In this hot summer weather, we all want to cool off. Swimming pools are a standard amenity at most hotels, but here are some of my favorite places to make a splash!
1. Mardan Palace Hotel, Turkey
The Mardan Palace Hotel in Antalya, Turkey boasts the largest swimming pool in the Mediterranean (fits 1,000 guests) and is touted as one of the most elite luxury hotels in Europe. Beyond the sinfully sumptuous suites and jaw-dropping interiors of gold leaf, crystal, and Italian marble, there are also ten dining spots, 17 bars, a lavish spa and a sunken aquarium full of exotic fish. 9,000 tons of white sand was flown in from Egypt for the beach alone. 24/7 personal butler service is also included.
2. Grace Santorini Hotel
This 20-room hotel is carved into the cliff-face 300m above Santorini’s volcanic caldera. The infinity pool’s jagged outline echoes the zigzag paths that criss-cross Santorini’s sheer terrain. Santorini’s hotel rooms are invariably front-loaded to face the view, leaving residents exposed to passers-by. To ensure privacy, fragments of volcanic rock are positioned in the windows of four rooms, interspersed with apertures that provide glimpses to the sea. The feature echoes a local architectural technique, more commonly used for retaining walls, in which minimal amounts of mortar are used, leaving gaps between the stonework. By exposing the stones and exaggerating the spaces between them, this light-filtering screen allows privacy and ventilation and casts dappled shadows as the sun goes down.
3. Costa Rica: The Zephyr Palace Mansion
The Zephyr Palace is the ideal place to rest and relax in a private environment. Enjoy total access to the property: Infinity swimming pool, discotheque with terrace, the art gallery and seven thematic suites. Allow yourself to be transported to the time of the Pharaohs, feel the Napoleon Bonaparte™ epoch or enjoy the magic of the 20s. Photo provided by: VFM Leonardo Inc.
4. Maldives: Beach House Iruveli
Your accommodation options are out of this world here: from Water Villa to Beach Villa, Ocean Villa, Beach Suite, Grand Water Pavillion, and Grand Beach Pavilion. Turquoise waters surround guests and make the decision to hop into your private infinity pool or straight into the sea a more complicated one than you might have anticipated.
Speaking of decision-making, check out this list of activities: deep-sea fishing, diving and snorkeling, bungee trampoline, kids’ club, tennis courts, recreational center, and more… a trip to Beach House Iruveli promises to be one relaxing vacation that does anything but bore you.
5. Hawaii: Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort
What does a $50 million renovation do. See for yourself at Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa. Many of the improvements you can see as you swim through nine free-form pools towards the grotto bar to enjoy a Mai-Tai before riding the “river” back to the big pool. This voyage through the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa is guaranteed to make you feel like a kid again.
Once you’ve navigated one of the most sensational pools in Maui, knocked off a game of tennis, and played a round of golf on all three premier golf courses, consider a treatment in the Spa Grande – one of the largest spas in Hawaii. After that, breeze past the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (aka Humu Humu) floating seafood restaurant and pick the lobster you want for dinner right out of the lagoon.
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