you $143-$193/night in October 2018.
There are beach equipment rentals, a spa, and tours available at the Hale Koa. And a luau. And an Exchange, for when you don’t want to pay full Hawaiian tourist prices.
Dragon Hill Lodge – Seoul, Korea
Now this one, I have some personal experience with. I stayed at the Dragon Hill in 2013. To be honest I don’t remember a whole lot – it was a nice hotel. Perfectly comfortable. But the key feature is that you walk out the gate and you are smack dab in the thick of things in Seoul. We were able to walk or ride the subway everywhere very easily.
For the first week of October, standard room prices ranged from $103/night for the lowest ranks to $136 for the highest. This is the “on leave/pass” price…you probably don’t care too much about the TDY price, right?
Edelweiss – Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Edelweiss is located in a ski town in Bavaria. Yes, the Army has literally built you a ski resort in the Bavarian Alps. They also offer paragliding, brewery tours, castle tours, history, and brewery tours. That wasn’t a mistake. BRB, going to Germany.
I checked prices for the first week of October (the last week of Oktoberfest 2018!) and rooms were $99-$149 for a standard room, or $169/night for a junior suite. They do have larger suites available that sleep up to ten people.
Shades of Green – Lake Buena Vista, Florida (Disney World)
Shades of Green used to be a Disney Resort, and it is actually on Disney property – just a short walk from Disney’s Polynesian Resort and next to Disney’s Palm Golf Course. In 1994, the Department of Defense leased the resort from Disney, then in 1996 they bought it outright.
Because Shades of Green was originally a Disney Deluxe resort (their highest level) it offers rooms and amenities that are among the nicest on property. But, because it is an MWR facility, it offers much cheaper prices (as shown above).
If you are interested in other military discounts at Disney World, check out my two-part series starting here.
Other DOD-run Vacation Spots
I came across a number of other facilities that fall somewhere between the fancy Army MWR resorts and the normal base lodging you’re all probably used to. I’ve listed some of them below. There are probably more I haven’t found, but you can see there are a variety of places you can go that offer low prices in high demand areas.
The New Sanno Hotel – Tokyo, Japan
The New Sanno is run by the US Naval Joint Services Activity. It’s a luxury hotel with rates varying from $50/night to $120/night, and they offer both American and Japanese style rooms. I’m not sure why it isn’t listed on the AFRC page other than the fact that it’s not run by the Army…
Check out the pool at this place!
Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area – Kure Beach, North Carolina
Run by the Seymour Johnson AFB Force Support Squadron (I think? Hard to confirm from the website), this facility is steps from the Atlantic Ocean. And they apparently offer $5 pitchers of beer, so…
The website looks old and the Rates page is for 2017, but they also have a Facebook page that had an update as recently as 4 weeks before I’m posting this. I tried calling to confirm some info but the office was closed. Basically – they are still open but don’t expect 24/7 current info!
But if you can reach them and book a room, the deals look good! The 2017 prices show a 4-bedroom cottage can be had for as little as $206/night in peak season (more for higher ranks). There are lots of other lodging options available, too.
Okuma Beach – Okuma Beach, Japan
This one is run by Kadena AB and offers everything from beachfront campsites to beach houses that sleep ten. The cost varies from $10/night for a campsite to $190/night for that large beach house in the peak season.
They also offer a bunch of recreation packages, from glass bottom boat tours to jet ski rentals to the Jetovator. You just…you just need to go check out the picture to see what that is. Lifegoals. That’s what that is.
Big Bear Recreation Facility – Big Bear Lake, California
Boats, hiking, mountain biking, fishing…and Big Bear Lake. I’ve never been to this facility, but I have been to Big Bear and it’s great. It looks like this one is run by MCAS Miramar.
This facility doesn’t have prices listed on the website, so I called in for ya. They never asked for my rank, so I’m assuming it’s a flat rate regardless of rank. I priced out August 1-3 2018*, and it was $169/night for a cabin that sleeps 6. I asked her if that was a high or low price (it varies by season) and she said it drops to $89/night for weekday nights in September. Good deal!
*I checked out different dates for this one because I’ll be nearby the first week of August and maybe I might just extend my vacation!
Seward Alaska Resort – Seward, Alaska
This one is also run by Army MWR, so I’m not sure why it’s not included on the Army MWR Armed Forces Recreation Centers website. This site offers chartered deep-sea fishing boats, which basically means I’m now obligated to take my brother there.
