The most beautiful swimming pools in the world, as chosen by our editors
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Much like the old tree falling in the forest adage, if you go on holiday and don't swim or lay by a beautiful pool, was it really even a holiday? The world's best hotels have long known the value of a picturesque swimming pool. New openings and renovations seek to create that ultimate bucket-list swim, whether sky-high in a city or hidden amongst natural oases. Our editors have seen (and swum) it all and, after much-heated debate, have put together a definitive list of the world's most beautiful hotel swimming pools.
Daios Cove, Crete, Greece
Daios Cove is a favourite among committed philhellenes – particularly those in favour of uninterrupted dips. Villas and suites have private pools facing the glittering, crystal clear sea, where couples lounge around without seeing another soul for hours on end – even days if room service is called on.
- © Amanresorts Limited 1996-present. All Rights Reserved.
Amanruya, Bodrum, Turkey
- Sarah Allard
Castello di Vicarello, Tuscany, Italy
Perfectly perched on a hilltop, Castello di Vicarello is the ultimate lookout for Italophiles in search of spectacular Tuscan views. The hotel – a renovated family-run castle – makes use of its location by positioning chic swimming pools in key locations. Sip, swim and gaze over the rolling hills or take a dip in the larger, heated pool on the grounds.
- Manolo Yllera
Mandarin Oriental Marrakech, Morocco
No, you can't swim in every body of water here – just the watery diamond in the centre. However, besides the incredible restaurants, there's little reason to leave the villas dotted across this hotel, which hold private pools that flow into jacuzzis at the foot of beds.
The Bodrum Edition, Turkey
The Bodrum Edition is well-known as one of the coolest hideouts on Turkey's most in-demand peninsula. Long summer days are best spent hopping between the white sand beach and the huge swimming pool – an incredible spot for sunset appreciation as the lights on the other side of the bay begin to twinkle.
Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard, London
For obvious reasons, London isn't known for its swimming pools. However, when the capital's most exclusive hotels do it – they do it really, really well. Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard's swimming pool wins the award for "London's best pool with a view" hands-down. After all, where else can you get your lengths in while taking in views of the River Thames?
Maxx Royal Kemer Resort, Antalya, Turkey
Antalya's dreamiest resort is akin to a permanently sunny utopia, where sun-kissed guests emerge from private swimming pools beyond the heat haze like a Bond-esque mirage. Laguna suites are prime real estate here, offering guests the chance to dive into the fluorescent blue just a few steps from their beds.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como, Italy
Sitting a little back from Lake Como, looking out onto Bellagio, the Liberty-style Grand Hotel Tremezzo conjures a Grand Budapest Hotel set, an impression that grows when you enter the formal lobby with its sweeping red-carpet staircase, antique gilt-framed mirrors, and marble-encased bathrooms. But the true pièce de résistance is the floating pool sitting on the lake – cinematic grandeur incarnate with a Lido-like beachfront, bright orange and white umbrellas, and chic custom loungers.
Manon Les Suites, Copenhagen, Denmark
Manon Les Suites is former factory that has been reconfigured in funky riad style Copenhagen Hotel with a central courtyard garden surrounded by six floors of balconied apartments. At its epicentre is the indoor pool, lined with day beds and surrounded by greenery like some wonderfully steamy tropical wonderland.
Miramonti Boutique Hotel, Merano, Italy
An Alpine spa retreat with jaw-dropping valley views, this mountain hideaway is one of the best-looking hotels in Italy. Set in the Dolomites, overlooking Merano, Miramonti Boutique Hotel is more clean-cut Scandi than trad chalet, with easily one of the prettiest pools in the region.
Hotel Oderberger
Pergamon Museum architect Ludwig Hoffmann designed this palatial public bathhouse in 1898, and the building’s grand spaces and marvellous historical elements were preserved in its conversion to a boutique Berlin hotel. The centrepiece of Hotel Oderberger is the original 65ft-long heated indoor pool, set beneath a towering vaulted ceiling and framed by enormous windows and dramatic stone arches.
