Top 5 Compelling Swimming Pools at Hotels Across Asia

Meliá Chiang Mai

We’ve put together a round-up of stunning swimming pools at hotels across Asia

1) ‘Teen Jok’ Owns the Pool

The tiles of Meliá Chiang Mai’s swimming pool are fashioned in a striking textile pattern to reference the local Chiang Mai culture. The tiling is a contemporary interpretation of textile patterns the locals call “teen jok”. Similar patterns are also evident on the exterior facade of the hotel visible from the swimming pool, which is adjacent to a shallow pool area for kids. The watery playground is home to two water slides, a rain curtain, water fountains and a giant tipping bucket. The large outdoor swimming pool on the hotel’s second floor anchors Tien Pool Bar, which also has a design that pays tribute to Chiang Mai. The pool bar’s distinctive red brickwork references Chiang Mai’s venerable landmark Tha Phae Gate.

2) Ibiza in Bangkok

INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok

A sky-high transparent infinity swimming pool commands the new INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s top floor, the 34th floor. The infinity pool anchors The Giant Swing Pool Bar and an expansive rooftop terrace, dotted with outdoor lounges and sunbeds, that evokes an Ibiza mood accompanied with panoramic vista. Nestled between bar and pool, a compelling contemporary interpretation of Bangkok’s Brahman structure The Giant Swing is a dramatic photo backdrop. By night, the pool bar becomes an upper-floor extension of the hotel’s 33rd floor LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar and, in a spectacle unlike any other in Bangkok, tapas bar guests peer into the bottom of the infinity pool.

3) An Artistic Dip in Bali

Tanah Gajah

Towering Ganesh sculptures feed Tanah Gajah’s main pool, which is flanked by lush tropical greenery and Balinese stone carvings. More than just a place to cool off and relax, the picturesque spot is often the backdrop for floating breakfasts, poolside cocktails, and afternoon tea. The pool also abuts the property’s sprawling lotus ponds and you might just spot one of the resident swans from your watery perch.

4) A Cascade of 12 Pools

Alma Resort

The lush 74-acre Alma Resort on Vietnam’s Cam Ranh peninsula is anchored by 12 swimming pools that spectacularly cascade down to Long Beach. A highlight of the series of pools is a 75-metre pool that features the resort’s Beach Bar with underwater seats. In addition to the 12 swimming pools, Alma is also home to private pavilion pools and a 6000sqm Splash Waterpark with a wave pool, kids pool, lazy river and waterslides.

5) How to Swim in Indochine

The Anam Cam Ranh

Indochine era-inspired resorts The Anam Cam Ranh and The Anam Mui Ne both boast infinity pools that, from certain angles, appear to seamlessly blend into the nearby ocean and horizon. The waters of The Anam Cam Ranh’s infinity pool, one of the resort’s three unusually compelling swimming pools, are as brilliantly blue as the sea and sky due to gray slate tiling sourced from Vietnam’s north that works wonders reflecting the spectacular natural surrounds. Like its Cam Ranh counterpart, The Anam Mui Ne’s 266sqm saltwater infinity pool looks out over the East Sea and is adjacent to the resort’s Lang Viet Restaurant and Bar.