There are fantastic pools all over the world. Then there are some which take the meaning of the word pool to a whole new level. They’re visually stunning and often in idyllic locations. Yes, they’re the pools you’ve probably scrolled through photos of a hundred times on Instagram and dreamt of swimming in. So what are you waiting for?
The Joule Hotel in Dallas has a rooftop pool which is unique and is the one everyone wants to swim in. You need to book yourself a room at the 1927 constructed hotel before you can get the chance though as it’s reserved for guests only. The hotel building has an interesting history, it was originally the Dallas National Bank, and is full of museum-worthy artwork, but the pool is ultra modern.
The pool at the Sarojin resort in Khao Lak, Thailand, is an oasis of turquoise water surrounded by tropical jungle. When the sun’s rays hit the pool, the water takes on the hue of the tiles its been lined with. It’s a colour which blends well with the environment to create a superbly relaxing atmosphere. This eighty-foot by eighty-foot leisure lagoon has three floating pavilions for lounging in and a jacuzzi on one side if you’re in need of some invigorating water therapy. Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it? It gets even better after dusk when the pool is illuminated with spotlights. Just stunning.
There are pools with views, and then there are pools with views which will leave you utterly speechless. The huge infinity pool at the Grace Hotel on the Greek island of Santorini is one of the latter. The hotel is situated on a clifftop and the azure waters of the pool fuse into one with the brilliant blue of the Aegean Sea. While a daytime swims in this pool is impressive, and the views along the coastline and across to Skaros Rock leave absolutely nothing to be desired, it’s as night falls it really comes into a whole new league of its own. Take an early evening dip in this pool, and you’ll be watching the sunset on the horizon in a blaze of fiery colours. It is truly incomparable.
Some things are just not made for sharing, and that includes infinity pools. If you want one all to yourself then you need to go to Jade Mountain in St Lucia. Here you can choose from twenty-four sanctuary-style accommodations which each have their own infinity pool. The pools are super sumptuous and merge visually into one with the Caribbean Sea. The bigger the sanctuary, the bigger the pool. Can you imagine waking up and strolling out onto your balcony then stepping into your own pool? With no-one else there to interrupt your privacy. You can swim or just float and take in the scenic views of the Piton Mountains.
The Sky pool at the Alpin Panorama Hotel Hubertus is an infinity pool with a difference. While most pools are designed to create the optical illusion of joining with the sea, this one doesn’t. It fuses, as the name suggests, with the sky. The Sky pool is a mammoth, eighty-two foot long construction suspended on stilts forty feet above the ground. The end wall and a panel in the base are glass so when you swim you have the sensation you’re almost flying.
When is a pool not a pool? When it’s as big as the San Alfonso del Mar in Algarrobo. This mega pool measures a staggering three thousand three hundred feet long and covers a surface area of almost twenty acres. Stand on the edge of this pool, and you’ll get the illusion you’re just about to step into the ocean. The San Alfonso del Mar was once the biggest pool in the world but has now been relegated to second place in the rankings by the City Stars Sharm El Sheikh. That fact doesn’t make it any less impressive. The waters a comfortable 26°C all year round and easily rivals the South Pacific Ocean with its tropical blue coloured waters.