Anything that’s all yours, anytime you want it, is the ultimate indulgent amenity — and that’s precisely the idea behind splurging a little and booking a room with a private plunge pool.
With no dress code to worry about, no seats to save, and the possibility of a sunset or moonlight swim tempting you day and night, private pools take vacation mode up a notch from the first dip. You’ll soon understand why getaways are cooler by the pool.
As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
The St. Regis Bora Bora
Tan lines and good times are always on the agenda at The St. Regis Bora Bora, where overwater and beach bungalows are all about unmatched privacy, relaxed luxury and direct access to sand and sea.
Counted among the resort’s elegant villas is the two-bedroom, two-bathroom Overwater Royal Otemanu Villa, with two king-sized beds, three TVs, butler service, 24-hour room service and eye-popping views all around.
The suite’s pièce de résistance, however, is its large private pool, which invites guests to float the day away with Bora Bora’s iconic Mount Otemanu as the backdrop.
Mystique, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Santorini
Living your best life is easy on Santorini at the five-star Mystique, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Santorini, and especially in the decadent Air of Secrecy Villa, with its king-sized bedroom, private fitness room and airy-modern design throughout.
You’ll likely spend most of your time on the expansive private terrace, perched on the rugged cliffs overlooking the Greek island’s caldera and featuring its own Jacuzzi and infinity plunge pool that pair quite nicely with Oia’s famous sunsets.
The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket
The sprawling, Three-Bedroom Sala Pool Villa at The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa impresses with its comfy living room brightened by floor-to-ceiling windows and a dreamy private patio with sun loungers, lush greenery and a refreshing plunge pool with Siray Bay views.
Two bedrooms with king-sized beds, plus a room with two twin beds, make the villa ideal for extended families or a group of besties looking to make memories in Phuket.
W Punta de Mita
Siesta and sunshine go hand in hand at the W Punta de Mita, located in one of Riviera Nayrit’s most desirable beachfront communities. The resort’s fun and funky Haven Suites offer seamless indoor-outdoor living with stunning sunset views.
A king-sized bed is tucked behind a sunken living room whose doors slide open to a private plunge pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean — complete with a daybed made for afternoon siestas and furniture as bright as the cocktails you can order to your room each evening after a day of Banderas Bay surfing. Olé!
Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa
Located on Thilamaafushi Island in the Lhaviyani Atoll, Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa floats amid shimmering waters teeming with sea life. The resort’s midcentury design aesthetic means minimal fuss with maximum comfort.
Savor it best from the private deck and plunge pool of your Overwater Villa, where nothing comes between you and the view. If you must leave, enjoy dinner and drinks at one of six restaurants and bars, indulge in a treatment at Explore Spa or go behind the scenes of the resort’s many conservation programs.
Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island, Fiji
Whether you arrive by boat or helicopter, the family-friendly Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island in Fiji invites you to escape to calm. Unwind in this idyllic paradise on white sandy beaches, at four restaurants and in the serene Tokoriki Retreat Spa.
The ultimate moment of Zen comes compliments of a stay in a Plunge Pool room, with a private deck and gorgeous sea and garden views, as well as a petit pool perfect for sunset and moonlight dips.
Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & Spa
Put out the do-not-disturb sign, ASAP! The Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & Spa is the perfect marriage of tropical vacation and five-star service, not to mention its amenities galore, such as a fully equipped fitness center, relaxing spa, four restaurants and proximity to Fisherman’s Village, which brims with shops and restaurants.
The resort’s well-appointed and large villas feel like a dream — each with one bedroom, 24-hour room service and a gorgeous plunge pool overlooking either palm-tree-fringed Lamai Beach or lush tropical gardens.
Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Taking the plunge has never felt more luxurious than at this chic and intimate Puerto Rico refuge nestled into 50 acres of the former Rockefeller Estate.
The elegant villas and condo-style residences of Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve exceed expectations in every way, from their contemporary furnishings, gourmet kitchens, and spacious dining and living rooms to their calming outdoor terraces, some with refreshing plunge pools.
Domes Noruz Chania, Autograph Collection
The playful vibes of Domes Noruz Chania, Autograph Collection, an adults-only (ages 16 and over) boutique hotel on the island of Crete, make it a fun home away from home for couples and friends.
When you’re ready to rest, surrender to the serenity and privacy of an elegant Upbeat Retreat room, with a king-sized bed and an expanded outdoor living area with sublime views and private plunge pools or Jacuzzis.
JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa
If la dolce vita needed a vacation, it would beeline it to JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, reigning from the private island perch of Isola delle Rose in the heart of the Venetian Lagoon, just minutes from famed St. Mark’s Square by private water shuttle.
Ensconced in greenery, and with its own plunge pool and garden, La Residenza Suite is the ultimate Venetian indulgence and offers a king-sized bed, 24-hour room service and a deep soaking bathtub, too.
Minos Beach Art Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels
Happy Place Alert! Set along the most enchanting waterfront location, Crete’s first five-star resort, the Minos Beach Art Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels, invites guests to embrace boho-chic luxury and Cretan culture at every turn. The 125 bungalows, villas and suites stretch along 1.5 miles of natural coastline and have airy indoor-outdoor designs that capture Crete’s raw beauty.
A splurge on the 592-square-foot One-Bedroom Seafront Villa means this supersized private veranda — complete with plunge pool and panoramic views of the sparkling Mirabello Bay — is all yours.
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