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, France
Life isn’t perfect. That’s why we have places like Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, where the world’s most glamorous people descend every summer to live on what feels like an impeccably styled film set. Carved into basalt rock, the salt water pool has the ultimate poolside summer scene, merging art deco designs and old-school glamour of the French Riviera.
- Ana Lui
Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay, Ibiza, Spain
The pool deck is one of the key hubs of Nobu Ibiza Bay, where mellow music complements a constant tinkle of ice in glasses, and methuselahs of rosé are hurried around. It’s all as barefoot and cosseting as you’d expect from the team behind Cliveden and the Marbella Club, whose Slim Aarons-esque, country club aesthetic can be felt at every turn.
- Mr. Tripper
Cowley Manor, Cotswolds, UK
The Experimental Group – the hospitality brand that started out by excelling at exceptional cocktail-making in London and Paris – have given the former Cowley Manor more than just a fresh lick of paint. Think glossy lava stone in cherry reds, paisley blues and stony browns, stripy tubs to soak in for days, low slinging seventies sofas and swirly-curly chairs. Rare for the UK, the property has not one but two pools, one outdoor and indoor.
Alila Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
With an infinity edge, the pool at Alila Ubud hotel in Bali almost blends into the landscape of the Ayung River valley.
- PHILIP VILE
Castello di Reschio, Umbria, Italy
The priority at this property is the view; Umbria's hillside unravels beneath the infinity pool at Castello di Reschio, a reinvented 1,000-year-old castle with landscaped gardens of rosemary, lavender, olive and pomegranate trees.
The Dolli, Athens, Greece
Originally a shipping magnate’s mansion and later a famous fabric emporium, this 1925 landmark has been reimagined as a Athens hotel-Maison by Grecotel, Greece’s largest hotel chain. The real scene-stealer of The Dolli is the roof terrace: the infinity pool creates the illusion that you’re floating in the Parthenon, which is just overhead.
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
The famed Singapore hotel rooftop infinity pool at the Gold-Listed Marina Bay Sands resort is 150m long and set into a cantilevered platform overhanging the hotel.
Joali, Maldives
Joali is a hybrid of the best that the Maldives has to offer. Turn up barefoot at Mura Bar for a sunset Martini, a buttermilk-chicken slider and a shisha pipe. Or sink into an infinity pool that blends into the surrounding lagoon. It’s this deep-rooted, solid luxury, without the slightest hint of dictating who guests should be, what they should wear and how they should relax, that immediately aligns Joali with the frontrunners.
Soho Warehouse, Los Angeles, USA
Sitting on a corner in a gritty neighbourhood (although not as gritty as it used to be) on the outskirts of downtown Los Angeles, Soho Warehouse is exactly that – a seven-storey former industrial warehouse that’s been wholly transformed into the largest members-only Soho House in the United States. The rooftop pool is a little slice of heaven. Sunny and bright with unreal views of Los Angeles and the mountains beyond, the pool is a relaxation haven with plush chairs and cabanas lining its perimeter, each with its own baby-blue cooler to keep drinks ice cold on hot days.
Finca Rosa Blanca, Costa Rica
Finca Rosa Blanca marries the unbuttoned, old-fashioned charm of a Victorian-era style plantation house with the hip design vibe of a Slim Aarons photo-scape. The living, working, sunbathing, partying spaces meld as a glamorous hub around the kitchen-bar area and free-form pool.
- Alice Gao
L’Ile Rousse hotel, Bandol, France
Set back on a hill overlooking a breathtaking curve of aquamarine ocean, L’Ile Rousse hotel was once the home of the actor and singer Mistinguett, then converted into a nightclub in the 1960s. More recently it was spruced up to the tune of £15million with a thalasso spa, mirror-like infinity pool and private beach.
- Fakaros
Cali Mykonos, Greece
Hidden on a craggy fortress on the shores of the secluded beach town of Kalafati, Cali Mykonos is worlds away from the madness of Mykonos Old Town. The place is mighty pretty, with a secluded umbrella-flecked private beach and sexy curvaceous pool of epic Olympic proportion.
