The Art of Immersion: A Swimmer's Favorite Hotel Pools

Swimming pools are far more than photographic centerpieces for glossy coffee table books and travel magazines. Yes, these aquatic oases from Paris to Marrakech often serve as casual and increasingly necessary backdrops for vacationers seeking relief from summer heat. But I’m not interested in pools that only look good. I want pools that also quench the thirst of serious swimmers.

As someone who swims daily and has traversed the globe extensively — quite literally swimming my way around the world — I've developed a profound appreciation for hotel pools that offer swimming nirvana, and I love discovering remarkable public pools, ponds, and frankly, any body of water worthy of a few laps. Here is my hit list.

A Parisian Art Deco Haven for Serious Swimmers

For this dedicated swimmer, Molitor in Paris is home to the ultimate aquatic sanctuary. This restored Art Deco gem, reopened by Accor in 2014, houses not one but two pools that honor both athletic pursuit and architectural heritage. The outdoor and indoor pools, renovated to their 1929 glory, offer year-round swimming in historic surroundings. Their significant swimming history includes launching the modern-day bikini. This recent mermaid enjoyed sleeping with the curtains open, the illuminated water creating a hypnotic nighttime tableau. The Molitor has 124 rooms and suites designed by architect Jean-Philippe Nuel; the rooms surrounding the outdoor pool give the impression of being on a cruise ship. The changing rooms above the indoor pool feature newly commissioned graffiti from global artists, a nod to the building's interim life as an urban canvas after it closed in 1989. Day passes start at €180 per person, including lunch or €310 with a Clarins spa treatment.

Berlin's Swimming Heritage

After leaving Molitor and taking the direct train from Paris to Berlin, where else was a mermaid to check in but the former state baths in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg that are now part of Hotel Oderberger? The hotel preserved the entire bathhouse, converting its industrial framework into spacious guest rooms along original wide corridors that once housed bathing facilities, including tubs and shower cabins for locals and the apartments of those in charge. The 20-meter indoor pool is a cathedral-like space with vaulted ceilings, preserved historical tiles, and original industrial fixtures. The architects of the restoration were given a democratic mandate: The pool had to remain accessible to the public for around €10. Another remarkable Berlin swimming experience is the newly reopened Radisson Collection Hotel, Berlin, which has risen spectacularly from catastrophe. When its massive AquaDom aquarium burst in December 2022, sending 1,500 exotic fish and one million liters of water cascading through the lobby, few could have imagined its elegant rebirth. As one of the first to slip into its newly reconstructed subterranean pool in February, I had a poignant swimming experience. This hidden aquatic gem, still unknown to most visitors, offers rare swimming tranquility in the heart of the city.

Finding Serenity in Austria

The pool at Hotel Outside is my best discovery yet. (I changed an entire itinerary to route through Austria to see it.) Opened in December, the remarkable sustainable pool system — a €250,000 investment — merges eco-consciousness with luxury. The innovative technology automatically empties the outdoor pool after 30 minutes of inactivity, conserving both water and energy, and can refill completely in eleven minutes when guests return. The revamped indoor-outdoor spa features four pools, including the first dedicated therapeutic pool filled with mineral-rich, healing water from the 600,000-year-old Deferegger Alps, and an outdoor pond pool.

Venice's Islands of Aquatic Luxury

The legendary swimming pool at Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel in Venice represents not just luxury, but a magnificent mistake that became its defining feature. A fortuitous miscommunication between American and Italian builders resulted in dimensions being interpreted in meters rather than the intended feet. The result: a swimming masterpiece stretching 33.5 meters long — far grander than originally planned. Salt-filtered and impeccably maintained, it stands as Venice's most exclusive swimming experience. Alternatively, JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa occupies its own private island, Isola delle Rose, minutes from St. Mark's Square. On a recent visit to Venice when all public and most hotel pools were closed, I was saved by the generosity of the hotel general manager offering a water taxi and swim to a desperate siren. The rooftop infinity pool has sublime views of Venice's skyline, the domes of St. Mark's Basilica, and the Campanile rising above the lagoon's waters.

The River Becomes Your Pool in Basel

Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois stands as Basel's sole five-star establishment, its storied history dating back to 1681 making it one of Europe's oldest luxury hotels whose guests have included everyone from Napoleon to Picasso. For serious swimmers, the hotel circumvents traditional limitations with access to what might be considered the world's largest pool: the Rhine River. Situated directly on the riverbank, the hotel provides guests with special waterproof dry bags (“Wickelfisch”) to do the famous Rhine swim. Swimmers will be equally excited about the hotel's new wing, overseen by local starchitects Herzog & de Meuron, with modern rooms and Seijaku, a comprehensive wellness spa that’s perfect for warming up after a bracing Rhine swim.