Accommodations range from $51-$248 per night depending on rank and size/style of the room. And they have yurts!
As you can see, there are some good options for military members traveling on a budget to some popular destinations.
I stayed at Hale Koa on Oahu. Nice place. You wouldn’t know it was military except for the large number of uniforms around. Also, the military owns a parking garage nearby. Great to know that there are other places I can visit. Thanks!
It does look really nice and the location is really popular. I need to make it out there soon!
We stayed at Fort Fischer two summers ago. It’s great! Low key, close to the beach, Wilmington, and an aquarium. There’s even a small gym and a pool.
It looks really nice! I was surprised by the location – that looks like some primo beach territory.
We stayed at the Hale Koa on two separate occasions. Both were Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves back to the US from Korea. Hale Koa, for the price considering it’s in Waikiki, is fairly reasonable compared to nearby hotels. I recommend staying there, if you want to be in Waikiki, but not eating there because the meals are expensive and, frankly, not the best. It’s better to eat at local joints to get better food for cheap.
During the course of my career, I was stationed in Korea four times totaling 9.5 years. Dragon Hill Lodge is okay but the last few times I was in Korea, I chose to stay at the Hilton Millennial Seoul Hotel just a few miles north of Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul. Per diem was the same. Much better amenities and just a cab ride away from the military installation. Plus, it’s a few blocks away from Seoul Train Station and all the awesome local joints!
Trying to set up a vacation at Shades of Green in Orlando. This Winter is booked up so I’ll try to plan ahead for next year. Eventually, I’ll visit Edelweiss, too! How about you?
Oh, you know once I’m free from the shackles of a schedule I’ll be visiting all of these places!
While reading this, I realized that I’ve stayed at all 4 AFRC facilities! Relationship belt recently, most recently was the Hale Koa last September. It’s pretty lovely. And in the middle of everything! Shades of Green was amazing for the Disney visit. What a privilege to have these resources!
Nice!
I’ve stayed at a few. The New Sanno is AMAZING. There is nowhere that even comes close (for the value) in Tokyo. If you want to go to Tokyo and you are eligible, go when you can get a room there. It’s smack in the middle of Tokyo, close to Roppongi (the “going-out” district for gaijin) and like 1/4 mile from a metro station. Surrounded by bakeries, restaurants, and has fantastic amenities. Seriously can’t be beat. Side note: if you can’t get in at the New Sanno, Hardy Barracks is nearby. It’s not fancy, has basically no amenities, and is an old barracks that is now run as a hotel by I THINK the Army. But, it’s cheap, spotless, and again smack in the middle of the action. It’s in walking distance to Roppongi and the rooms are big. They are old suitemate-style barracks where each “suite” was converted to one hotel room. So the layout is weird…two bedrooms connected by a bathroom in the middle, but you get the whole thing so it’s a lot of space. Especially for Tokyo. Not as much around it as the New Sanno, but if you want to go to Tokyo and just have a place to sleep, it’s perfectly fine. I’ve even stayed there with family visiting me in Japan. Yokota Services runs shuttles between Yokota, both hotels, and the airport.
Okuma’s location is fantastic. The facility…notsomuch. If you want to stay on the Northern part of Okinawa with a family, it’ll do. But it’s by no means luxurious. You can tell it was built in the 60’s. And they have family rooms that are literally on the sand. They also have a cool, secluded cottage for two with a private beach and a golf cart included. It gets a lot of romantic mileage (lol) but it’s a really cool place to stay if you can actually find availability.
McKay, I actually laughed out loud at what I think you are implying there at the end 😂 Good to know!
You have me even more intrigued than I already was by the New Sanno. I wonder how many miles I’d need to redeem to fly business class to Tokyo 🤔
I have stayed at the Hale Koa and Edielwiess as well as the New Sanno and Hardy Barracks. I have to agree with McKay about the value of the New Sanno. The square footage at Hardy Barracks is amazing when you consider you are in downtown Tokyo, but the New Sanno is a nicer hotel even if the rooms are the size of an NYC hotel. Other military options in Hawaii are the Barking Sands Beach cottages at PMRF on Kauai or the Cottages at Kaneohe Bay on MCAS K-Bay.
In Europe, don’t foget about NATO hotels if you are active duty, to include the Cercle Saint Augustin in Paris.