Hotel Pools We're Obsessed With This Summer
STILE DTLA, Los Angeles, CA. Photo: STILE DTLA
Summer without a beautiful pool is just heat and humidity. The pools we're drawn to aren't just places to cool off, they're destinations in themselves, each one engineered to feel transportive through intentional design, unexpected aesthetics, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to cancel all your plans and stay poolside indefinitely. From desert minimalism to Miami maximalism, rooftop city views to mountain retreats, these are the pools that have earned permanent real estate in our mind this summer. These are the places where the pool itself is the whole point.
Terra Palm Springs | Palm Springs, CA
Photo: Terra Palm Springs
Terra channels modernist desert luxury through clean lines, warm stone, and a pool that frames the surrounding landscape like a living painting. The sprawling property features native desert planting, minimalist loungers in warm tones, and a commitment to letting the architecture and the mountains do most of the talking. It's Palm Springs distilled to its most essential, beautiful self.
STILE DTLA | Los Angeles, CA
Photo: STILE DTLA
Perched above downtown Los Angeles, STILE's rooftop pool delivers 360-degree city views alongside a bold color palette of coral, cream, and turquoise that feels both retro and contemporary. The space operates as pure visual theater, with striped umbrellas, statement furniture, and an energy that's celebratory without being trying. It's the kind of pool where you're as much there for the scene as you are to swim.
Sanctuary Camelback Mountain | Paradise Valley, AZ
Positioned against the backdrop of Camelback Mountain's iconic peak, Sanctuary's pool channels desert minimalism through a stunning turquoise infinity pool that reflects the rock formations and sky. The architecture frames the landscape rather than competing with it, allowing the mountains and the water to create the design narrative together. It's meditation disguised as a resort pool.
Photo: Sanctuary Camelback Mountain
INNESS | Accord, NY
Set in the Catskill Mountains, INNESS operates a pool that dissolves into the landscape, creating the illusion that the water extends into the rolling hills beyond. The design prioritizes transparency and restraint, with the view doing all the heavy lifting. It's the opposite of a pool that demands attention through flash, instead earning it through thoughtful placement and design.
Photo: INNESS
Hotel El Roblar | Ojai, CA
Photo: Hotel El Roblar
Hotel El Roblar delivers vintage California glamour through a pool that channels 1970s poolside culture with green and white striped umbrellas, warm wood loungers, and palm trees that complete the aesthetic. The property sits nestled in the Ojai Valley with mountain views and a commitment to retro-chic design that never tips into kitsch. It's the kind of pool that makes you want to wear vintage sunglasses and drink something cold.
Faena Miami Beach | Miami Beach, FL
Photo: Faena Miami Beach
Faena's pool operates as pure theatrical spectacle, with turquoise water, red and white striped umbrellas, lush palm trees, and a design language that's unabashedly maximalist. Every detail from the loungers to the surrounding plantings is orchestrated to create a cohesive visual experience that's opulent without feeling overdone. It's Miami in its most glamorous, unapologetic form.
TWA Hotel | Queens, NY
The TWA Hotel's rooftop pool sits above a tarmac with runway views, creating an infinity edge that blurs the lines between water and sky while planes take off in the distance. The retro-inspired design channels the golden age of air travel through clean lines, geometric detailing, and an undeniable novelty factor that never undermines the design. It's the kind of pool that feels like a secret only a few people know about.
Photo: TWA Hotel
FORTH Hotel | