8 Hotel Pools that Make a Splash
Kickback this summer with stellar poolside views.
Summer is coming in hot, and thankfully there are all kinds of seasonally appropriate ways to chill out — trips to the ice cream shop, matinees in air-conditioned movie theaters, and, of course, cannonballing into the nearest body of water.
Municipal pools have really upped their game with waterpark-like features and jet fountains. But for a relaxing pool day, resort pools are where it’s at — many lined with cabanas and featuring extra services and amenities (poolside acupuncture, anyone?). Plus, some of the very best hotel pools are architecturally impressive.
Here are eight pools across the country that are so good they’re worth planning a summer getaway around.
In This Article
1. The Joule
Dallas, Texas
The Joule sees your infinity pool and raises you this: A cantilevered pool that extends out into the Dallas skyline, creating the illusion that you’re swimming out beyond the hotel’s edge. The revitalized neo-gothic hotel in the downtown area is an arty stay, filled with a museum-worthy collection that features big-name artists like Andy Warhol. The swank 10th-story pool is lined with cabanas, which non-hotel guests can book through ResortPass.
2. Miramonte Resort & Spa
Indian Wells, California
Tucked away in the Coachella Valley, the grounds at Miramonte Resort & Spa are dreamy, with olive trees and fragrant citrus groves perfuming the air and a signature pool that provides front-row mountain views and hosts fun events like “Night Swim Pool Parties” with a DJ spinning tracks.
But the fun in the sun doesn’t stop there. Miramonte Resort & Spa also has a low-key Hideaway Pool with sun decks, a Well Pool in a private courtyard at the spa and The River Bench, a relaxing 102-degree pool with waterfalls.
3. La Cantera Resort & Spa
San Antonio, Texas
Relaxation is on the itinerary at La Cantera Resort & Spa, home to a destination spa plus a series of stunning pools in the heart of Texas Hill Country. Overlooking the undulating hills, infinity pools here can rattle your sense of geography. (Don’t be surprised if you find yourself drawing comparisons to the Tuscan countryside). Lounge chairs extend into the water to keep you cool while you nap in the sun, and the adults-only pool features 10 cabanas, the very best being one that’s punchy yellow with a Veuve Clicquot theme. Speaking of bubbles and vino, La Cantera is a great jumping-off point for a wine-country day trip: Fredericksburg’s wineries and cute shops are about an hour away.
4. The Springs Resort
Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Mother Nature’s hot tubs bubble up throughout Colorado, providing therapeutic pools to soak in. In fact, there are so many great hot spring towns that the Centennial State has created a “Hot Springs Loop” to connect the destinations.
One of the most iconic is The Springs Resort, which has 25 individual hot spring pools filled with mineral-rich waters from the “Mother Spring,” billed as the world’s deepest geothermal spring. The temperatures and pool sizes range — take a cold plunge, heat up in the “Lobster pot” (Colorado summer nights can get chilly) or swim laps. The steamy pools are perched on the banks of the San Juan River, the scenic makings for a TikTok or a swoon-worthy Instagram.
5. Wailea Beach Resort
Maui, Hawaii
Wailea Beach Resort’s new Olakino Wellness Pool is a stunner, with swaying palm trees and an infinity-edge saline pool that peers out at the Pacific Ocean. The chaise lounges set in the water provide a front-row view to take it all in. While relaxing, pool guests are surprised with complimentary refreshers like Hawaiian shaved ice and wellness juice shots. But what really sets this pool apart is the programming that includes poolside acupuncture, water workouts, aquatic sound baths and Ayurveda tea ceremonies.
6. The Greenbrier
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Pool views at The Greenbriar, a luxury hotel in the small West Virginia town of White Sulphur Springs, include the Allegheny Mountains in the background and an iconic golf course in the foreground. The move here is to order a pina colada served in a signature pineapple. Or Tree Tops Cafe also serves some great non-alcoholic drinks like refreshing spritzes and a “mock julep.” In addition to a fantastic pool, guests can book all kinds of summer activities, like whitewater rafting on the Gauley River and standup paddleboarding at Lake Moomaw.
7. Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Dorado, Puerto Rico
Pool day or beach day? That’s the hardest question you’ll face at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, which is located on a crescent-shaped Atlantic Ocean beach. Guests have options when it comes to swimming spots, like the serene Positivo pool that’s fringed by palm trees with twisty trunks (they’re sunseekers, too). Daybeds here extend into the water like they’re peninsulas. Or, head to the more energetic Encanto Beach Club. Both have direct access to Dorado’s golden-sand beach. For kids (and kids at heart), there’s an aquatic playground inspired by a traditional Puerto Rican sugar mill.
8. The Beverly Hilton
Beverly Hills, California
For a glamorous pool day, lounge at The Beverly Hilton’s Aqua Star pool, which was originally designed by celebrity designer Estee Stanley as a playground for the rich and famous. The pool layout breaks slightly from a predictable rectangle with wave-like edging near the entrance. Some iconic moments have been staged at this mid-century pool. Swim champ-turned-Hollywood actress Esther Williams inaugurated the pool in 1955 by wading through floating white gardenias. Then, in 1999, actress Angelina Jolie plunged into the iconic pool after notching her second Golden Globe award for the film “Gia.” She pulled in an Access Hollywood producer with her.
