Top 10 most amazing hotel pools in the world

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.

Today (November 16, 2020): Top 10 most beautiful swimming pools in the world.

Swimming pools are the heart and center of action of every luxury hotel. It’s the place where guests can relax, socialize, see and be seen. So, it should come as no surprise that hotels go out of their way to make sure their pools represent idyllic escapes from the hectic pace of daily life and that they feature them prominently on their websites and social media to lure news guests. Here’s my round-up of the top 10 most beautiful hotel pools in the world (or at least those that impressed me the most during my travels around the globe).

There is more information (with reviews and YouTube clips) below the slideshow. Think I missed one? Share your favorite hotel pool in the comments section, or take my poll below!

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10. FOUR SEASONS SAFARI LODGE SERENGETI, TANZANIA

The Four Seasons Safari Lodge is located deep in the heart of Tanzania’s celebrated wildlife reserve, the Serengeti, where the Big Five – the lion, the leopard, the buffalo, the elephant and the rhinoceros – run free. Perched on a series of elevated platforms and walkways, the lodge sits next to an animal watering hole, where you can watch families of elephants stop for their morning drink as you take a dip in the magnificent free-form infinity pool. The latter also overlooks the endless, untamed landscape of the Serengeti plains, the ideal vantage point for thrilling wildlife observations.

• Hotel website: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti
• Other accolades: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti also features in my top 10 list of the best hotels in Tanzania.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, and $100 USD spa credit).

9. ST REGIS LHASA, TIBET, CHINA

This is the only indoor pool in my list. Surrounded by the towering mountain peaks of the Himalayas, St Regis Lhasa Resort bills itself as “standing on the roof of the world”. Facing the jaw-dropping Potala Palace, it houses 162 guest rooms, villas, and suites, boasts 24-hour butler service, and owns Tibet’s first ever fine-dining restaurant. But what sets the St Regis Lhasa apart is its “Golden Energy Pool” lined with thousands of tiles plated in gold. The pool contains therapeutic salt water constantly heated to 28-32°C (82-90° F). An indulgent treat for anyone with a thing for bling!

• Hotel website: St Regis Lhasa
• Other accolades: The St. Regis Lhasa Resort also features in my top 10 lists of the best luxury hotels in China and the world’s most stunning indoor pools.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast for two, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD hotel credit).

8. MARINA BAY SANDS HOTEL, SINGAPORE

The most expensive hotel ever built, the Marina Bay Sands hotel comprises three 55-storey towers, 2,560 luxury rooms and suites, and 18 different room types. Crowning the three hotel towers at 200 m (656 ft) in the sky, the Sands SkyPark rooftop stretches longer than the Eiffel tower or four A380 Jumbo Jets when laid down. The Sands SkyPark is also home to the world’s largest public cantilever housing a public observatory deck, lush gardens, exclusive restaurants and a stunning 150 m (492 ft) infinity-edged pool to complete the luxurious experience.

• Hotel website: Marina Bay Sands Hotel
• Other accolades: Marina Bay Sands Hotel hotel also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most spectacular hotel rooftops, the world’s most instagrammable hotels, the world’s best urban resorts, and the best things to see & do in Singapore.
• Review: read my review of Marina Bay Sands here.

7. LEFAY RESORT & SPA, ITALY

Surrounded by natural terraces, woods and olive groves, Lefay Resort & Spa is a little-known gem designed to blend in with the magnificent Italian countryside. The property features 93 spacious suites, which all offer an amazing view towards Lake Garda. Situated on 27 acres of parkland along the lake’s western shores, this destination resort revolves around its guests’ total health and well-being. The wellness center’s pièce de résistance is its spectacular outdoor infinity pool: lined by a row of palm trees, it merges with the horizon, offering heart-stopping views of the lake and mountains.

• Hotel website: Lefay Resort & Spa
• Other accolades: Lefay Resort & Spa Lake Garda also features on my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels on the Italian Lakes.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, one complimentary lunch or dinner for two, and $100 USD spa credit).
• Review: read my review of Lefay Resort & Spa Lake Garda here.

6. THE OBEROI UDAIVILAS, UDAIPUR, INDIA

Udaipur, in the heart of Rajasthan, is a city of majestic palaces and beautiful lakes. Here, adorning the banks of Lake Pichola and standing witness to the historic City Palace, the Oberoi Udaivilas captures the romance and splendor of a royal era. Conceived as a traditional Indian palace, the hotel showcases the rich heritage of Rajasthan with its rambling courtyards, gentle rippling fountains, and verdant gardens. In addition, the hotel is surrounded by two magnificent swimming pools, one facing the lake and one centering a large green courtyard.

• Hotel website: The Oberoi Udaivilas
• Other accolades: The Oberoi Udaivilas also features in my top 10 lists of the best luxury hotels in India and the best Oberoi hotels in the world.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast for 2, fruit basket, one lunch for 2, early check-in and late check-out).
• Review: read my review of The Oberoi Udaivilas here.

5. AMANGIRI, USA

Overlooking starkly beautiful desert scenery and the Southwest’s iconic flat-topped mesa rock formations, Amangiri is located in the USA’s Grand Circle region. The resort’s stunning architecture blends seamlessly into its dramatic natural surroundings. Amangiri’s 34 suites are situated in two wings which sweep from each side of the resort’s main pavilion. The property’s amazing swimming pool is set within a sunken courtyard framed by a rock escarpment. Amangiri also features a high-end ‘glamping’ site – called Camp Sarika – which is linked to the main resort.

• Hotel website: Amangiri
• Other accolades: Amangiri also features in my top 10 lists of the best resort & hotels in the USA, the world’s best wilderness resorts, the world’s best hotel room views, the world’s best luxury hotels, the world’s most luxurious desert retreats, the world’s most instagrammable hotels, and my favorite Aman resorts in the world.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and a spa credit of $125 USD per person, once, for up to 2 guests per room).

4. BELMOND HOTEL CARUSO, RAVELLO, ITALY

Almost suspended between sea and sky, Belmond Hotel Caruso occupies a former medieval palace at the highest point of the village of Ravello, which overlooks Italy’s magnificent Amalfi Coast and Tyrrhenian Sea. With frescoed salons, arched stone vaults and just 50 rooms and suites, the property is an intimate retreat with an intriguing sense of history. But above all, with its rose arbor leading to one of the world’s most spectacular infinity pools, with sunlit or candlelit dining in the Belvedere Restaurant, and with a rich sense of its past as a retreat for presidents, writers and film stars, the hotel is almost impossibly romantic.

• Hotel website: Belmond Hotel Caruso
• Other accolades: Belmond Hotel Caruso also features in my top 10 lists of the best luxury hotels in Italy, the world’s most spectacular cliffside luxury hotels, and the best luxury hotels on the Amalfi Coast, and my favorite Belmond hotels in the world.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast for 2, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).
• Review: read my review of Belmond Hotel Caruso here.

3. HUVAFEN FUSHI, MALDIVES

The Maldives is one of the world’s most beautiful beach destinations, and boutique hotel Huvafen Fushi was one of its pioneer hotels and still delivers. The stunningly beautiful and recently renovated property is located in a ridiculously clear lagoon, where you can relax on your own private stretch of sugar white sand or snorkel in one of the Maldives best house reefs. The large lagoon-like infinity-edged pool bleeds into the watery horizon of the Indian Ocean and is surrounded by four-poster day beds; by night, it’s romantically lit with fiber-optic lights and reflects the inky sky.

• Hotel website: Huvafen Fushi
• Other accolades: Huvanfen Fushi also features in my top 10 list of the world’s best underwater hotels.

2. AMANKILA, BALI, INDONESIA

Mount Agung provides a dramatic backdrop for Amankila, a secluded seaside resort overlooking the Lombok Strait and managed by Aman, one of the world’s most exclusive hotel brands. The 34 free-standing thatched-roof suites offer exceptional views from their hillside locations, and are connected to the resort’s facilities by raised walkways. References to Balinese culture abound – in the motifs inspired by the water palace at nearby Ujung; in the paras stone decorating the stilted and thatched 33 suites (nine with private pools); and in the spectacular infinity pool that cascades in three tiers down the hillside, reminiscent of a rice paddy.

• Hotel website: Amankila
• Other accolades: Amankila also features in my top 10 lists of the best luxury hotels in Bali and the best luxury hotels in Indonesia.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out ,and one complimentary lunch for two).
• Review: read my review of Amankila here.

1. GRACE SANTORINI, GREECE

Perched high above Santorini’s world-famous caldera, Grace Santorini is an exclusive boutique hotel that offers breathtaking views. Crisp, minimalist and simply marvelous, the hotel skips the ornamentation for vast swatches of pristine white and sea views that stretch to infinity. The 21 innovatively refurbished rooms and suites showcase a contemporary style, combining cutting edge, bespoke design alongside traditional handcrafted piece. The exquisite infinity pool, the largest of its kind in Santorini, offers bathers stunning uninterrupted views across the caldera – the ultimate transporting experience that defines a holiday in Santorini.

• Hotel website: Grace Santorini
• Other top 10 accolades: Grace Santorini also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s best honeymoon resorts, the best hotels in Greece, and the best hotels in Santorini.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. upgrade, daily breakfast, complimentary one-way private airport transfers, welcome amenity of bottle of champagne, fruit and chocolates, early check-in, and late check-out).
• Review: read my review of Grace Santorini here.

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