World’s best hotels with swimming pools 2022: Where to stay for healing swims, soaks and wildlife spots
Whether you’re a fan of early morning laps, a midday dip or an evening laze with a cocktail in each hand, these hotel pools have it all
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From infinity pools which appear to melt into the Caribbean landscape to wild-at-heart clifftop affairs in Bali, a refreshing swim in a picturesque swimming pool can take a hotel stay from brilliant to unforgettable.
Whether it’s a lap pool for a brisk front crawl session while basking in seriously spectacular views, or some refreshing spa flex you’re after as you dip, these standout hotel swimming pools offer some of the most special floats on the planet…
The best hotels with swimming pools worldwide are:
The infinity pool at the Grace Hotel blends effortlessly into the ocean landscape
(Bacchus Agency)
Location: Santorini, Greece
Famed for its whitewashed architecture and blue-domed churches, Santorini’s best swim-with-a-view comes courtesy of Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection’s cliffside infinity pool. With far-reaching views of the volcanic caldera and craggy headland Skaros Rock, which juts into the azure Aegean Sea, this 22m heated pool is the centrepiece of the 20-room, adults-only hotel which spills down seven levels in the rock face in Imerovigli. A favourite with lovers thanks to its secluded feel and crisp, minimalist-luxe rooms, Grace is within easy reach of Fira and Oia, and sunsets here are unrivalled whether enjoyed from the pool, seafood restaurant Varoulko Santorini, or with a tiki cocktail at 363 bar.
Price: Doubles from £640, B&B
Book a bedroom pool villa and jump straight out of bed and into the water
(Alila Villas Uluwatu)
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Showing off the raw, wild roll of Bali’s Bukit Peninsula, the 50m-long infinity pool, perched 100m above the Indian Ocean on a clifftop plateau, is as legendary as Uluwatu’s world-class surf breaks. Designed to flow sensitively into the landscape, jaw-dropping panoramas are punctuated with striking WOHA-designed, wood-slatted cabanas which appear to ‘float’. Sip clever cocktails in the sunset bar (think arak with earl grey cordial and cherries, or nostalgic coconut floats), get a nasi goreng fix at The Warung, then slumber in one of 65 lava-rock roofed villas where glass-fronted doors allow you to roll straight from sofa to outdoor private pool.
Price: One-Bedroom Pool Villas from £870
Calling the pool at Amanbagh ‘regal’ feels like an understatement
(Amanbagh Limited)
Location: Rajasthan, India
Deep in the western Aravalli mountains in slow-paced Ajabgarh is Amanbagh’s fit-for-a-maharaja pool. Flanked by mint green parasols and gnarly-trunked date palms, the spacious 33m x 12m pool reflects the ultra luxe property’s rose-coloured Mughal-style architecture, domed roofs, scallop-edged doors and jali latticework screens beautifully. Soundtracked by chirruping birds, it’s serene by day and even more enchanting when illuminated by twinkly lights at night. Warmed naturally in summer months and heated during winter, as it sits adjacent to a smaller wading pool – and as guests at the 40-room property are often unwinding in the spa – it never feels crowded. Other attractions include grounding fire meditations at dusk and dosha-specific meals.
Price: Doubles from £620, B&B
Laze in the quiet surroundings of this serene pool
(Hotel Castello di Reschio)
Location: Umbria, Italy
Enjoy views of Umbria’s olive groves, ancient vineyards and paintbrush cypress-peppered landscape while soaking in Castello di Reschio’s gorgeous oval-shaped pool. Flanked by umbrella pines, it’s cleverly designed so it seems to melt into the manicured lawns of the 10th-century castle turned heritage-led boutique hotel. Plus, there’s a unique poolside bar for cocktails and gelato, Il Torrino, the castle’s former watchtower. Done swimming? Make for the wine cellar turned spa for subterranean hammams, feast on farm-to-table food – with most produce coming straight from the 3,700 acre estate’s beehives, kitchen garden and vineyards – take a riding lesson, or explore the nearby medieval hilltop towns of Perugia and Assisi.
Price: Doubles from £675, B&B
Relax in the geothermal water away from the public eye
(Blue Lagoon Retreat)
Location: Blue Lagoon, Iceland
If you’ve cash to splash, the most stylish way to experience the Blue Lagoon’s steamy, electric blue, geothermal waters is with a stay at the 62-suite The Retreat. Its series of terraced pools are open only to hotel guests, meaning unhurried relaxation in the famed mineral-rich waters, minus the hoopla, and selfie sticks, of the main lagoon. In the next-level spa, slather up with algae masks and lava scrubs, then relax back in bedrooms in lichen-green and duck-egg blue hues with views out to moss-carpeted lava fields. Don’t miss fine dining restaurant Moss, and set your ‘northern lights wake up call’ to on before you sleep.
