Take a dip in an infinity pool to look out to horizons where the lines of water, sky, and landscape blur. Clever design feats create the appearance of swimming into desert sunsets, feeling on top of the world amid skyscrapers, diving into electric blue seas on a cliff edge or watching elephants wallow in nearby shallows.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam - 9/10
To float in one of three glass-like infinity pools at The Nam Hai is to experience sheer tranquillity that is hard to find in the hustle and bustle of Vietnam. This soothing spa resort’s main pool reaches to a seemingly infinite stretch of white sand beach and two more palm fringed infinity pools are tiered at its centre. The focus here is about regaining balance and serenity and this spa haven does just that. Comfortable day beds on wooden decks are shaded with cream parasols and guests stay cool with chilled face towels and fresh juices. Exotic gardens are filled with frangipanis and waterlilies float around the lotus pond at the Spa House.
Found on China Beach on Vietnam’s Central Coast, The Nam Hai’s quiet beachside location is in picture-perfect Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site. French architect Reda Amalou created this luxurious all-villa resort, its design playing with ideas of water and wind, inspired by ancient feng shui philosophy and blending Vietnamese heritage with Four Season’s flair. Think silk lanterns and dark wood with modern clean lines and water sculptures. Villas with sunken bathtubs also have outdoor showers and indoor/outdoor lounges with plump-cushioned seating and a butler service.
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One & Only Reethi Rah, Maldives - 9/10
The Maldives is a beautifully surreal place, its name translates as garland of islands in Dhivehi and there is nowhere better to swim than here in the perfect warm, pale blue waters of the Indian Ocean. The iconic lap pool at One & Only Reethi Rah is a delight, 30 metres of bliss, reaching into the azure waters of the lagoon. Its immersive design creates the illusion of swimming in the sea. Around the island, the six kilometres of powder white beach is dotted with swaying palm trees. There are around two thousand species of fish in the waters surrounding the island. The resort offers two other pools, including one for families and 37 private villa pools.
The One & Only Reethi Rah is featured on the BusinessClass.com list of The Best Hotel In The Maldives.
Found some 700 kilometres southwest of Sri Lanka, the resort is on one of the largest islands in the North Malé Atoll. One & Only Reethi Rah is set among a string of coral atolls and lagoons on the glittering archipelago that stretches north-to-south across the equator. Arriving by seaplane is a wonderful experience. Formerly known as King Island, this resort is suitably fit for royalty and boasts an incredible spa, eight excellent restaurants and stylish Balinese accommodation. To unwind in utter seclusion, the Grand Beach Villa has its own 50 square metre infinity pool.
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Marina Bay Sands, Singapore - 8/10
Feel on top of the world swimming in the longest elevated infinity pool. As long as the Eiffel Tower is tall, the length of three Olympic swimming pools, and nicknamed the surfboard in the sky by locals, the incredible 150-metre-infinity pool is at the centre of The Sands Skypark at Marina Bay Sands. It is surrounded by sun loungers and fringed by lush palms and shrubs. The stuff of Instagram dreams, the pool expands to infinity overlooking Singapore’s financial district. This really is swimming on the edge. The showpiece of this mega hotel, The Skypark is also the world’s largest cantilever viewing deck. Its spaceship-like structure crowning three giant mirrored towers soar 200 metres up to this garden in the sky.
From the top down, this hotel aims to impress, catering for guest’s every consumer whim. Opened in 2011, it is already an iconic landmark on the skyline of this bustling city state. Home to sixty restaurants - many boasting celebrity chefs, a mall with designer boutiques, The Art Science Museum and one of South East Asia’s largest casinos - are all under one roof. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie and fronting Marina Bay, this is one of the most impressive hotels ever built.
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The Chedi Muscat, Oman - 9/10
The ultra-chic 103-metre The Long Pool is indeed the longest in the Middle East stretching out towards the Gulf of Oman. Additionally, it is lined with palm trees and black double day beds. The resort itself is set on a superb seafront location and guests have a choice of three fabulous pools, with two reserved for adults including the famous Chedi Pool. It overlooks the resort’s 370-metres private beach and the Gulf to infinity. Each pool boasts cabanas where obliging waiters appear with drinks and heat-busting treats.
A design hotel at heart, the resort blends low-rise white Omani architecture coupled with Islamic arched hallways and Moorish gardens dotted with date palms featuring Zen-style water features. This exclusive 21-acre, five-star beach resort is located 20 minutes north of old Muscat, the capital of The Sultanate of Oman, at Al Ghubra. All the 158 rooms have breath-taking views, whether of gardens and ponds, the majestic Al Hajar Mountains, or the Gulf of Oman. The superb 800-square-metre spa specialising in Balinese therapies, is a sanctuary completed with hammams and 13 fully self-contained spa suites. The Beach Restaurant is the best location to enjoy seafood including grilled wild lobster and tiger prawns.
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Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai - 9/10
Diving into the 828 square metre infinity pool, where the sparkling saltwater appears to blend seamlessly with the sea, is to splash into the luxury of the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. Air-conditioned poolside cabanas boast wide-screen televisions and guests are looked after by attentive butlers. A second pool with a swim-up bar and a sprawling fitness centre also occupies the terrace that overlooks the Arabian Gulf. Here there are also four Jacuzzis and a stretch of fine white sand, private, manmade beach. At the Talise Spa, on the 19th floor of the hotel, there is another infinity pool that offers views of the city and the Gulf. At 150 metres above the sea, this pool claims some of the best vistas of Dubai at any time of day.
