Some of the world’s most beautiful hotel pools float improbably above cities.
Others dissolve into tropical horizons, sit framed by mountains, olive groves or centuries-old villas. Each promise that rare sensation luxury travel does best: the feeling of arriving somewhere transportive. Here are the ones we’re currently dreaming about diving into.
Beautiful hotel pools around the world
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Amanruya, Bodrum, Turkey
Tucked into pine-covered hills on the Bodrum Peninsula, Amanruya feels less resort-like, more Mediterranean village. The main pool sits at the heart of the property, framed by honey-colored stone architecture inspired by traditional Ottoman design. Surrounded by cypress trees and olive groves, its turquoise surface mirrors the surrounding landscape. While each pavilion also features its own private plunge pool, the central, 50m pool remains the social soul of the property.
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Estelle Manor, Oxfordshire, England
Set within 85 acres of Oxfordshire parkland, Estelle Manor has quickly become one of Britain’s most sought-after countryside escapes. The hotel’s heated outdoor pool sits on the South Terrace, overlooking sweeping lawns and gardens that embody the stately elegance of a classic English country estate. Loungers and parasols give the pool area the feel of a refined Riviera beach club, albeit one framed by rolling countryside. For Londoners in the know, this has become the ultimate summer retreat.
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Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como, Italy
If there is one pool that defines Italian lake glamour, it belongs to Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como. The hotel’s iconic ‘water-on-the-water’ pool appears to float directly on the lake itself, with the mountains and pastel villages of the shoreline forming a spectacular backdrop. Originally opened in 1910, this Belle Époque hotel has long been a favorite among well-heeled travelers, and its pool perfectly captures that sense of timeless dolce vita. Swimming here – with Bellagio shimmering in the distance – feels like stepping into a vintage Italian postcard.
See also: The Unmissable Gardens of Luxury Hotels
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Reid’s Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Madeira, Portugal
For more than a century, Reid’s Palace has welcomed travelers to the subtropical island of Madeira – including Winston Churchill, who famously stayed here to paint the surrounding landscape. The hotel’s dramatic oceanfront pool terrace is carved directly into the volcanic cliffs, with bright striped loungers overlooking the Atlantic. The experience is part Riviera glamour, part wild Atlantic theater, and when the sun begins to set over the water, it becomes one of Europe’s most atmospheric places for an evening swim.
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Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, USA
In Beverly Hills, the rooftop pool at Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills offers a different kind of escapism. Designed by celebrated architect Pierre‑Yves Rochon, the pool sits high above Wilshire Boulevard, surrounded by private cabanas and panoramic views stretching across Los Angeles to the Hollywood Hills. By day, it’s an elegant sun-drenched retreat. By evening, it transforms into one of the city’s most sophisticated vantage points for sunset cocktails.
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Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Thailand
Dramatically cascading down a lush hillside on Koh Samui, Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui is perhaps best known as a filming location for The White Lotus. Its hillside infinity pools – including the resort’s central swimming pool – appear to spill seamlessly into the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand below. Framed by coconut palms and jungle greenery, the setting feels almost unreal in its beauty.
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Careyes, Jalisco, Mexico
A technicolor fantasy on Mexico’s Pacific coast, Careyes in Jalisco has long attracted artists, designers and international bohemians. The oceanfront pools here – many carved into dramatic cliffside villas – are architectural statements in themselves, often finished in jewel-bright tiles that echo the region’s bold palette of pinks, oranges, and cobalt blues.
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Soho House Mexico City, Mexico
Hidden within a restored 1930s mansion in Mexico City, the rooftop pool at Soho House Mexico City is effortlessly chic. Terracotta tiles, striped loungers, and trailing greenery give the space the feel of a private garden suspended above the city’s historic streets. It is intimate rather than expansive, but that’s precisely the appeal.
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Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Few hotel pools are as instantly recognizable as the rooftop infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Stretching across the landmark SkyPark, 57 floors above the city, it appears to spill directly into the skyline. The view – glass towers rising from tropical greenery below – is one of the most dramatic urban swimming experiences in the world.
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Amangiri, Utah, USA
In the desert landscapes of Utah, the pool at Amangiri is a masterclass in architectural restraint. Built around a towering sandstone rock formation, the pale stone pool seems to emerge naturally from the desert itself. As the light shifts throughout the day, the surrounding canyon walls glow in shades of amber and rose, transforming a simple swim into something almost meditative.
