In case you hadn’t guessed, we’re firm believers that the swimming pool is one of the most exciting parts of any hotel stay. Whether it’s a private infinity pool on an island retreat or a glass-bottomed pool at the top of a high rise hotel, we’re always searching for the world’s best swimming pools.
Taking a small break from our usual favourite (which is, of course, the infinity pool), today we’re spilling the beans on ten of the world’s most luxurious swimming pools – and you’ll find everything from a gold plated pool to a temperature controlled indoor beach!
1. Marden Palace, Antalya, Turkey
The most impressive part of this luxury resort’s swimming pool isn’t the Da Vinci Bridge (yes, originally designed by Da Vinci himself and built for the first time at the hotel) or the water street that borders the pool…it’s the 350,000 gallon fish tank that’s submerged deep within the pool.
The fun doesn’t stop there, as the resort is also home to the Swim Reef, a 1.6 million litre man-made lagoon that allows guests to swim, feed and snorkel with more than 3000 tropical fish.
2. Gold Energy Pool at the St. Regis Lhasa, Tibet
Lined with thousands of gold-plated tiles, this has to be the most luxurious pool in the world. The salt water is consistently heated to a warming 28-32 degrees and the glittering water glistens like molten gold. Definitely one to visit if you want to feel like a million dollars while you swim!
3. Fontainebleau Miami Beach, USA
This luxury hotel’s huge pool area is made up of dipping pools for children and an enormous pool for adults to enjoy. The main reason this pool is on our list is for the poolside cabanas you can rent to shelter from the sun after a swim – they come with flat screen TVs, wireless internet access and even a butler service. Go all out by renting one the famous island cabanas, which can be found right in the centre of the hotel’s Bowtie pool.
4. San Alfonso del Mar Indoor Beach in Algarrobo, Chile
Ever wish you could enjoy relaxing on the beach even in the middle of winter? Well, at the San Alfonso del Mar you can! The resort’s temperature controlled beach is housed in a glass pyramid (the only one of its kind in South America) and features a warm water pool and heated sand, as well as bubble-beds and waterfalls.
5. Bondi Icebergs Club, Australia
Known as the home of winter swimming, this pool won’t be found at any hotel but it’s well worth checking out if you’re in the Bondi area. This Olympic-size pool can be found on the south edge of the world famous Bondi Beach and is the perfect place to swim a few lengths in an unforgettable location. While an infinity pool might just give the illusion of ocean waves cascading into the water – this pool is the real deal!
Making use of a relatively compact space, this glass-walled pool is set up at the very top of the hotel and looks out onto the neighbouring Church of San Francisco. The transparent walls might make you feel a little bit like a fish in an aquarium but it’s an experience you won’t find anywhere else.
Up on the 29th floor of this high rise luxury hotel you’ll find the Hotel Indigo’s impressive swimming pool. At first glance it might not look like anything special but when you take a dip in the crystal clear waters and peer through the glass bottom of the pool you’ll find yourself face to face with a jaw-dropping view of the streets hundreds of feet below.
8. San Alfonso del Mar Seawater Pool, Chile
The name might sound familiar as this is the second entry from this hotel! The hotel is home to the world’s biggest swimming pool, which is larger than 21 Olympic-sized pools and is pumped full of water directly from the Pacific Ocean. The pool is so huge that guests can sail, scuba dive and kayak without having to leave the luxury of the resort.
9. Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle, California
Currently closed for reconstruction, this world-famous pool was built between 1934 and 1936 and features everything from fountains, sculptures, Vermont marble colonnades and an ancient temple. It’s the perfect place to take a dip if you want to take a trip back to ancient Rome.
Known as one of Koh Samui’s premiere boutique hotels, The Library is home to one of the most unique swimming pools you’ll ever find. It’s not the design or the size that’s so unique, it’s the fact that the mosaic tiles of scarlet, orange and yellow make the water look blood red. Terrifying or stylish? The jury’s out on this one!
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