Whiles pools are standard recreation features of low- to high-end hotels, some establishments have pools that are architectural wonders. Upscale hotels around the world differentiate themselves in a crowded hospitality market with pools built from unusual materials and structures that create interesting visual effects such as vanishing edges.
The Horseshoe Bay Resort hotel in central Texas has several pools on its property. Its Yacht Club Pool is a large lagoon-style aquatic area on the shores of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson. The pool has a unique black marble basin. A large statue of an eagle sits in the middle of the pool. The hotel itself offers luxury accommodations. Its 385 rooms have views of the lake and the Texas Hill Country. Guests can also take advantage of an on-site spa. Activities include golf on a championship course, boating, fishing and tennis. Pets are welcome.
Horseshoe Bay Resort
200 Hi Circle North
Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657
877-611-0112
horseshoebaytexas.com
The pool at the Joule, a luxury boutique hotel in downtown Dallas, sits high in the air overlooking Main Street. The cantilevered pool juts out from the building eight floors above one of the city’s busiest streets giving passersby who look up the view of a glass tank. The rooftop pool is heated and offers views of the Dallas Skyline. It is lit-up at night in purple and blue lights. The 129 rooms of the Joule feature contemporary design, lacquered wood surfaces, original art and iPod docking stations.
The Joule, Dallas
1530 Main Street
Dallas, Texas 75201
214-748-1300
starwoodhotels.com
The Alila Ubud in Bali’s central foothills is another luxury hotel with an infinity-edge pool that appears to tempt gravity. The hotel’s pool sits above a terrace and gives the illusion of hanging over the edge of the Ayung River Valley. The hotel’s architecture is meant to resemble a Balinese village. Its 56 rooms have views of the Ayung River and area volcanoes. At night, guests can order Asian food poolside and bask in the glow of the emerald green pool.
Alila Ubud
Desa Melinggih Kelod
Payangan, Gianyar 80572, Bali
Indonesia
011-62-361-975-963
alilahotels.com
The Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando is a combination water park and hotel. The family-friendly establishment features two water parks. The hotel’s courtyard is dominated by a large heated lagoon pool with seven slides, climbing nets, flumes, a dump tank, a slime dumping area and water jets. Kids can enter one end of the pool via a four-story water tower. Other play areas include a basketball court, preschool play area and a mini-golf course. Rooms feature wall decorations and accessories from Nickelodeon television show characters.
Nickelodeon Suites Resort
14500 Continental Gateway
Orlando, Florida 32821
877-642-5111
nickhotel.com
