Military Lodging for Veterans: Who Can Stay on Base and How to Book It
A lot of veterans don't realize they can book a room or cabin on a military base. Compare some of the prices with hotels near the beach and you'll see why it's worth a look.
There are a couple of different kinds of lodging, and who can book depends on the property.
Two kinds of base lodging
First you've got regular lodging: Navy Lodges, Air Force Inns and the rest of the DoD Lodging network. Think of them as hotels on base. They're built for people on orders, moving to a new duty station (PCS) or on temporary duty (TDY), but you can usually book for leisure too when there's space.
Then there's MWR recreational lodging. That covers cabins, cottages, beach houses, RV parks and campgrounds run by each branch's Morale, Welfare and Recreation program. This is the vacation side. It's where you find Navy Getaways, Marine Corps recreation lodging, Coast Guard coastal cottages and the Armed Forces Recreation Center resorts like Shades of Green near Disney World and the Hale Koa in Honolulu.
Who's eligible
These groups can use MWR recreational lodging, and there are others too:
- Active-duty service members and their families
- Military retirees
- National Guard and reserve members
- DoD civilians
- Disabled veterans
- Purple Heart recipients
The disabled veteran line is the one a lot of people miss. Since January 2020, veterans with a service-connected disability rating, Purple Heart recipients, former POWs and some caregivers have been able to use many on-base facilities that used to be off limits to them. Lodging is a little messier. Priority and rules vary by branch and by property, and some places book duty travelers first and fill leftover rooms with everyone else. Call or check the property page before you count on it.
You'll also need a way onto the base. For disabled veterans that usually means a VA Health Identification Card plus the base's own access process, so look up the visitor center for the installation before you go.
Where to look and book
Stick to the official sites. There are third-party pages that look like booking sites for military lodging, and they're not where you want to put your card number.
- DoD Lodging covers Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force lodging in one search.
- Navy Lodge for Navy Lodges.
- Air Force Inns has 89 locations worldwide.
- Marine Corps Recreational Lodging for cabins, cottages, RV parks and campgrounds.
- Coast Guard Lodging for the coastal rentals.
- Armed Forces Recreation Center resorts for Shades of Green, Hale Koa, Edelweiss and the rest.
- Best Kept Secrets, Military OneSource's locator for military campgrounds and recreation areas.
A few things to know before you book
Book early if you can. Beach cabins and summer weekends go fast.
Ask about pets and the cancellation rules when you book. Each property sets its own policies.
If you're flying Space-A, it helps to know that many AMC terminals are on installations with lodging. That can come in handy when a flight gets pushed a day. I wrote up who can fly Space-A as a disabled veteran separately.
Eligibility and access rules change. Check Military OneSource's MWR lodging page and the property itself before you travel.