Image courtesy of Canaves Oia Epitome
Whether you’re checking into a boutique hotel in Santorini or indulging in a luxury stay in New York City, sometimes the best part of a hotel is its swimming pool. Today’s hotel pools run the gamut from indoor pools to outdoor pools, infinity pools to private plunge pools. Some hotel pools mirror their surroundings, designed as an extension of the natural landscape. Other hotel pools are all about those panoramic vistas and sunset views. Some hotels offer guest rooms with whirlpools, outdoor swimming pools or hot tubs, while other hotel pools are so over-the-top, they bring everything you could want (a swim-up bar, cabanas, daybeds, cocktails and television screens) to you poolside. Be it an adult-only pool in Las Vegas or a romantic pool carved into a cliffside in Greece, these are the best hotel pools in the world.
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Setai Miami
Image courtesy of Setai Miami
The 5-star Setai Miami hotel sits on Miami Beach and offers the utmost luxury, replete with on-site gallery shopping, gourmet culinary experiences, a signature spa and sauna and award-winning accommodations. While the hotel does offer its own private swath of beach, sometimes you want to enjoy swimming without that pesky sand sticking between your toes. Enter the Setai Miami swimming pool, an oasis swaddled by verdant palm trees and crisp white day beds. Each of the hotel’s pools is temperature-controlled, catering to the needs of its guests. The family-friendly pool stays a balmy 90 degrees, the lounge pool is set to 85 degrees, while the lap pool is set at 75 degrees. Plus, all three infinity pools are oriented from east to west, uniquely positioned to offer swimmers the best views of sunrise and sunset. After basking in your preferred swimming pool and temperature, head over to the courtyard, where you’ll find a serenity pond surrounded by dark wood pergolas where guests can lounge, meditate or sip a cocktail.
Fora Perks:
$100 food / beverage credit.
Breakfast daily.
Upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Hotel Christopher St. Barths
Image courtesy of Hotel Christopher St. Barths
Set on the oh-so-chic island of St. Barths in the Caribbean, this 5-star boutique hotel features 42 rooms defined by an elegant modern design and gorgeous vistas of the Caribbean Sea, as well as the popular Sisley Spa, voted the best spa in the Caribbean. After check-in, drop your bags and head over to the infinity pool, which is the true show-stopper. This gigantic outdoor pool is flanked by palm trees and sits on the water’s edge, seamlessly merging into the sea. In the center of the swimming pool sits a man-made island where day beds and palm trees make this a prime spot to sunbathe. What we love most about this pool at Christopher St. Barths is how it doesn’t resemble a swimming pool so much as it does a tropical lagoon. To really take advantage of this stunning pool, book one of the poolside villas in advance.
Fora Perks:
$100 hotel / resort credit.
Breakfast daily.
Upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Villa D’este Como
Image courtesy of Villa D'este Como
If there’s anything more romantic than staying in a 5-star hotel on the edge of Lake Como, we’d like to see it. One of the more popular hotels in Italy, Villa D’este sits on 25 acres of luxurious landscape, with two historic mansions dating as far back as the 16th century, transformed into award-winning accommodations. While the hotel is undeniably stunning, its floating pool is the property's crown jewel. As the name implies, the floating pool floats atop Lake Como's indigo waters, offering unparalleled views of the surrounding nature and lake. Surrounded by a wooden dock and bright white and blue deck chairs, the vistas in particular earn this swimming pool a spot on our list. Whatever you do, plan a visit to the outdoor swimming pool at sunset, when the deck lights up and the sky turns a cotton-candy pink, giving you one of the most beautiful swims you’re likely to experience in your life. (Lake Como also makes a fabulous stop on a family-focused, 10-day Italy itinerary.)
Fora Perks:
Breakfast daily.
Complimentary minibar.
Upgrade & extended check-in/out wherever possible.