Price: Doubles from £1,099, B&B
Best for savannah soaks and wildlife spots: Omaanda
Take in the breathtaking views as you cool off in the savannah
(Zannier Hotels)
Location: Windhoek, Namibia
Omaanda’s 15m infinity pool not only looks out to a 7,500-hectare nature reserve, all greeny-gold savannah and acacia trees with the Auas Mountains rippling in the distance, it’s also the ideal vantage point to spy on a nearby watering hole. This means that after days spent wondering at elephant and cheetah on safari drives you can continue the wildlife spotting as you swim – perhaps catching a glimpse of warthogs gambolling by the water. After sunset, dip underneath a sky spangled with stars, relax by the fireside boma on comfy scatter cushions, hit the rustic wooden bar, or retreat to one of 10 soulfully-decorated thatched cottages inspired by local Owambo architecture.
Price: One-bedroom huts from £750
The infinity pool is just one of the many pools you can sock in at Jade Mountain
(Jade Mountain)
Location: St Lucia
Placed to take in sweeping views of the Caribbean Sea and St Lucia’s Pitons, Jade Mountain’s swimming pools are legendary. As well as a kaleidoscope-mosaic tiled communal pool at the Jade Mountain Club, each of the 24 infinity pool suites has its own ‘vanishing edge’ pool in lieu of each room’s exterior wall. Ensuring a connection to nature at all times, they’re ideal for bathing a deux, and combine shallow lounging areas with a larger swimming area. Surfaced with iridescent glass tiles in varying bright shades, at night there’s added chromotherapy thanks to coloured lights. Pools aside, Jade Mountain’s private beaches, chocolate laboratory and 600-acre tropical estate will keep you busy.
Price: Doubles from £1,050
If you’re not a fan of a tropical beach holiday, the futuristic feel of the pool at The Opposite House might be more to your taste
(The Opposite House)
Location: Beijing, China
Clad in stainless steel, with jewel box hues and a ceiling studded with fibre optic lights, the 22m basement swimming pool at Beijing’s The Opposite House looks like it’s come straight out of a James Bond lair. Its edgy look is in keeping with the creative energy which flows through the property, designed by architecture whizz Kengo Kuma, as a hotel meets living art gallery and is home to an ever-changing roster of installations, which has included tiled waves by Zen-In, and wire sculptures by Huang Yiwei. From its origami-look lobby to the 99 wooden-floored, zen feel guest studios and Michelin-starred Jing Yaa Tang, a stay here is a real work of art.
Price: Doubles from £215
Why choose between the indoor and outdoor pools when you can have both?
(UFFICIALE LEFAY DOLOMITI)
Location: Italian Dolomites
In the heart of the Italian Dolomites and ski hub Madonna di Campiglio, Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti’s arresting indoor-outdoor saltwater pool serves up steamy waters against panoramas of snow-capped peaks in winter, with the icy air adding an extra zing to bathing, while in summertime vistas are a rush of greenery. Forming part of a 5,000m sq spa, there’s also a 20m indoor lap pool, salt water lake, and nine types of sauna, with different ‘paths’ to take to rebalance energies, as well as mountain pine and alpine salt-infused treatments. Eighty eight suites and 22 residences nail contemporary chalet chic, and restaurants, including Ristorante Dolomia, deliver stylish seasonal fare and stunning views.
Price: Doubles from £316, B&B
Swimming laps in this vast, tree-lined pool is sure to make exercise a little more enticing
(Raffles Grand D’angkor)
Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Fringed by landscaped gardens and knotty-limbed frangipani trees, the 35m lap pool at Siem Reap’s grande dame Raffles Grand d’Angkor hotel takes inspiration from Angkor’s ancient Royal Bathing pools. It’s long enough to do a proper workout, but also a lovely spot to simply luxuriate in the marvellous architecture of the alabaster-hued, French Art Deco-style hotel. Everyone from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama has checked into the opulent suites here, which are kitted out with writing desks and vintage rotary phones, and while it retains masses of old-world charm, not to mention its original wrought iron and teak lift, concierge Rey Moraga knows the of-the-minute bars in town, and can arrange unique Vespa tours of Angkor’s temples – which are just a 20-minute drive away.
Price: Doubles from £333
You’re spoiled for choice with three infinity pools at The Setai
(The Setai)
Location: Miami, Florida
A trio of three 24m-long infinity pools set at different temperatures – a 23 degree lap pool, a central pool at 29 degrees and a warmer family pool at 35 degrees – hold court in the palm-fringed gardens at American Art Deco hotel The Setai. Orientated east to west to capitalise on sunrise and sunsets, the series of pools lead towards a private stretch of sugar white-sand on South Beach with day beds and parasols for all-day lounging. Suites have Asian touches – glossy dark woods, mother of pearl mosaics and ancient artefacts – there’s excellent Asian fare at Jaya restaurant, the Sunday jazz brunch is not-to-be-missed, and service here is unfailingly five-star slick.
Price: Doubles from £475, B&B
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