A hotel pool, the focal point of your next luxury vacation? With amenities like sprawling spas, guided tours, and rooms fit for a king, the humble pool can often seem like the underdog of the services offered to guests by a truly magnificent hotel. A staple of the seasoned traveller’s landscape, pools may have the unfortunate tendency to fade into the background as a mere means of exercise or refreshment.
Not if said traveller knows where to stay, however. At the right boutique lodge or stately grand dame, the pool can not draw attention but define that hotel’s very essence. Whether it’s awe-inspiring views, romantic flourishes, or tranquil surroundings that you want to add to your travel bucket list, here are seven extraordinary hotel swimming pools that alone justify your next plunge across the world.
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Amangiri
The Amangiri resort is an isolated 600-acre sanctuary in Southern Utah’s Canyon Point. The desert retreat’s swimming pool, situated in the heart of the wild, is truly unique. Built around an ancient sandstone boulder, the pool is walled in not so much by the hotel’s architecture as it is by the dramatic plateaus surrounding the valley. A weekend wandering the canyons, practicing yoga on the rocks, and lounging by this pool is the perfect way to get off the grid.
Amangiri, Utah, USA
Contact: +1 877 695 3999 / [email protected]
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Four Seasons Safari Lodge, Serengeti
This lodge’s pool sits right next to an active animal watering hole; prepare to take a dip with a different combination of the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo) every morning. Imagine lounging by the poolside, drinking an iced coffee, with only a family of massive elephants for company. The endless Serengeti plains are a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and staying at the Four Seasons Safari Lodge is undoubtedly the most luxurious way to explore them.
Four Seasons Safari Lodge, Serengeti, Tanzania
Contact: +255 768 981 981
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Grace Hotel
Perched above a world-famous caldera, this boutique hotel boasts panoramic views of the azure-blue Mediterranean Sea. It has the largest infinity pool on the Greek island, which can be enjoyed year-round (it’s heated to toastier temperatures during the winter months). The poolside bar is helmed by famous mixologist Salvatore Calabrese, one of the world’s most famous bartenders, who can shake up the perfect cocktail to accompany the golden Greek sunset with.
Grace Hotel, Santorini, Greece
Contact: +30 22860 21300 / Contact Form
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The St. Regis Lhasa Resort
This St. Regis Lhasa Resort may be in the picturesque Pargor Subdistrict, but its indoor ‘Gold Energy Pool’ is the star attraction. It is lined with thousands of gold-plated tiles, emitting a wonderfully translucent glow into the saltwater. The surround area has cabana-style seating, where catering and even a reviving foot massage can be ordered at a moment’s notice.
The St. Regis Lhasa Resort, Tibet
Contact: +86 891 680 8888
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The Cambrian Hotel
High up in the Swiss Alps, the Cambrian Hotel’s heated pool is a glorious way to take in the crisp, fresh air and the sweeping mountainscape surrounding you. In the winter, guests are witness to a bevy of snow-capped tops as steam rises from the infinity edge. In the summer, the valley comes alive with lush greenery. The hotel has a holistic approach to wellbeing, and its surroundings perfectly complement the rejuvenation experience.
The Cambrian Hotel, Adelboden, Switzerland
Contact: +41 33 673 8383 / [email protected]
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Castello di Vicarello
Castello di Vicarello has hosted honeymoons and weddings for many high-profile guests, who come from miles around to enjoy its beautiful location, privacy, organic food and wine, and warm hospitality. With just eight private suites on the Baccheschi-Berti family-run property, there’s nothing more romantic than catching the Tuscan sun and sharing a bottle of red from their vineyards with a companion.
Castello di Vicarello, Tuscany, Italy
Contact: +39 0564 990718 / [email protected]
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Marina Bay Sands
No pool list is complete without our very own MBS. Up on the 57th floor, guests can expect breathtaking views over the Lion City. It also holds the title as the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool. At 500 feet long, there’s plenty of space for swimming laps alongside skyscrapers, sunbathing on the loungers, or partying with friends under the swaying palm trees.
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Contact: +65 6688 8888 / [email protected]
