Pools with a view? Oh yes, it's not just about ploughing back and forth in the lanes. Take it easy, slow the stroke, look around - nicer isn't it? Check these out...
Hayman Island, Australia.
Okay, lets get this clear – you’re spitting distance from the Great Barrier Reef and you can wander at any time into the warmest and bluest sea, but, what a pool. I loved bobbing around on the water beds. It wasn’t quite Ray Winstone in Sexy Beast (although maybe to the same degree of sunburn) but this is really close to paradise. It’s a fantastic hotel resort and comes very highly recommended.
See www.hayman.com.au for more details.
For flights to Brisbane click here.
Posted by DH, London, Feb 2009.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, New York, USA.
The plan was to shop, which New York is just made for. My wife was on a retail mission but I wanted to find some time to unwind. Finding that the hotel had a spa, I went to investigate and discovered this pool with a view. When I say a view, I mean a view – doing a bit of breaststroke on the 35th floor was pretty special. It’s slightly surreal swimming along with helicopters flying past at eye level – this doesn’t happen at my local pool. As well as the choppers, there are great views over the Hudson River. Go for a corner suite if you can. It’s an amazing hotel with impeccable service and those bewitching views from the pool are quite something.
See www.mandarinoriental.com/newyork/spa for more details.
For flights to New York click here.
Posted by DH, London, Feb 2009.
Le Bristol Hotel, Paris.
This visit was a birthday treat, with just one night in Paris after the short flight. The hotel is very traditional and the service is excellent. We also loved our room. The pool is designed along the lines of a 19th-century yacht with teak decking giving everything a nautical jaunt. There are good views and leafy avenues lined with trees. It’s a very pleasurable place for a dip.
See www.hotel-bristol.com for more details.
For flights to Paris click here
Posted by DH, London, Feb 2009.
Coral Reef Club, Barbados.
We have stayed both here and at the sister hotel, the Sandpiper. Both are them are excellent places to bed down. When we first came to the Coral Reef, the lovely large pool had tropical vegetation surrounding it but it was all quite young. When we went again in 2008 the trees and plants had matured and now it feels like being in the jungle. The staff at both these hotels are so friendly and overall feeling is of a tropical paradise. But keep it to yourself.
See www.coralreefbarbados.com for more details.
For flights to Barbados click here.
Posted by DH, London, Feb 2009.
Shoreditch House, London.
Okay, this one is a bit flash and geared towards the media but it’s still über-cool. A private members club, Shoreditch House is situated in a traditional warehouse that has been converted into a warren of lounges, bars, restaurants and a bowling alley. And to top it all there is an outdoor pool in the middle of the city, with an impressive view of the east end of town. If you have membership or you’re invited by a member for a swim, don’t don your tired Speedos. I bought some Orlebar Brown’s especially – Play it cool and hold your stomach in too. Orlebars and a belly don’t go.
See www.shoreditchhouse.com for more details.
For flights to London click here.
Posted by DH, London, Feb 2009.