Many islands are home to the world’s best beaches, but sometimes people simply prefer to chill by the pool (for reasons that include comfier chaises, no pesky sand underfoot and relaxing swim-up bars). And while most resorts have a pool, some are just way more inviting, with scenic backdrops, locally inspired design and dramatic infinity edges. Here’s a look at some of the most amazing hotel pools around the globe.
Kata Rocks – Phuket, Thailand
Your vacation will go to infinity and beyond at this luxury resort on Thailand’s sunny Phuket island, where the pale aquamarine water of the sleek infinity pool that fronts each of the 34 modern suites and villas meets the deep blue calm of the Andaman Sea. The private pools are generously sized (23 or 46 feet depending on the category) but if you’re feeling social you can also soak in some sun at the chaise-lined Infinity Pool located off of the main bar and lounge. katarocks.com
Hotel Caesar Augustus – Capri, Italy
Check into this 55-room luxury hotel perched on a hillside on the beautiful Isle of Capri and you can literally surround yourself with blue at the irresistible infinity-edge pool. The cool cobalt of the 88-foot-long pool is matched by the the intense cerulean of the Bay of Naples, the brilliant cornflower of the Mediterranean sky and the dusty indigo of the silhouette of one of Italy’s most famous volcanoes, Mt. Vesuvius (of Pompeii fame). This pool is a daydreamer’s paradise — even during cooler months when it’s heated. caesar-augustus.com
Jade Mountain – St. Lucia
Yes, there’s a resort pool atop this sexy, one-of-a-kind hotel overlooking St. Lucia’s famous Piton peaks. But it’s not the one you’ll be spending most of your time in — not when each of the 24 wood-and-stone Sanctuaries has its own private pool with a view. And we’re not talking tiny plunge pools that can barely fit two people. Depending on the category (except for Sky, which only has a Jacuzzi), your personal glass-tiled oasis will measure between 400 and 900 square feet. The pool, not the room. The Sanctuaries, which have just three walls and are open to nature, are 1,400 to 2,000 square feet. jademountain.com
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai – Big Island, Hawaii
The King’s Pond isn’t really a pool per se, but it’s one of the coolest and most refreshing places to swim (make that snorkel) at this 243-room resort on the island of Hawaii. That’s because this 1.8-million-gallon, man-made saltwater “aquarium” carved from lava rock has been stocked with more than 4,000 tropical fish and a few spotted eagle rays. If snorkeling isn’t your thing, there are five other more traditional pools to choose from, including a lap pool, the adults-only Palm Grove Pool and the family-oriented Sea Shell Pool. fourseasons.com
InterContinental Hong Kong
Where does the pool end and Victoria Harbour begin? You’ll have to swim on over to the infinity edge of one of the three spa pools (each a different temperature) to find out as you soak in views of Hong Kong across the harbor — crisscrossed by the legendary Star Ferries — from your perch on the Pool Terrace of this 503-room hotel located on the Kowloon waterfront. There’s also a large central pool and teak-decked dining area with a distinctly Asian ambiance that both offer plenty of space to relax and recover from your jetlag. intercontinental.com
One&Only Ocean Club – Paradise Island, Bahamas
Lots of pools in the Caribbean offer water views — and this 105-room luxury resort on Paradise Island has a new 125-foot infinity-edged Ocean Pool that’s framed in serene Bahamian blue — but this is also the only property in the region with a smaller, palm-shaded pool that faces a manicured terraced Versailles Garden topped by a 12th-century Augustinian cloister brought to the island from France. Breezy seascape or historic backdrop — the choice is yours. oneandonlyresorts.com
Grace Santorini Hotel – Santorini, Greece
Slip into the spare, geometric confines of this serene infinity-edge pool and you’re apt to decide that this is exactly what heaven should be like. Set high atop of the volcanic cliffs of Oia — perhaps the most photographed village in the Greek Islands, famous for its whitewashed Cycladic-style houses and blue-domed churches — the largest pool of its kind on Santorini overlooks the dramatic sea-filled caldera and offers a perfect view of the famously romantic sunset. gracehotels.com
InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa – French Polynesia
Travelers sometimes overlook French Polynesia’s main island of Tahiti, treating it as a mere gateway to neighboring Moorea or bucket-list mainstay Bora Bora. But two of the most amazing infinity pools in this South Pacific paradise are just a few miles from the international airport at this 245-room resort. One, Le Lotus measures 8,600 square feet and features a sandy bottom, swim-up bar and incredible views of Moorea, while the 12,900-square-foot Te Tiare pool has refreshing cascades. intercontinental.com
Zoetry Agua Punta Cana – Dominican Republic
A river runs through it — a lazy, leisurely, pale-blue river of cool, refreshing pool water that winds its way around the lush, palm-tree-lined grounds of this 96-suite all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic. “Agua” mean water in Spanish, so the meandering pools (two separate ones, actually, that end with infinity-edge views of the white-sand beach and sparkling Caribbean) are totally apropos. zoetyresorts.com
Banyan Tree Seychelles
Set on a hillside above a perfect crescent of golden sand, this intimate resort on Mahe island in Seychelles features 60 contemporary Creole-style villas, each with its own sapphire-blue infinity pool that seems suspended in mid-air. The views are as dreamy as the décor and the privacy is the stuff honeymoons and romantic getaways are made of. The larger infinity pool near the bar and lounge area has an inviting glassy sheen just waiting for someone to take a dip and send ripples racing off toward the endless horizon. banyantree.com
Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve – Puerto Rico
Having a choice of pools — one reserved for adults and the other dedicated to family fun—is always a welcome amenity. At this 115-room super-exclusive resort located 30 minutes from San Juan, you can enroll kids aged 4-16 off in the Ambassadors of the Environment program, order an icy mojito and claim a chaise (or reserve a cabana) at the serene, palm-tree-lined Positivo Pool with its soothing views of the beach and waves. An equally compelling panorama awaits at the Encanto Beach Club Pool, where splash pools will assure even the littlest ones enjoy some fun in the sun. ritzcarlton.com
Editor’s note: Puerto Rico was heavily impacted by Hurricane Maria and this resort may be closed. Please visit the hotel’s website for updates.
Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
What it lacks in size it more than makes up for in drama. The seasonal rooftop pool (open mid-May to September) at this 379-room red-brick hotel located on Venice’s Giudecca Canal — it was converted 10 years ago from a late-19th-century flour mill — offers some of the best panoramic views in the city. It’s almost surreal to enjoy a swim here as you gaze down on the red rooftops and bell towers of one of the world’s most famous island cities. Hang around until twilight (there’s a rooftop bar, too) when things truly get magical. hilton.com
Alila Villas Uluwatu – Bali
The island of Bali is pretty magical all on its own, but when you slip on your swimsuit and glide over to the edge of the infinity pool at this 65-villa resort to watch the sunset, it becomes absolutely divine. Set atop limestone cliffs more than 300 feet above the Indian Ocean and measuring a generous 164 feet in length, this is the kind of pool that transports you to a deeper kind of relaxation than you ever knew was possible. alilahotels.com
Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa – Jamaica
The all-inclusive fun at the family-friendly, 488-room resort in Montego Bay includes a swimming pool complex that’s home to the Sugar Mills Falls Water Park, the largest in Jamaica and the second largest in the Caribbean. Features include a 280-foot water slide, several waterfalls, a lazy river for splashing and tubing, three terraced pools — and for the accompanying adults, a swim-up bar. The resort also has a large, chaise-lined main pool if screams and thrills aren’t your thing. hilton.com
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort – Maui, Hawaii
It’s the best of both worlds at this 776-room enclave set on 40 acres along Maui’s Wailea Beach and offering a splash-centric pool for kids of every age and a more sedate adults-only option for guests who prefer to chill. The former, known as the Canyon Activity Pool, measures over 27,000 square feet and features nine separate pools on six different levels with rapids, slides, waterfalls, rope swings and a swim-up bar. The latter is 4,850 square feet and features more than 2.2 million glass mosaic tiles forming the giant flower that gives it it’s name: The Hibiscus Pool. grandwailea.com
Belmond Reid’s Palace – Funchal, Madeira
If the beach isn’t your thing, perhaps you’d rather be surrounded by a lush, 10-acre subtropical garden as you swim in your choice of three heated pools (two of them saltwater) and gaze at the intense blue Atlantic Ocean hundreds of feet below. That’s how you’ll spend a relaxing afternoon at this 158-room historic hotel — it dates back more than 120 years — located in Funchal, the capital of this Portuguese territory of Madeira, which is known as the Island of Eternal Spring. belmond.com
Gansevoort Turks & Caicos – Providenciales
Sometimes size does matter. The folks who created this 91-room resort on Providenciales in the sunny Turks & Caicos Islands certainly thought so when they built a 7,000-square-foot infinity pool for their guests — even though the clear, calm, invitingly blue water of Grace Bay is just steps away. Lined with chaises and accented with rustling coconut palms and four umbrella-shaded “island pods,” this pool can channel a bit of a Miami scene, complete with a DJ at times, but there’s plenty of room to kick back and relax. gansevoorthotelgroup.com
Cheval Blanc Randheli – Maldives
When privacy is a priority it’s hard to beat the 40-foot infinity pools attached to each of the 45 island and water villas at this luxury resort located on private Noonu Atoll in the Maldives. The contemporary style of the Jean-Michel Gathy-designed villas extends to the sleek, slate-lined pools and sun decks, where room-service breakfast, lunch or dinner can precede or follow a relaxing dip. chevalblanc.com
Jumby Bay Island – Antigua
Shhhh! If you’re a couple looking to unwind, you’ll be happy to learn that the most alluring pool at this intimate 40-room resort set on a private island just off the coast of Antigua is the lagoon-shaped infinity pool. Set at the far end of Jumby Bay Beach, next to the Pool Grille casual dining restaurant (you won’t have to budge from your chaise to enjoy lunch), it’s a blissful spot to work on your tan, finish that book you started on the flight or just reconnect with your partner as you sip some seriously potent rum punch. oetkercollection.com
Qualia, Hamilton Island – Australia
This exclusive resort set on the secluded northern tip of Hamilton Island in Australia’s postcard-worthy Whitsunday Islands offers its guests not one but two infinity-edge pools, each with views of the aqua-hued Coral Sea and verdant green hills that are so soothing, they’ll convince you you’ve discovered the travel alternative to Prozac. Better still, the resort, which features 60 harmonious one-bedroom pavilions, doesn’t allow guests under the age of 16, so your zen zone at the pool won’t be interrupted. qualia.com.au