Albatroz Beach & Yacht Club, Santa Cruz, Madeira
Located on the cliffs of Santa Cruz Bay, Madeira hotel Albatroz Beach & Yacht Club is home to one of the prettiest ocean pools in the world, which has been naturally formed from volcanic rock and continuously fills with ocean seawater.
- Alila Kothaifaru Maldives
Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, Maldives
Situated on a lush, natural private island with pool villas and wonderfully friendly and professional staff, Alila Kothaifaru is easily one of the most charming hotels in the Maldives, with one of the most beautiful pools in the world.
- Ingrid Rasmussen
25hours Hotel One Central, Dubai
Forget the glitz and glam, this cool new un-Dubai hotel is a hub for creatives, digital nomads, and those in the know. Guests at 25hours Hotel One Central spend most days lounging on beds and bean bags around the rooftop pool, nibbling tacos and sipping margaritas from the pool bar. Swim to the pool's edge for the best views of the Museum of the Future which lights up in the evening.
Singita Sweni Lodge, South Africa
Opened in 2004 and renovated in 2017, the seven-room Singita Sweni Lodge is intimate, colourful and explicitly African. Close to the river, in the midst of the foliage, it feels like staying in the jungle hideaway of a design-aware billionaire friend. The lodge is home to one large main pool, as well as an array of private infinity pools.
Hotel Santa Caterina, The Amalfi Coast, Italy
A matter of feet from the tourists and limoncello stalls of Amalfi, this is one of the namesake coastline’s grande dames. A hotel that feels as if it should have been lost to the sea, Hotel Santa Caterina clings to the limestone rocks over six storeys. The staggering glass-fronted lift takes guests from the rooftop restaurant past tumbling terraced gardens to the seaside pool that looks like something out of a Slim Aarons scene.
Chapung Sebali Resort and Spa, Ubud, Bali
Just 10 minutes from Ubud, Danish-owned Chapung SeBali Resort and Spa is surrounded by nature: it’s immersed in vivid green rice terraces and lush rainforest, the infinity pool looks out onto the vast jungle, and from the day beds guests can hear geckos croaking, accompanied by the sound of the Osh river running below, and watch dragonflies dipping in and out of the water.
- Ana Lui
Kahani Paradise, Gokarna, India
Along the coast from Goa, in the laid-back beach town of Gokarna, is Kahani Paradise – a villa on 20 acres of land that has a beautiful infinity pool looking out onto the hills.
Belmond Reid’s Palace, Madeira, Portugal
Cut into a cliff face with views over the Atlantic Ocean, Belmond Reid's Palace has an exclusive pool terrace where you can walk down to a sea-level platform and jump straight into the ocean.
- James Florio
Tierra Atacama, Chile
The pool at Tierra Atacama's Uma Spa looks out onto the Licancabur Volcano and Chile's Atacama Desert.
- Zannier Hotels
Omaanda by Zannier Hotels, Namibia
At smart lodge Omaanda by Zannier Hotels in the Savannah, the infinity pool looks out over Namibia's stark mountainscape.
Capella Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Deep in the higgledy-piggledy Keliki Valley, Capella Ubud is easily missed – only the eagle-eyed might spot the dark pitched roofs of tents beside a river in this steep patch of Balinese jungle. Brass monkey statues among the foliage are the first clue that imaginative designer Bill Bensley has been at play here. As are the private saltwater pools scattered about the lush grounds.
Boucan by Hotel Chocolat, St. Lucia, Caribbean
Chocolate martinis are served poolside overlooking the pointed peak of Petit Piton, at six-room boutique property Boucan by Hotel Chocolat, set in cocoa groves high in St Lucia's rainforest.
Campo De Arroz, Comporta, Portugal
Overlooking luscious rice fields in Portugal's largest region of Alentejo, Campo de Arroz's pool blends seamlessly into its rural surroundings.
Amangiri, Utah, USA
Amangiri in Utah is built around its swimming pool, which in turn is built around the base of a rock stack in the desert.
- Alice Gao
La Reserve, Beaulieu, France
Built in the 19th century, La Reserve has been a celeb hideout in Beaulieu, a corner of France with Hollywood history, for decades.
