Hotels with infinity pools so breathtakingly beautiful they don’t seem real
Hotels with infinity pools aren’t new – but they can be spectacular. A calm ‘edgeless’ body of water where you can gaze out across seemingly endless sky and ocean, feeling like you’re floating among the vast blue waves – while still relaxing in the cosy sanctuary of your resort, cold white wine or cocktail in hand and bar nearby.
It’s a fine idea, and we’re all for hotels with infinity pools. But there are infinity pools … and there are infinity pools. To make sure you find only the trip-of-a-lifetime hotels with infinity pools we’ve compiled the ultimate list from the Wild Bay Collection. Each infinity pool is so bewitching you’ll find it hard to believe they actually exist, or how your credit card appeared in your hand so fast.
Supposedly the concept originated in France, and one of the first vanishing-edge designs was the Stag Fountain at the Palace of Versaille in the early 17th century. In the US architect John Lautner has been credited as one of the first to come up with an infinity pool design in the early 1960s and he was responsible for the lavish vanishing-edge pool in the 1971 James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever. Palaces and Bond mansions – you can see how infinity pools have cultivated an image of ultimate luxury and glamour.
For the best hotels with infinity pools to make it onto this list there’s a number of factors we’ve taken into account, and a few absolute must-haves.
Firstly, it’s all about the setting. We’re looking for hotels with infinity pools positioned in dramatic, exotic and breathtaking surroundings. We’re talking about the kind of scenery and backdrop that you’ll still be talking about, probably to the envy of those nearest and dearest, for months and even years.
Secondly, we considered the design. Hotels with infinity pools that are perfectly moulded into the landscape and truly create the illusion that you’re swimming out into infinite waters.
And finally, service and feedback. We want to celebrate the most amazing places to stay as well as the people who make each vacation a special experience. That’s why we’ve included hotels with infinity pools with a high number of glowing reviews and comments specifically about a hotel’s vanishing edges.
Have you stayed at any hotels with infinity pools? Which one was the best and how did it compare to those on our list? Tell us about your experiences and let’s raise the profile of the places that are truly unforgettable.
For more luxury travel reads take a look at the world’s most luxurious airlines and the best hotel views in the world.
Wild Bay Co is as much a celebration of the people who make these incredible experiences possible, as it is a celebration of the luxury resorts and hotels themselves. If you’ve stayed somewhere outstanding that deserves recognition for its exceptional attention to detail as well as its stunning setting then contact us and let us know.
Paradise? I think it might be. The hotel is in a perfect location, perched on the side of the cliff lending itself to privacy from the main thoroughfare but only a short stroll into Oia’s pedestrianised area. The rooms are spacious and immaculate, the balcony offers spectacular views of the Caldera with sun loungers and shade and the infinity edge swimming pool is a perfect place to sit and watch the various boats and ships wend their way across the water.
Mystique Hotel Santorini
Mystique Hotel Santorini is carved into the rugged Oia cliffs and offers one of the most breathtaking views – and infinity pools – not only in the Mediterranean but in the world. Known for its bright white exteriors, luxurious accommodation and off-the-chart romance Mystique, a Luxury Collection Hotel, should be on your must-visit travel list.
Elegance, romance and an infinity pool like no other
Located on Oia ‘s most famous cliffs, Mystique Hotel Santorini features an infinity pool with a sun deck and a bar with breathtaking views to the Volcano and the Caldera.
And if that’s not enough, for the ultimate in privacy, choose the Holistic Villa to stay in the most luxurious retreat in the hotel. This free-standing villa spoils for choice with an outdoor Jacuzzi and your own private infinity pool.
Whereever you choose to stay though this award-winning destination emanates a carefree spirit, imparting an understated, exclusive feel in perfect keeping with its spectacular location.
Linked by a network of cobbled pathways, each of Mystique Hotel Santorini’s 41 suites and villas boast panoramic sea views across to the active volcano that has shaped this exceptional island.
