The thing that truly sets the tone at a great hotel is when the fleet of doormen greet you as though you’re a twice-removed cousin finally being reunited with the wider family. And the way the Rimowa is whisked from your grip, like some slight of hand. And the complimentary beverage – water (still), as it’s time to get beach body ready, of course – and the smooth lift up to the corridor of suites. The Dyson Supersonic next to the mirror in the walk-in is good, too. And we quite like the fried-chicken with caviar on the in-room menu. And the laundry bag – the one worth slipping into your luggage – is a lovely touch. It doesn’t hurt to have a Michelin-star restaurant. And a bar that serves a steadying vermouth. And, of course, in order to wash away the day of travel, there should be a pretty spectacular pool.
Here, we’ve specifically focused on the latter feature and rounded up what we believe are some of the greatest in the world – ones that are either architecturally bold, have a nice, lyrical flow of lines, look on to a fresco-worthy scene, or possess a mix of all such factors. So, grab your trunks, slap on a bit of factor 50, and dive in…
The one for the well sculpted
Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
There’s plenty to ogle at in Rio de Janeiro – the beautifully contoured bodies, the beaches, the constant flow of beautifully contoured bodies on the beaches – and the Hotel Fasano, one of the city’s main hives of glamour for frequent flyers and locals, has a pretty wonderful water feature that’s particularly easy on the eye. The views, bang on Ipanema Beach and of the mountainous terrain in the background, come a close second.
The one for a post-gallery breather
The Silo Hotel, Cape Town
Since 2017, this has been Cape Town’s flagship stay, an accomplished city cocoon sat on top of Thomas Heatherwick’s remodelling of a former grain silo building. The geometric, bubble-like windows give the bolthole its distinct look, and the Zeitz MOCAA museum, which focuses on contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, sits below, within the renovation. We quite like to visit the artworks, then head up to the rooftop pool, which is surrounded by industrial-style pillars, to reflect on it all.
The one for the designers
Setouchi Aonagi, Matsuyama
One of architect Tadao Ando’s finest strokes, the pool here is, in typical Japanese style, spare and austere. The retreat in which it’s located is a fine place for a respite, with kaiseki dinners and windows that look on to beautiful greenland, yet it’s the pool – the end of which seems to stretch to infinity – that has the money shot.
The throwback one
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes
This near-mythical destination may well prove the dictionary example of a grande-dame hotel – the century-plus of popularity and history is all there, as are the tales and legends, and the traditional-style rooms appear as though they’ve been copy-and-pasted from another time. The blueprint takes over a slice of bay, and it’s the counterbalance of rock against the pool’s smooth outline that creates such a cinematic scene.
The one for a detox
The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland, Iceland
Travellers flock here for a reset, which won’t only be found when exploring the Tolkien-style terrain of Iceland, or when sampling the fresh local fare that makes use of wild herbs and fish, but also in the on-site lagoon whose mineral-rich waters are said to have healing properties. It’s great for the camera roll (the turquoise hue appears so saturated that you might be convinced it belongs to a different universe), and you can also book in some massages and float therapy sessions while you’re there.
The one for stargazers
Amangiri, Utah
Aman is deservedly venerated for its singular locations – there’s the Tokyo outpost, which is a lesson in purity and restraint, meanwhile, in Venice, the hotel feels like it’s been decorated by a Medici. Amangiri grabs attention for its setting among a desert landscape that’s seasoned with gorges and mesas and other wildland hallmarks. It seems only apt, then, that within this naturalistic setting is a pool that anchors the space and adds to the sense of stillness.
The one for traditionalists
Hoshinoya Tokyo
One of the city’s flagship stays, Hoshinoya Tokyo is revered for its spread of tatami mats, the cocooning quality of its futons, the beauty of the daylight passing through the paper-window screens, and the ambitious way it’s brought the silence of a countryside ryokan into the whirlwind of a megacity. The crowning glory, however, remains the 17th-floor onsen (though technically not a pool, its magnificence is too hard to ignore), which makes use of water pumped from 1,500m below ground; the view upwards is fenced in by building walls, leaving a framed view of the sky.
The one with the wildlife
Four Seasons Serengeti, Serengeti National Park
Perhaps the best front-row seats in the world.
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