Six Senses Zil Pasyon, Seychelles
Six Senses Zil Pasyon is one of the finest private islands in the Indian Ocean, certainly one of the most dramatic, run by the sure-handed spa specialist group, with rewilded nature that’s been given the time and space to make a comeback. Up in the trees, or secluded amid rocks and pristine forest, the villas are the closest thing to super-smart, minimalist tree-houses.
The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland
The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon takes all the geothermal wonder of the Blue Lagoon and instils it into an uber-luxurious wellness establishment. The sleek and minimalist suites mirror the mossy-covered lava fields outside, while floor-to-ceiling windows welcome in the ethereal light of the Reykjanes Peninsula, inciting the stark grey and subdued black interiors into a heady and otherworldly Icelandic spectrum. Access to a more exclusive section of the Blue Lagoon is also included.
- Josue Copete
Blue Apple Beach, Colombia
This eco-minded retreat on a scrap of land off the coast of Cartagena has 11 barefoot rooms and breezy outdoor terraces.
- Chris Wise
Chiva Som, Thailand
Chiva Som is the undisputed grand dame of spas, overlooking the ocean on Hua Hin.
- Richard James Taylor
Belmond Cap Juluca, Anguilla
The Moroccan pool at the Main House at Caribbean island hideaway Cap Juluca, which was renovated in 2019.
- LM Chabot
Nukutepipi, Tahiti, South Pacific
Nukutepipi is a private island in the South Pacific with 16 beachfront villas.
Amanpuri, Phuket, Thailand
Guests at Amanpuri get a sophisticated, A-list retune in a classic Thai setting.
Four Seasons The Nam Hai, Vietnam
At the Four Seasons The Nam Hai, a mindful spa there are three tiered swimming pools under swaying palms.
Qualia, Queensland, Australia
Super-smart Qualia sits on its own peninsula in the Great Barrier Reef.
Villa Bahia, Salvador
Villa Bahia is a large colonial-style ‘pousada’ with a tiny courtyard and a pool surrounded by plants, the coolest place to be in the neighbourhood come evening.
- Tim Evan-Cook
Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Yala National Park, Sri Lanka
The scallop-edged infinity pool at Wild Coast Tented Lodge sits among an untapped wilderness where leopards slink in the night and elephants thunder during the day, and the soundtrack is the surf pounding the sand on the beach nearby.
- Ricardo Labougle
Neptuno, Laguna del Sauce, Uruguay
The infinity pool at Neptuno, an 18-acre rock-star hideaway on the shores of Laguna del Sauce, Uruguay.
- Martin Morrell
Ka'ana, Belize
At tropical hideout Ka'ana in Belize, you can order poolside cocktails and conch ceviche surrounded by Caribbean jungle.
Grace Santorini, Greece
At Grace Santorini, the asymmetric infinity pool's sweeping caldera view looks out over the rolling glitz of the Aegean Sea and craggy Skaros Rock.
Borgo Pignano, Tuscany, Italy
Borgo Pignano’s infinity pool is carved from an ancient limestone quarry and overlooks stretches of olive groves, vineyards, fields and woods in Tuscany.
Sun Gardens Dubrovnik, Croatia
The circular pool at Sun Gardens Dubrovnik hotel in Dubrovnik, Croatia, curves out into the Adriatic Sea.
- Ana Lui
The Other Side, North Eleuthera, Bahamas
This sleek pool made the cover of the magazine in September 2017. Read more on Harbour Island in The Bahamas here.
- Hamish Niven
Cape View Clifton, Cape Town, South Africa
A little sun-trap with not-so-little views at the Cape View Clifton in Cape Town, South Africa. Read our full review of Cape View Clifton here.
Monastero Santa Rosa, Amalfi Coast, Italy
With views of Ravello and Positano, the infinity pool at Monastero Santa Rosa blends in with the sea and sky on Italy's Amalfi Coast.
One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives
A pool-within-a-pool-within-the-sea at The Spa by ESPA, at the wonderful Maldives hotel One&Only Reethi Rah.
