Top 5 sexiest Summer pools

It is common in many of the world’s best tropical hotels and resorts to have private pools, but from our extensive travels, we’ve realised that it’s just as rewarding relaxing at a resort’s main pool – in a few cases such as the below, more so! So we’ve created a list of the resorts where the main swimming pool is one of the resort’s highlights, in many cases the centrepiece around which the hotel revolves.

Amankila, Bali, Indonesia

It’s an entire possibility to write a whole article on Bali’s best swimming pool – but the iconic pool at Amankila, oft-copied but never bettered – might just be its very best. Drawing inspiration from a Balinese staple of tiered rice terraces, this three-tiered pool overlooks the Lombok Strait in Manggis on the far eastern shores of Bali. A veritable luxury heaven, Amankila makes the most of its secluded location, with each layer providing an incredible infinity-edge into the ocean.  If, for some reason, you tire of the spectacular view from the vantage point on the hillside, then retreat to ground-level for the beach club, where Amankila’s less talked about fourth pool, the 41-metre long beach club, shaded by coconut trees on either side among lush vegetation, offers a very different type of relaxation.

Grace Santorini, Santorini, Greece

Santorini is frequently photographed, and the photograph that stands out the most is the one taken depicting a vividly blue, oddly shaped pool against the backdrop of a deep aqua sea, or a flaming red sunset. This pool belongs to Grace Santorini,  a resort on the northwestern shores of Santorini, with sweeping views of the Caldera. This pool is the largest of its kind in Santorini; although this pool does not technically have an infinity-edge, its size, views and location make it one of Santorini’s prime spots for pool-lazing.

Laucala Island, Fiji

This multi-millionaire and billionaire playground is often cited as one of the world’s top luxurious resorts. With only 25 villas perched across Laucala Island’s green hillside and by the turquoise waters, starting at USD4,600/night, it’s no surprise. Although many villas have plunge pools or large private pools, it is the main pool that steals the show here. Set within a larger, oddly-blob-shaped pool that ends most naturally at the beachside, is a thin but long stretch of glass pool with transparent sides, offering fantastic photo opportunities.

Banyan Tree Seychelles, Seychelles

Nestled in Intendance Bay around a pristine crescent coastline, the resort promises the ‘untouched and unspoiled beauty of Seychelles’. The Creole-style villas offer extreme privacy, and many offer private pools, but the resort’s infinity pool – a curved shape culminating in a long rectangular protruding stretch into the ocean, matching the sea’s deep blue.

Six Senses Yao Noi, Phuket, Thailand

Phuket is blessed with golden sand beaches and weather that is at its best from December to April, making this a fantastic getaway for the north’s winter. The resort’s superbly scouted location, away from main Phuket, on the lesser habited island of Yao Noi in Phang Nga Bay, affords it postcard-perfect views, with the unique rock-island formations splattered out over the landscape dramatically disturbing and creating a fascinating view.