Santorini is one of the most romantic destinations on the planet and Mystique Hotel’s gorgeous infinity pool makes it even more mesmerising.
Up there, at the western end of the resort where the spa sits high on a bluff, is an infinity pool. Behind it are a half-dozen recliners, and beyond is only the blue, blue ocean until your eye crashes into some headland off in the distance. While down below the unseen surf pounds. Not a bad place to reflect on how lucky you are.
Rosewood Little Dix Bay
Surrounded by untamed wilderness and natural beauty, offering guests a luxury base brimming with class and sophistication from which to relax and explore from, Rosewood Little Dix Bay is one of the best Virgin Gorda resorts on one of the Caribbean’s finest shorelines—a half-mile beach of powder-white sand beyond a colorful barrier reef.
Rosewood Little Dix Bay also boasts one of the world’s best spas, Sense®, home to one of the world’s most spectacular infinity pools.
Relaxation, luxury and endless Caribbean blues
The coral reef along the outer reaches of Little Dix Bay calms the incoming tides, creating a naturally serene marine environment for swimming. For an out-of-ocean experience, there are two swimming pools available, each offering a distinct atmosphere.
Located at the heart of the resort’s cliffside sanctuary, the spa infinity pool is a serene oasis that seemingly blends into the Caribbean Sea. Framed by lush tropical palms, colorful flowers and volcanic rocks, the tiered pool offers breathtaking elevated views of the ocean and a quiet place to lounge before or after a relaxing massage.
A haven of tranquility, Rosewood Little Dix Bay offers an escape from the ordinary. Since 1964, guests have been captivated by this truly authentic, quintessentially Caribbean island experience. There’s a phenomenal amount of natural wonder to see here – but if you go for nothing else other than its breathtaking infinity pool it would still be time more than well spent.
Luxury at its finest. I cannot speak more highly of this resort in the Maldives. It is certainly a splurge, but if that extra expense is possible for you, you are treated like kings and queens for your stay. We wound up staying in both a water and a beach villa, and loved both for different reasons – the water villa for its porch sunset views, and the beach for the amazing infinity pool. The beds were heavenly to sleep in, and the staff were kind and more than accommodating.
One&Only Reethi Rah
A trip to the Maldives isn’t a vacation – it’s a reset. A chance to switch off from the rest of the world completely, and tune into paradise. One&Only Reethi Rah facilitates that experience perfectly.
Iconic water villas, swaying palms – and no less than 12 pristine blindingly-white sand beaches and six kilometres of exquisite shoreline to explore. This is a private beach resort supreme.
There are very few hotels in the world that do infinity pools as well as the Maldives, and One&Only Reethi Rah in particular.
Swaying palms, tranquil turqoise waters and unimaginably beautiful vanishing edges
One&Only Reethi Rah’s iconic Lap Pool is for adults-only, a stunning, 30-metre pool that stretches out into the lagoon, with its immersive design creating the illusion you are floating in the ocean. It also features a built-in Jacuzzi and a carved stone lounge bed, while thatched break-out space on the surrounding sands make it a stylish chill-out spot. I mean, just look at it.
And if you need any more convincing to reach for your credit card this private island boasts no fewer than 12 postcard-worthy beaches, with turquoise seas and silky white sands.
Whether it’s a romantic stroll along the gently lapping shore, a relaxing swim in the tropical waters, a sandcastle-building competition among family in a secluded cove, or a game of volleyball with friends at ClubOne beach, this stunning Maldives retreat is waiting to be discovered.
Explore on foot or by bike, marvel at the spectacular natural beauty all around you, and just breathe.
One&Only Reethi Rah is a magical escape from it all; elegant sleek accommodation, eight outstanding restaurants, beautiful views wherever you cast your eyes and an abundance of tropical activities such as pedal boats, windsurfing and jet skis, floodlit tennis courts and even a FIFA approved professional synthetic grass football field.
But once you’ve discovered the infinity pool (and Reethi Rah’s resident mixologists) chances are you’ll be so sublimely content you’ll have little thought for anything else.
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