Villa Mythos, Kefalonia, Greece
Take the plunge at Villa Mythos on Kefalonia and find yourself suspended 300 metres above Myrtos beach.
The Berkeley, London, England
The rooftop pool on the seventh floor of The Berkeley in London is tiled in iridescent white and gold mosaic and is a welcome oasis from the busy streets of Knightsbridge below. Guests can swim come rain or shine thanks to a sliding roof.
Six Senses Yao Noi, Thailand
Looking out over Thailand's James Bond-worthy Phang Nga Bay, the Six Senses Yao Noi pool has incredible views of the limestone formations jutting out of the Andaman Sea.
Le Bristol, Paris, France
Now this is a pool with a view. The rooftop pool at Le Bristol in Paris is located on the sixth floor and opens on to a vast sun deck, offering unrivalled views across the rooftops.
Alila Villas Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia
At Alila Villas Uluwatu, the 50m-high clifftop infinity pool has views out over the ocean on Bali's southernmost tip.
Amankila Beach Club, Bali, Indonesia
The Beach Club lap pool at Gold List-winning hotel Amankila, in Karangasem, Bali.
Chedi Muscat, Oman
Set in the desert in Oman, the Chedi Muscat has a 21-acre oasis of a garden complete with three temperature-controlled swimming pools to cool down in.
The Brando, Tahiti, French Polynesia
Marlon Brando first clapped his eyes on Tetiaroa island when scouting locations for Mutiny on the Bounty in 1963. Today, The Brando is home to 35 private villas with plunge pools, but it's the island's main pool that has the best views of the surrounding coral reef.
Laucala Island, Fiji
The pool-within-a-pool at Laucala Island, a 25-villa private-island resort in Fiji, in the South Pacific Ocean.
Banyan Tree, Seychelles
The infinity pool at the Intendance Pool Villa at Banyan Tree Seychelles is built into the mountainside and overlooks the Indian Ocean.
Singita Sabi Sand, South Africa
The candlelit pool at Singita Sabi Sand, a set of three elegant safari lodges on the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve in South Africa.
- Todd Eberle
Faena Hotel, Miami, Florida
You can't miss the red and white umbrellas at the Faena Hotel's palm-lined swimming pool.
Belmond Residencia, Mallorca, Spain
In the hillside town of Deia on Mallorca's west coast, the pool at the Belmond Residencia seamlessly blends in with the mountainous scenery.
Tri, Lake Koggala, Sri Lanka
It's tempting to spend days horizontal beside the sparkling infinity pool overlooking Lake Koggala at Tri.
Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara, Oman
The seemingly never-ending infinity pool stretches as far as the sea and the sweep of powdery palm-lined beach at Al Baleed Resort Salalah, by Anantara in Oman.
La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco
The ozone-treated outdoor pool is set in 20 acres of lush parkland, where fruit trees and flowers provide an oasis from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech outside La Mamounia's palace walls.
Hanging Gardens of Bali, Bali, Indonesia
The tiered infinity pool at Hanging Gardens of Bali, set on top of a cliff and surrounded by rainforest. Every room in the hotel has its own infinity-edge pool with similarly verdant views.
Finca Cortesin, Andaluçia, Spain
One of three swimming pools at Finca Cortesin, near Sotogrande in Andalucía, Spain.
The Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona, USA
A stunning colour-clash-splash of turquoise against the rich-red sandstone formations at The Enchantment Resort, near Sedona, Arizona.
- Andrew J Loiterton
Hotel Indigo, Hong Kong
Lengths at Hong Kong's Hotel Indigo are not for the faint-hearted – the water cantilevers over the edge of the 29th floor.
- Nelson Garrido
Casa No Tempo, Lisbon, Portugal
Casa No Tempo's sunken swimming pool, with its beach-like edge, blends into the countryside outside Lisbon.
Rocca delle Tre Contrade, Sicily, Italy
The infinity pool at the recently restored Rocca delle Tre Contrade villa in Sicily, which is accessed via a secret staircase cut into the ancient lavastone walls, and overlooks the Ionian Sea and vineyards in the foothills of Mount Etna.