Beverly Hills Hotel
Image courtesy of the Beverly Hills Hotel
The Beverly Hills Hotel is a 5-star stay that captures that old Hollywood glamour one hopes to find when visiting Los Angeles. Since 1912, this iconic boutique hotel has been hosting some of the biggest names to grace the silver screen, including Elizabeth Taylor. After check-in, head to the Beverly Hills Hotel Spa and Sauna to get red-carpet ready, where manicurists will pull inspiration from the retro pink- and white-striped walls adorning the hotel. From there, head to the pool deck. The hotel pool dates back to 1938 and originally opened as the Sand and Beach Pool Club, even bringing in actual sand to make the swimming pool look and feel like a beach. Every celebrity imaginable has lounged in the poolside cabanas, including Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn (who once dove into the swimming pool fully clothed!) and Lauren Bacall. Today, this historic outdoor pool remains a Hollywood favorite where the glitterati can imbibe in cocktails. Make sure to check in with the front desk to reserve one of the swanky striped sun chairs.
Fora Perks:
$100 food / beverage OR $100 spa credit.
$75 daily breakfast credit.
Upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Canaves Oia Sunday Suites
Image courtesy of Canaves Oia Epitome
Do you ever wish you could have a pool entirely to yourself? We get it, and thankfully, so does Canaves Oia Sunday Suites in Santorini. Each intimate room in this 5-star hotel offers the utmost privacy. The Pool Suite boasts panoramic views of the Aegean Sea, a king-size bed, a spacious living room, a large bathroom with a rain shower and even walk-in closets. But, the real draw is the private veranda, where an infinity pool hangs over the sparkling Aegean waters. Imagine a getaway where you can take a few steps from your bed and dip into your own private pool, where you can enjoy free Wi-Fi and order room service for a private candlelit meal on your veranda. Most of the suites at Canaves Oia have a private infinity pool or plunge pool, but if you’re looking for a swim that won’t have you basking in that Grecian sun, book the Executive Suite with the Cave pool, which has a semi-indoor pool carved directly into the cliffside.
Fora Perks:
$100 food / beverage credit.
Breakfast daily.
Upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Aman New York
Image courtesy of Aman New York
There is perhaps nothing more coveted in New York City than access to a great swimming pool. Especially in the sweltering summer months, an indoor or outdoor pool becomes the place to be. The Aman New York boasts a 65-foot reflective indoor pool that feels like a sanctuary of wellness, replete with fire pits, luxurious day beds and soft ambient lighting. Clearly, this swimming pool’s goal is to transport guests to another place, one far from the bustling streets of Manhattan. The Aman New York is a true luxury hotel where Western sensibilities combine with the holistic wellness of Eastern practices. Offering everything from a business center to a fitness center to a jazz club, Aman New York has it all.
Amangiri
Amangiri is a 5-star luxury hotel and resort tucked away in America’s Wild West. Sitting on over 900 acres of red-rock country and desert, Amangiri blends so seamlessly with its surroundings that it feels like it sprung up from the ground. The main pool at Amangiri looks like a desert oasis, surrounded by towering rocks and blistering dunes. The entire property is built around a 35-foot main outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, which curves around a 165-million-year-old Aeolian sandstone rock. The swimming pool is a beautiful ode to the surrounding desert landscape, painstakingly using a mix of sand and cement in its architecture to mirror the surrounding color palette. In addition to the main swimming pool, Amangiri offers luxury suites, many of which come with private plunge pools and telescopes for stargazing.
Fora Perks:
$100 hotel / resort credit.
Breakfast daily.
Upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Circa in Downtown Vegas
While many of the pools on this list belong to family-friendly hotels, sometimes you want to enjoy a swim without the distraction of kids splashing around. Enter Circa, in downtown Las Vegas, a resort and casino with an enviable rooftop pool. Not only is this gigantic pool adult-only, but it is set up like a stadium made up of six pools, all facing a massive 40-foot, high-definition flat-screen TV. With enough space to accommodate a whopping 4,000 people, this Stadium Swim (as they call it) gives you the ability to enjoy championship games and swim-up bars. Around the pool deck, you’ll find plenty of daybed rentals and private cabanas on which you can lounge, watch television, enjoy the views or indulge in cocktails. Open year-round, the Stadium Swim is both fun and Instagrammable, with “selfie walls” set up around the space offering colorful backdrops for those rooftop swimming pool photos.
