The 25 Coolest Hotel Pools in the World

Image via Complex Original

One of the joys of staying at a hotel, even the grubbiest variety, is the swimming pool. Even with chlorine fumes and unsightly humans lolling on scratchy towels, a pool translates to maximum relaxation.

But miss us with all the Days and Holiday Inns of the world—we want everything to sweat extravagance. Grab a dripping drink, one of those fancy cocktails with the little umbrellas, and post up in front of any of these pools. The niceness will melt your brain; you won't want to leave.

These are the 25 coolest hotel pools in the world.

25. The Joule

Location: Dallas, Texas
Website: thejouledallas.com

A cantilevered pool with glass bottoms and walls that offer underwater views of Dallas from above—try and wrap your head around that. Just don't drown while you do it.

24. Golden Nugget

Location: Las Vegas
Website: goldennugget.com

Swim with the sharks. Like, real sharks: 16 total, from five different species. You can take a slide through the massive shark tank, which also houses stingrays and massive grouper. You know something is extravagant when animals get roped into the proceedings, especially animals that would otherwise want to savage you. Money tames everything.

23. Athens Ledra Marriott

Location: Athens, Greece
Website: marriott.com

There's nothing too fancy about this pool, but if ever there was a city that needed a centrally-located elevated pool, it's Athens. Lounge around in the wading pool of history, the kiddie tub of civilization.

22. Amankila

Location: Bali, Indonesia
Website: amanresorts.com

This triple-tiered pool, which faces the Lambok straight, provides stadium swimming to witness the unbelievable sunset. Things this nice change you.

21. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

Location: Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
Website: fourseasons.com

The extravagant hotels (and resorts) of Hawaii never seem to rest on their laurels (or is that leis?). This $9-million infinity pool is proof, as it seems to roll out into Wailea Bay. Oh, and there are also two pristine fountain pools so you can live out your Billy Madison fantasies.

20. Villa d'Este

Location: Lake Como, Italy
Website: villadeste.com

This incredibly luxurious, palatial hotel features a pontoon pool that sits IN Lake Como, providing guests with a unique view of the lake and its splendor. Oh, you'll be there in the winter? No worries—there's a year-round pool accessible via an underground passage in the hotel. But that's whatever.

19. Al Bustan Palace

Location: Muscat, Oman
Website: ritzcarlton.com

This Ritz-Carlton hotel boasts an infinity pool so long it might as well be a runway for seaplanes; palm tree islands flank the length. And the water temperature is fixed at a soothing 84 degrees. Fantasy Island, anyone?

18. The InterContinental Hong Kong

Location: Hong Kong
Website: hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com

Two hot pools, one cold, all three occupying the third story of the building overlooking Victoria Harbor. And then, of course, there's the fact that each pool includes music that's piped directly into the water, which is so much more intriguinging than it sounds at first.

17. Alila Villas Uluwatu

Location: Bali, Indonesia
Website: alilahotels.com

The dope: 84 private pools for the villas, as well as a huge community pool hovering on a cliff high above the Indian ocean, all in such a lovely secluded bit of land you can literally forget your troubles. "My chick on the side said she got one on the way?" You literally just forgot about it. Poof.

16. Viceroy Miami

Location: Miami
Website: viceroyhotelsandresorts.com

There's a two-acre pool deck with an 80-person hot tub, a wading pool, and football field-length deep pool—and all 15 floors above the streets of Miami, wedged in between two towering buildings. You should expect no less in one of the American capitals of excess.

15. Mandalay Bay

Location: Las Vegas
Website: mandalaybay.com

A 1.6 million gallon wave pool, which produces up to 6-foot waves on a real sand beach. In the middle of Las Vegas! The ocean is for suckers. Las Vegas scores one in the war against nature.

14. Park Hyatt Tokyo

Location: Tokyo
Website: tokyo.park.hyatt.com

Modern, sleek, inconspicuous. This 47th story view represents everything Tokyo appears to be. A beautiful 4-lane, 65-foot-long pool sitting quietly over a sharp and bustling city. A great place to plot your nefarious Yakuza plans. Or think about loneliness. As Americans, these are the two things we're certain happen in Tokyo. And maybe something with tentacles.

13. The Address

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Website: theaddress.com

Would you expect anything less from Dubai? A chilled 5-tier infinity pool surrounding the 63-story restort with views of the Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa—the word is decadence. The word is Dubai.

