Is the pool one of the first things you check out when choosing a hotel? Join the (swim) club.
Whether you’re a keen swimmer or just a devoted poolside-lounger, there’s a lot to love about a good pool (and let’s face it, they’re up there in the Insta-worthy stakes too).
Just imagine diving – or dipping artfully-manicured toes – into one of these amazing hotel pools from around the globe…
1 – The red pool at The Library resort in Thailand
(The Library/PA)
Crimson tiles on the pool floor mean the water in The Library looks rich red. Apparently, the thought of swimming in ‘red’ water is not to everyone’s taste, but it’s little wonder the 5-star setting has become somewhat iconic. And if the hotel itself wasn’t picture-perfect enough, the other direction looks out across Koh Samui’s Chaweng Beach.
2 – The ‘tank’ pool at Golden Nugget hotel in Las Vegas
The pool at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas (Golden Nugget/PA)
Described as ‘fun-filled’ and ‘sun-filled’, Golden Nugget‘s pool is situated in the casino hotel’s ‘Tank’ – there’s a 30ft-high slide with a see-through chute that takes you straight through a tank full of sharks! The whole thing cost a cool $30million to create, so of course the swanky poolside bar and ‘waterfalls’ come as standard.
3 – The oblong pool at Rosas & Xocolate Boutique Hotel & Spa in Mexico
(Rosas & Xocolate/PA)
Proving that bigger isn’t always better, this narrow turquoise pool at Rosas & Xocolate Boutique Hotel & Spa, in Mexico’s historic Paseo de Montejo, is oh-so inviting. And don’t get us started on the pink walls… could you imagine a dreamier setting?
4 – The canyon-side pool at Enchantment Resort in Arizona
(Enchantment Resort/PA)
Talk about a swim with a view. Backdrops really don’t get more dramatic than the red-rock Boynton Canyon in Arizona’s nature-steeping Sedona – and this is exactly what you get, all to yourself (well, along with the other guests), at Enchantment Resort.
5 – The decanter-shaped pool at The Yeatman in Portugal
(Laurence Brandjas/PA)
Well this gives a whole new meaning to swimming in wine… The Yeatman is a ‘luxury wine hotel’ and spa in Portugal’s coastal city of Porto, something it’s not shy about celebrating. This quirky infinity pool also boasts some of the best views in town, looking out across the Douro River and beyond.
6 – The rooftop pool at Le Bristol in Paris
While not an open-air pool, it does sit atop the Le Bristol hotel’s roof – encased in a room made to look like the prow of a yacht, complete with wooden decking and a painted mural to set the scene. Better still, guests can gaze out across one of the most romantic and recognisable city skylines in the world.
7 – The balcony pool at Avalon hotel in Sweden
(Avalon/PA)
Yep, it’s on the roof of an achingly-hip hotel in Sweden’s Gothenburg – and that’s probably enough of a draw for many. But Avalon has taken its pool-game even further, by making one end a clear-bottomed balcony, so you can literally swim in mid-air!
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