Eyeball skyscrapers as you do laps, swim beneath the Story Bridge or sip a pina colada slushie poolside overlooking picturesque vines. Dive on into Australia’s 10 best hotel pools this summer.
Featured image: The pool at the Intercontinental Hayman Island is a star attraction. Photo: Supplied
Intercontinental Hayman Island Resort, QLD
Photo: Supplied
Hayman Island has long lured travellers with its iconic pool sitting on a palm fringed beach lapped by Queensland’s Whitsundays’ cerulean seas. Rebranded as Hayman Island by InterContinental following a $135 million incarnation, the instantly recognisable Hayman Pool remains a star attraction. Pool wing room guests with swim up access can literally roll out of bed and flop into this vast pool which is seven times Olympic size. See hayman.intercontinental.com
A by Adina Sydney, NSW
Photo: Supplied
If you think A by Adina Sydney’s sky lobby is impressive just wait until you take a dip in the hotel’s heated 21st floor lap pool. Hemmed by a soaring 15 metre atrium glass façade – approximately four stories high – swimmers not only enjoy spectacular skyline vistas, but a gorgeous light show come sunset. The sky-high mineral pool is a world away from Sydney’s hustle and bustle below. See abyadina.com
Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands, VIC
Photo: Dianna Snape
Melbourne’s answer to Marina Bay Sands, the new Marriott Docklands’ rooftop infinity pool offers dramatic skyline vistas. Heated for year-round swim-ability, the 28-metre wet edged infinity pool’s adjoining bar serves up drinks like Singapore Slings and Everleigh spritzed cocktails along with killer views across the city, Bolte Bridge, Port Phillip Bay and Hobsons Bay. And you don’t need to stay to visit the 15th floor pool. See marriott.com.au
Crown Towers Sydney, NSW
Photo: Crown Towers
Could this be Sydney’s best hotel pool? Six-star luxury is on offer across the 349-room international Asian-style hotel with its unmissable 275-metre high, French baguette-shaped tower. The jewel in the crown (pardon the pun) however is the infinity pool, complete with resort-style private cabanas, day beds and poolside dining, set on the edge of Darling Harbour. See crownsydney.com.au
Crystalbrook Vincent, Brisbane, QLD
Photo: Cathy Schusler
When you take a dip in the rooftop pool at this riverside hotel the span of the steel cantilever Story Bridge feels so close you could reach out and touch it. Carved into the cliff beneath Brisbane’s iconic bridge the recently rebranded Crystalbrook Vincent offers 166 suites overlooking the revived Howard Smith Wharves and the Brisbane River. The 14 metre black tiled pool is heated year-round and offers a rooftop bar for poolside cocktails and stellar views. See crystalbrookcollection.com/vincent
Sofitel Adelaide, SA
Photo: Sofitel Adelaide
Order a glass of South Australia’s finest (or perhaps French Champagne) and take in city panoramas westward towards the Adelaide Hills from the glamourous pool at the new Sofitel Adelaide. The 54 square metre marble clad pool is lit by three bespoke chandeliers capturing the hotel’s “light and flow” design by Adelaide born, Bangkok based designed Carl Ameida. Floor to ceiling windows allow for views of Adelaide and abundant natural light by day; twinkling city vistas by night. See sofiteladelaide.com.au
QT Gold Coast, QLD
Photo: Supplied
Revel in your own private cabana as staff ply you with sunscreen, cocktails, or fun Midori Splice popsicles poolside at the QT Gold Coast. The hotel’s Palm Springs inspired poolside precinct features nine (bookable) cabanas and day beds shaded by smart black and white umbrellas. Guests (and non-hotel guests) can order bottle service, award-winning Japanese omakase and even indulge in mobile spa treatments. See qthotels.com/gold-coast
Mindil Beach Casino Resort, NT
Photo: Cait Miers/Tourism NT
There’s arguably no better place to catch a blazing tropical sunset over the Arafura Sea than this five-star resort’s infinity edge pool or its expansive lagoon pool (Darwin’s largest). Surrounded by over 12 hectares of tropical gardens and hemmed by azure waters, the resort also offers eight restaurants, a poolside bar, and its own private beach. Come weekends, the infinity-edge pool morphs into a popular beach-club complete with poolside dining, music, and live DJs while some lagoon rooms and suites offer direct pool access from private decks. See mindilbeachcasinoresort.com.au
Como The Treasury Perth, WA
Photo: Martin Morrell
Walled on three sides by towering glass windows, swimmers can take in views over the rooftops of Barrack Street from the pool of this lauded urban retreat. On par with the hotel’s other award-winning features, the 20 metre pool’s design is elegantly simple and aims to capture Perth’s abundant light. The heated indoor pool complements the nearby COMO Shambhala Urban Escape and gym offering a meditative getaway in the heart of the CBD. See comohotels.com/thetreasury
The Jackalope, Mornington Peninsula, VIC
Photo: Sharyn Cairns
The hero of this designer foodie getaway on Victoria’s beautiful Morning Peninsula is its dramatic black pool overlooking rows of picturesque vines. Spanning 30 metres the pool offers private pool deck, heated spa, plunge pool and all-day dining with sunbed service. Dive in and then order a Pina Colada slushie from the pool bar menu. Every guest receives a La Roche-Posay sunscreen.