12. Kemang Icon

Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Website: alilahotels.com

An overhanging pool above the serene Kemang neighborhood and the metropolis further below. Do you even need to ask if the overhang is glass-walled? It is. A once in a lifetime experience, unless you've been to the Joule. But at the Joule, you're looking at Dallas. Not Jakarta. Jakarta wins.

11. Perivolas

Location: Santorini, Greece
Website: perivolassuites.gr

Built like an amphitheatre into the cliffs overlooking the Aegean sea, in front of that "I know that's photoshopped except I'm seeing it with my actual eyes" bluer-than-blue water. Big ups to nature nearly convincing you it's fake. We're on to you, nature.

10. San Alfonso del Mar

Location: Algarrobo, Chile
Website: sanalfonso.cl

This absurdly large pool (two-thirds of a mile wide) has Guinness convinced it's the largest in the world (good enough for us). It's so big you can sail boats on it (though it remains unclear why you'd want to do this). If you're scared of getting clipped by a clipper, there are two dome-like shallower divisions, and oh yeah, a temperature controlled beach inside a Louvre-like glass pyramid. As in temperature controlled pool AND sand. Imagine the sort of contempt you'll inspire when you tell underlings that you know exactly what temperature you like your sand at. Then your soap will truly be from Paris.

9. Hotel Chocolat

Location: Soufriere, St. Lucia
Website: fourseasons.com

Though sadly not a Willy Wonka-style pool of liquid chocolate, this cliff-dwelling infinity, lined with black quartz tiles, is within ear's reach of the staff who can bring you all sorts of chocolate treats. Everything from drinks to truffles, all made with chocolate from their plantation below, are available to satisfy your every craving. And the view is pretty okay, too. You'll have to bring your own Oompa Loompas though.

8. The Conrad Maldives

Location: Rangali Island
Website: conradhotels3.hilton.com

Underwater restaurant and wine cellar, three-seater submarine, and an infinity pool on the Bali Sea: You can't spend any more quality time with the water than at the Conrad Maldives. Oh, and you can only get there by sea plane. Who's thirsty?

7. Hotel Caruso

Location: Ravello, Italy
Website: hotelcaruso.com

This former palace on the Amalfi coast provides one of the best old-world poolside views in the Mediterranean. Just try and walk through the rose garden on your way to sit at the epic coastline at sunset and not feel like you've been transported to another time...in a pool. Hot tub time machine can suck it.

6. Amangani

Location: Jackson Hole, Wyo.
Website: amanresorts.com

Nearly 7,000 feet above sea level in the Grand Teton mountains of Wyoming, this year-round sister resort of Amangiri presents guests with one of the most unique swimming holes in all the world. It's like the Overlook Hotel but with a swag pool instead of murderous ghosts! Upgrade.

5. Oberoi Udaivillas

Location: Udaipur, India
Website: oberoihotels.com

Fashioned in the style of a traditional Indian palace, surrounded completely by a reflective pool, this hotel in Udaipur is one of a kind. There are nice secluded corner pockets to sit in and relax, but having a 360 degree view of both the hotel and its surroundings is pure magic.

4. Singita Sasakwa Lodge

Location: Singita Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania
Website: singita.com

In this part of Tanzania, you can observe the migration of antelope and wildebeest. How about doing it pool side? It's a spectator's sport after all, isn't it? Each cottage on this lodge has a private pool to watch your real-life episodes of Planet Earth.

3. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc

Location: Cap d'Antibes, France
Website: hotel-du-cap-eden-roc.com

After receiving a stand-out renovation, this 1870s jewel of the riviera steps into the now with a clean strip of pool that looks out onto the meandering Mediterranean. Pretty much the ideal place to take in the vapors for your health.

2. Amangiri

Location: Canyon Point, Utah
Website: amanresorts.com

Sandstone rock faces dating to the Jurassic period surround—hell, are the center piece for—this gorgeous U-shaped pool. And you can take in this one-of-a-kind vantage 24 hours a day, which means an unobstructed view of canyon stars.

1. Qasr Al Sarab

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Website: qasralsarab.anantara.com

As close as you'll ever get to an actual oasis in the desert without the life-threatening dehydration, this amoeba-shaped pool is about as long as a football field in both directions, and its tentacles (cilia?) create a number of private corners. And since it's in the middle of the desert, be prepared for some of the most breathtaking views of the night sky in the world...from the pool...sipping on a beverage. If you're there, maybe just don't leave.