Aman Sveti Stefan, Montenegro
Sheltered by ancient castle walls is this private pool of the top suite at Aman Sveti Stefan, a hotel on a restored historic island off the coast of Montenegro.
The Cambrian Hotel, Swiss Alps
The infinity pool at The Cambrian Hotel, high in the Swiss Alps in Adelboden where the air quality is so good that you can see – and swim – for miles.
TIA Wellness Resort, Vietnam
The main pool at TIA Wellness Resort, an all-inclusive spa and yoga retreat in Da Nang, on the central Vietnam coast.
Four Seasons, The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam
The pool at The Nam Hai on the edge of Ha My beach, near the old town of Hoi An, Vietnam.
The Siam, Bangkok, Thailand
The riverside swimming pool at elegant urban oasis The Siam hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, which overlooks the Chao Phraya.
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The roof-terrace pool at Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, at the foot of the city's iconic Petronas Towers, overlooks the KL skyline and has one of the best bars in the city for outdoor cocktails.
São Lourenço do Barrocal, Portugal
In the former kitchen garden of working winery, olive grove and hotel São Lourenço do Barrocal is a tranquil swimming pool with an enormous boulder at one end. This area of the Alentejo was once a magnet for tribes who used the huge granite outcrops, or barrocais, found all over the estate, as ceremonial sites.
The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India
One of the pools, accessible only via the suites, at The Oberoi Udaivilas on a shore of Lake Pichola in Udaipur, India.
Four Seasons Hotel Pudong, Shanghai, Shanghai, China
The indoor pool at the Four Seasons at Pudong overlooks the Shanghai skyline.
Amanyara, Turks and Caicos, Caribbean
At the Amanyara in Turks and Caicos, timber day loungers surround the onyx-coloured infinity pool, just a short walk to the hotels private beach.
Belmond Hotel Caruso, Amalfi Coast, Italy
On Italy's ridiculously beautiful Amalfi Coast, the Belmond Hotel Caruso is set at the highest point of Ravello. Its elliptical-shaped, infinity-edged swimming pool is found down a pathway flanked by roses.
Kura Design Villas, Costa Rica
The saltwater pool at sustainable Kura Design Villas in Costa Rica is lined with dark-green Balinese tiles.
Punta Tragara, Capri, Italy
Life doesn't get much sweeter than in the pool at Punta Tragara hotel in Capri, surrounded by Mediterranean plants and overlooking the spectacular rock formations in the bay of Marina Piccola, off the Amalfi Coast, Italy.
Belmond La Résidence d'Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia
The swimming pool at Belmond La Résidence d'Angkor hotel in Siem Reap, flanked with jungle greenery and temples. If the nearby Angkor Wat had a pool (heaven forbid!), it would look like this.
Time + Tide Chongwe House, Zambia, Africa
The pool at safari lodge Time + Tide Chongwe House overlooks the mountains of the Lower Zambezi and the Chongwe River, where animals come to bathe and drink.
Isleta El Espino, Nicaragua
This gorgeous eco-lodge is situated on an island in the middle of freshwater expanse in Nicaragua.
Domus Civita, Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy
At Domus Civita, in the hilltop Italian town of Civita di Bagnoregio, the pool is hidden in a cave beneath the house.
- Christos Drazos Photography
Canaves Oia Suites, Santorini
A heavenly swimming pool in a cave – formerly part of a 17th-century winery – which overlooks the Aegean Sea at super-chic hotel Canaves Oia Suites, on Santorini, Greek Islands.
Hotel Villa Honegg, Switzerland
Hotel Villa Honegg in Switzerland offers guests a stunning view of Lake Lucerne from the infinity pool.
The Sanchaya, Bintan Island, Indonesia
The salt-chlorinated 'Tasanee' Pool, meaning 'beautiful view' in Thai, at The Sanchaya in Indonesia looks onto the South China Sea.
- Julien Capmeil
Le Toiny, St Barth's
Le Toiny has a quiet, understated earthiness, and Each of the hotel's lateral-living villas has a private heated pool surrounded by casuarina trees, oleanders and hibiscus.