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In Dubai, hotel pools aren’t just for swimming in: glass-sided, infinity and roof-topping statement pools are commonplace. In-water exercise classes are increasingly popular, turning pools into gyms where guests can work out on paddle boards or spin on an aquabike, while other pools are more like building-top observatories, their swell tipping into Arabian Sea views or the gleaming cityscape summit shaped by record-breaking Burj Khalifa. In millennial-friendly resorts, pools are a place to party and pose on inflatable unicorns. In high climes, swim-up bars certainly make more sense than dry ones. From rooftop whirlpools to grand-scale waterparks, here’s our pick of Dubai’s most incredible hotel pools.
Address Beach Resort
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Guinness World Records verified this imposing hotel’s 77th-floor infinity pool as the world’s tallest in March 2021, and in-house guests get exclusive access (though only for those aged 21 and over). It overlooks what is also the world’s tallest Ferris wheel, Ain Dubai, and a glut of restaurants, bars, boutiques, beach clubs and an inflatable waterpark at sea. Families with younger children needn’t worry about missing out on valuable swimming time however, as there are more glamorous pools on the ground floor – including a kids’ pool and splash pad – plus a private beach.
From
£
223
per night
Rates provided by
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• The best hotels in Dubai
Conrad Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The sky-scraping Conrad Dubai may seem an unlikely host for a hip pool bar with buzzing beach club vibes, but for an unexpected Narnia-like experience, leave the Sheikh Zayed Road bustle behind and walk through the doors of Bliss 6. This wonderfully out-of-context deck is a welcome surprise with a bar-restaurant, terrace and tropical foliage-framed pool crowned with a waterfall providing complimentary shoulder massages. Waiting staff deliver salads, sandwiches, pasta and poke bowls direct to comfy loungers, and happy hour runs from 6pm to 8pm. Bottoms up.
From
£
64
per night
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W Dubai – The Palm
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Achingly cool and historically linked to the music scene, Dubai’s W outpost is a party palace, and those craving a dash of Ibiza can head to its fashionable Wet Deck where a patchwork of topaz pools are dotted with waterbeds and white wicker tepee-like cabanas called Wet Pods. Brunch with unlimited drinks is served at these and the sun loungers while resident DJs play rousing dance tracks to get the pool party started. The biggest tepee houses a bar and there’s also a swim-up one in the adults-only pool. The beach-side retreat is buzzing with revellers every Friday – even in the country’s hottest months.
From
£
149
per night
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Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Why walk when you can swim? This Thai-style resort is gift-wrapped in a network of waterways connecting three temperature-controlled lagoons and a 50-metre shoreline infinity pool to swim-up rooms. Choose between Maldivian-style overwater villas, lagoon-access rooms with steps leading into the water, and beach villas with private infinity pools. Never-ending laps can be taken as you paddle between pavilions or park yourself at the pool bar. Alternatively, wait for Kayak Guru to sail by; the floating bar, inspired by Bangkok’s river market boats, delivers cocktails when refuelling is required.
From
£
129
per night
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• The best shopping in Dubai
InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Infinity pools are standard in Dubai, but this one stands out – quite literally. The glass-bottomed outdoor pool, which extends from the back of the tower, allows swimmers to paddle over the promenade several storeys below and watch wanderers passing by beneath them. Its outer edge tilts forward as though pouring itself into Dubai Creek and the vista sparkles all the way to the sky. Though primarily a business hotel, the InterContinental has plenty to offer leisure guests including an aesthetically pleasing spa and two enticing dining concepts by three-Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire.
From
£
84
per night
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FIVE Palm Jumeirah
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Five has become defined by its ability to throw a good party and if this hotel was an island, it would be Ibiza. The 60-metre ‘Social Pool’ is open to non-hotel guests every Friday and attracts in-crowds for its hedonistic atmosphere and cool entertainment (think poolside saxophonist, burlesque dancers and DJ Chico Bos). Beyond the parties, though, there are elegantly styled rooms, good menus and a stunning rooftop bar. Loungers by the pools are in short supply, but guests can grab beds on the beach or book Refive Spa for its private rooftop pool lined with cabanas and in-water loungers.
