Twelve of the world's most spectacular swimming pools

last updated 7 September 2017

Sin City is naturally home to one of the most lavish swimming complexes ever conceived. The Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis is a sprawling rooftop collection of seven swimming pools at the world-famous Caesars Palace. Each one takes the hotel’s Ancient Rome theme to excessive new heights, with the iconic Temple Pool providing the jaw-dropping centrepiece. True, you’re more likely to indulge in a spot of sunbathing, late-night raving or even a game of swim-up blackjack than doing any laps but, you know what they say, when in Vegas…

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The striking, five-star Atix Hotel in La Paz is one of the city’s most eye-catching feats of contemporary architecture. And in a city located more than 3,500 metres above sea level, surrounded by mountains and replete with colourful Colonial buildings and modern skyscrapers at every turn, it’s not easy to stand out. The best way to absorb the full scope of this frenetic city is in the Atix Hotel’s enclosed rooftop area, where the effortlessly stylish infinity pool and Jacuzzi invite you to drink in the city below, cocktail in hand (conveniently available from the adjacent bar).

Travellers in the know are eschewing Cancun for the less touristy west coast of Mexico, following a string of fashionable hotel openings in and around the Baja California area. The cream of the crop is the seriously trendy Hotel Mar Adentro, designed by local architect Miguel Angel Aragones as a minimalist paradise. The hotel’s eye-catching centrepiece that sits amid man-made canals and saltwater pools is a huge reflective pool that features a statement nest-like restaurant that appears to float on the water.

Not content with being located in one of the world’s highest cities, surrounded by breathtaking views of the Himalayas and ancient Tibetan landmarks, the St Regis Lhasa Resort is also home to one of the most visually striking swimming pools ever conceived. Much like the hotel as a whole, the Gold Energy Pool is part traditional, part unashamedly bling, and a true one-of-a-kind. Clad in thousands of gilded tiles, the heated indoor pool gives off a brilliant golden glow. Talk about bathing in luxury.

It's hard to compete with the spellbinding natural beauty of Bali, but the Hanging Gardens hotel in the rainforests of Ubud does a pretty good job. The seven-star boutique hotel is home to one of the world's most photographed swimming pools – a gravity-defying, twin-tiered structure suspended over the rainforest to give the illusion of floating above the treetops. It's won the coveted accolade of Conde Nast Traveller's World's Best Swimming Pool and is no doubt at the top of every Instagrammer's wish list.

There's nowhere on earth quite like the Maldives. With its crystal-clear seas, perpetual blue sky and pristine white beaches, it's a place that's nigh on impossible to photograph badly. The archipelago is built up of myriad gorgeous resorts, but the award-winning Huvafen Fushi goes above and beyond in the name of luxury. Located in its own lagoon, the resort boasts the world's first underwater spa and a saltwater flotation pool unique to the Maldives. It's the main infinity pool, however, that's a real sight to behold. At night it's romantically lit up with fibre-optics and resembles something from a fairy tale.

When American newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst began work on his eponymous mansion in the Santa Lucia Mountains, he spared no expense. The entrepreneur furnished Hearst Castle with art and antiques collected from the great houses of Europe and the estate is now a popular museum and National Historic Landmark. The highlight of any visit is arguably the mansion's two magnificent swimming pools. The outdoor Neptune Pool looks to be straight from Mount Olympus, complete with Greek-revival pavilions and colonnades, while the indoor Roman Pool is similarly opulent, with its sapphire and gold tiles and surrounding marble sculptures.

You don't have to be sweltering in tropical temperatures to enjoy the benefits of an outdoor swimming pool. Located deep in the valley of the picture-postcard Alpine village of Adelboden is the cool and contemporary Cambrian hotel. Surrounded by mountain views and some of Switzerland's best ski slopes and hiking trails, it's ideal for outdoorsy types. But it's the terrace hydrotherapy pool, complete with massage jets and Jacuzzi, that really steals the show.

Located on the shores of Lake Como, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo oozes bygone charm and glamour. The palatial five-star hotel, once the retreat of choice for Hollywood siren Greta Garbo, has an ace up its sleeve in the form of not one, not two, but three spectacular swimming pools. There's the luxurious heated infinity number at T Spa and the tranquil outdoor pool in the hotel's sprawling grounds. But the piece de resistance is the beautiful 'Water on the Water' pool designed to 'float' on Lake Como itself. From here, the views of the lake and surrounding mountains are simply out of this world.

Hardy swimmers who take a dip in the Bondi Baths have been contending with crashing waves from the Tasman Sea for more than a century. The stark yet photogenic concrete pool complex has been home to winter swimming club the Bondi Icebergs since 1929, but you don't have to be a member to experience this unique Olympic-sized swimming pool and enjoy some pretty unforgettable views while taking a bashing from Mother Nature.

Taking advantage of nature in a more luxurious context are the world-famous Szechenyi Spa Baths in Budapest. The so-called 'City of Spas' has more thermal springs than any other capital in the world and has been harnessing their natural healing power in suitably lavish surroundings for centuries. This neo-Baroque bath complex – the largest of its kind in Europe – may be tourist catnip, but with its sumptuous architecture, extensive spa and gorgeous outdoor pools that reach a scorching 38°C, it's an absolute must-see.

It would be remiss to compile a list of spectacular pools without including the SkyPark at Marina Bay Sands. Arguably the most famous infinity pool in the world, it set the bar (sky) high for other luxury resorts worldwide when it opened in 2010 and has swiftly become a Singaporean landmark. A record-breaking 142m long, the boat-shaped complex is atop the three towers that make up the colossal hotel and, at 55 storeys high, it commands some rather impressive views. A selfie stick (and waterproof phone case) is a must.

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