A Floating Dream Above the Amalfi Coast

Perched on a cliffside 1,000 feet above the Mediterranean, the infinity pool at Caruso, A Belmond Hotel in Ravello offers what I consider the world's most spectacular infinity pool view. The panorama stretches across the Gulf of Salerno, the Lattari Mountains framing the blue horizon. This 11th-century palace-turned-hotel has hosted literary giants like Virginia Woolf and cultural icons including Jackie Kennedy and more recently, Justin Timberlake, Emily Blunt, and Katy Perry. But the real reason to come is the pool.

Alpine Luxury and Aquatic Splendor

The Dolder Grand started life as a sanatorium and wildlife park in 1899, and lap swimming today at the upscale Swiss hotel and its 43,000-square-foot spa remains a cure-all. The 25-meter indoor pool provides a serene escape above Zurich with panoramic vistas of the city, lake, and mountains. The spa underwent a comprehensive renovation during the four-year, $400 million transformation the hotel completed in 2008, led by architect Sir Norman Foster.

Triple Luxury on the French Riviera

The French Riviera, my home away from home, offers several exceptional swimming experiences. The new, five-star Maison Albar - Le Victoria in Nice has given lots of thought to swimmers, with a multi-faceted aquatic experience that epitomizes Mediterranean luxury — a 15-meter heated indoor pool on the rooftop has a power jet to swim against, a power jacuzzi, and a gourmet restaurant (so you can feast without getting out of the water). As a Cannes film festival regular, I thought I knew every pool in town. Until I discovered the best-kept secret at Hôtel Martinez Cannes — a 20-meter swimming pool tucked away at the back of the property in their L'Oasis du Martinez wellness area. For thermal relief, Canopy by Hilton Cannes offers a thermal circuit with a mineral-dense soaking pool maintained at 38° Celsius (100° Fahrenheit), followed by contrast plunges and hydrotherapy jets. As something of a mermaid, my heart belongs to a particular rock in front of Chez Freddy on Plage 17 at Plage Midi — my favorite natural swimming spot nearby — but sometimes I like to gaze at it from the Hilton instead and soothe my muscles.

Moroccan Oases: Desert Luxury and Mountain Retreats

As a desperate mermaid recently stranded in Morocco's stone desert, I found unlikely salvation in the distinctive (and freezing) marble pool set against the dramatic Atlas Mountains at the glamping retreat Caravan Agafay by Our Habitas. Also in the Atlas Mountains is Sir Richard Branson's award-winning luxury hotel Kasbah Tamadot, a former palace whose outdoor pool with panoramic mountain views is complemented by a secluded indoor pool for year-round swimming. (No one does pools as well as Branson. His Virgin Active sports clubs in London are excellent, especially Canary Riverside on the banks of the Thames, which rivals any luxury hotel.) For a more permanent solution, I'm considering moving next door to the recently opened Park Hyatt Marrakech, so I can get a membership to the spa pool, a 25-meter indoor marvel with natural light filtering through geometric screens.

Pretending to Be an Olympic Swimmer in Paris

Despite all the fuss about swimming in the Seine and Olympic swimmers pounding through the water, swimming at Off Paris Seine is as close as I'm willing to get. The city’s first floating hotel is located on the river itself. As much as I love swimming, I love sleeping on water, too, especially on board these chic nautical-style cabins. The centerpiece here is a stunning pool that hovers above the Seine, with panoramic views of the river and surrounding cityscape. Even real swimmers sometimes need to pretend they were in the Olympics, too.

Swim on a Budget: Pools That Won't Break the Bank

All is not lost if you can't afford a top hotel. My best tips for good swims include several historic state baths across Europe, with some even adding accommodation options like the historic Bristol Lido in England. In Paris, the recently restored Art Deco Piscine Pontoise and Piscine Pailleron rival the Molitor in design and quality but cost €3-5 per entry. Berlin's numerous fabulous historic pools include the neo-Baroque Stadtbad Charlottenburg and the architectural gem Stadtbad Mitte James Simon. London offers London Fields Lido and three swimming ponds in Hampstead Heath. Finally, in Venice, three public pools offer swimming treasures in a city defined by water, but Piscina Sacca Fisola, with lagoon views that seem to spill into the water, is the standout.