From
£
179
per night
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Burj Al Arab Jumeirah
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
When this luminous white landmark hotel – dubbed the world’s only seven-star hotel because of its incomparable luxury – extended its backyard with a grand over-sea terrace it added an infinity pool with built-in whirlpool and swim-up bar plus 40 air-conditioned cabanas. Each accommodates up to four or six guests with butler service, stocked minibars, Bang & Olufsen televisions and a choice of spa treatments. The six-man cabanas could double as deluxe accommodation with en-suite bathrooms and sea-facing verandas. Two 18th-floor infinity pools round out the facilities indoors.
From
£
712
per night
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• The best nightlife in Dubai
Park Hyatt Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
In the heart of the city, Hyatt’s man-made ‘Lagoon’ is an azure infinity pool (for ages 16 and over) stretching 100 metres with Dubai Creek on one side and a curve of velvet sand on the other. Hotel guests have to pay for beds here, but with in-house discounts and redeemable dining spend, it’s worth it. Elsewhere, another impressive pool with inset palm tree islands and whirlpools is a relaxing spot and has a shallow area for children. The hotel’s tropical gardens, gazebos, daybeds, and villas face a horizon of iconic steely skyscrapers on the other side of the water, with traditional dhow boats cutting through the middle.
From
£
153
per night
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Address Sky View
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
With a 54th-floor infinity pool spanning twin towers, this is Dubai’s answer to Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands. The soaring form of Burj Khalifa takes centre stage in its view, putting swimmers face-to-midriff with the recording-breaking tower. Elsewhere, the large family pool is lapped by orderly rows of pristine loungers while a second smaller pool is tucked away around the corner. On the same level, a spa reception filled with hanging basket-chairs fronts a warren of decadent treatment rooms, sauna, steam room, jet pool and a relaxation lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the city.
From
£
222
per night
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Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
There are no fewer than six swimming pools at the family-friendly Jumeirah Beach Hotel, which benefits from the ample assets of its mothership resort, Madinat Jumeirah. Home to multiple hotels, guests have access to all the communal pools, their cabanas, loungers and swim-up bars, but that’s not all. The hotel’s expansive fitness centre houses a sports pool for serious swimmers and at the other end of the aquatic spectrum, there’s a bundle of fun to be had at Wild Wadi (pictured), the water park attached to the resort, where hotel guests get free access.
From
£
203
per night
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• The best spa hotels in Dubai
One&Only Royal Mirage
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The One&Only Royal Mirage resort comprises three properties – Arabian Court, the Palace and the Residence & Spa – which, along with 65 acres of gardens and pools dotted palm-tree islands, makes it the largest One&Only resort in the world. The seasonal seafront Drift beach club – closed during Dubai’s searing summers – offers a luxurious pool experience with Instagram-friendly Arabesque arches that frame the best views of Palm Island Bay, gentle Balearic chill-out tunes and white four-poster cabanas with artfully billowing drapes. It’s worth making a day of it here.
From
£
315
per night
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Atlantis, The Palm
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Offering more than 1,500 rooms, 23 dining outlets, 65,000 aquarium inhabitants, a world-class water park and a bowling alley, the mammoth, ocean-themed Atlantis, The Palm does everything on a grand scale. Guests seeking aqua-themed fun are truly spoiled – not only with a choice of pools dotted around the 46-hectare plot, but also with free access to the hotel’s own waterpark, Aquaventure. Expect 17 hectares with features such as near-vertical water slides like Poseidon’s Revenge, in which the brave plummet at speeds of almost 40 miles an hour, and the nine-storey Leap of Faith, which flushes swimmers through a tank of sharks and rays.
From
£
144
per night
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Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Finance Centre
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Hidden away on one of Dubai International Financial Centre’s most stylish boltholes is a rooftop deck that sets this pretty business hotel apart from its competitors. Garnering lots of likes on Instagram, its crowning glory is a glass-sided pool brimming with glossy sapphire waters. Set in an al fresco space at Four Seasons Hotel DIFC furnished with four cabanas, plush loungers, parasols, a café-bar and massage chairs for poolside treatments, it’s a sanctuary in the sky, surrounded by the proud peaks of the finance district’s power towers and those dazzling Dubai skyline views.
From
£
221
per night
Rates provided by
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This article was originally published by Telegraph.co.uk. Read the original article here.