This sail-shaped super hotel stands on its own manmade island in a stunning location, just off the coast of Dubai. Arriving at the Burj in one of the hotel’s fleet of white Rolls-Royce Phantoms is a decadent way to make a grand arrival. Beyond the red carpet there are fountains with dancing jets and waterfalls that lead up into the main hotel. More is more inside plush jewel-coloured rooms. Staircases lead to mosaiced bathrooms with ornate whirlpool tubs and gold taps. Spend the remains of the day with a cocktail at the Gold Bar on the 27th floor and dine among the fish at Al Mahara – one of The World’s Finest Underwater Dining Experiences.
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Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, London - 8/10
Visitors to this hotel must take a dip in the Sky Pool - swimming in the clouds in the highest pool in Western Europe. Some 182 metres above London, it is blissfully calm in the infinity pool which sits on the 52nd floor of Britain’s highest hotel. The Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard offers floor to ceiling windows which provide panoramic views of the city skyline. Peek over the edge of the 10-metre pool and below London Bridge and the River Thames is laid out before you. The water is heated to a perfect temperature.
Bringing a new perspective to a room with a view, The Shangri-La hotel offers all guests an incredible vista. Windows are cleaned every day, which is typical of the next-level service. Spread over floors 34-52 of The Shard, Renzo Piano designed the building as a mixed-use skyscraper with 95 floors, its spire rising to 309.6 metres. Cocktails at GŎNG Bar, toasting the glittering lights of London and dining on Asian fusion dishes at Ting restaurant are highlights of a stay here. And for more, in-room bathing, your bath butler will draw a bubble-bath – sprinkling the surface with fragrant rose petals.
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Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection, Santorini, Greece - 9/10
With idyllic vistas out to the velvet blue Aegean Sea this breath-taking infinity pool is set against a jaw-dropping view of the Caldera and Santorini’s quaint blue and white villages. By day, guests cool off in the geometric shaped pool that fits perfectly into the Grecian colour theme, its dappled blue water shimmering like a mirage contrasts perfectly with the whitewashed resort all set against the island’s dramatic volcanic landscape. Watching the sun set from an outdoor private heated jacuzzi is simply unforgettable.
The Grace Hotel is featured on the BusinessClass.com list of The Best Hotels In Greece
Rising just above the picturesque village of Imerovigli, Grace Hotel’s sweeping layered terraces and infinity pools are carved into the cliffside, cascading down towards the sea, and offering the perfect place for romantics and enchanting visitors as the legendary Greek isle of Santorini has done for centuries. Inside the stylish bright, whitewashed rooms, some with honeycomb-like room dividers are king sized beds with cool, luxury sheets and pillow menus. Beautifully scented personalised oils add a thoughtful touch.
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Çırağan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul - 9/10
Soak up spectacular views of the Bosphorus as you swim in the gorgeous, heated infinity swimming pool at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul. Perched on the water’s edge, this Spa pool has the wow factor. Surrounded by deck loungers and shaded by umbrellas and gazebos, it is open all year round and surrounded by manicured gardens and palm trees. The wellness offering of the hotel’s decadent spa is excellent and includes Turkish baths, Hammam, Ayurvedic treatments and yoga. Taking Turkish afternoon tea in the Gazebo Lounge is an elegant experience and one not to be missed.
Once a residence for Ottoman-era sultans, the late 19th century Ottoman Imperial Palace is arguably Istanbul’s most luxurious hotel. It is located on the Bosphorus and is best reached by limousine, helicopter, or yacht. Most of the rooms and suites boast sea views and all offer balconies. They blend East and West - reflecting the location. The best rooms in the palace are the eleven VIP suites which have large bathrooms with tubs, private entrances, and butler service.
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Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Tanzania - 9/10
Dive into this wonderful infinity pool and surface to see elephants wallowing in the shallows of a nearby waterhole. Bathing at this safari lodge is a truly magical experience. At one with nature, the pool looks directly onto a gathering spot for local wildlife including a herd of elephants, who are regulars. Soak up panoramic views over the savannahs of the Serengeti where giraffes and lions roam, and as the sun melts into the horizon, the pool terrace glows with candlelit lanterns. Not your typical safari experience, the luxury facilities & amenities and famous Four Seasons white glove service set this resort apart.
The Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti is featured on the BusinessClass.com list of The Best Modern Safari Experiences In The World
Guests at the 77-room safari lodge are welcomed to beautifully appointed rooms with every creature comfort available. Accommodation includes four poster beds, air conditioning, rain showers and flat screen televisions. The resort even offers a bush business centre. Post swim, multiple dining options highlight African ingredients, while other unforgettable experiences include hot air ballooning, wildlife photography classes and bush picnics.
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Jade Mountain, Saint Lucia, Caribbean - 8/10
Found somewhere between heaven and earth is this fabulous resort where days are spent dipping in and out of your own private heated pool, like an exotic bird, looking out to Saint Lucia’s majestic UNESCO heritage-listed pitons. Each guest bedroom or sanctuary boasts its own private pool which is the focal point. Made up of thousands of individual, bespoke blue tiles, pool sizes range from 40 to 90 square metres, all unique in colour and shape. They increase in size depending on room category: Galaxy, Sun, Moon and Star.
This extraordinary hotel effortlessly blends modern architecture into the landscape – a marvel with tiered rooms on eight levels tucked into the cliff face. All 29 guest bedrooms are open to nature with no walls. Connecting walkways soar over a verdant canopy and as you explore, you feel like you are exploring a lost city in the depths of a dense jungle. Four poster beds and wooden furnishings are built from local sustainable materials and the open floor design allows bathrooms with chromotherapy whirlpool tubs to become part of the therapeutic experience. As there are over two thousand cocoa trees on the resort estate, chocolate sensory tastings get you one step closer to heaven at Jade Mountain’s own chocolate laboratory.
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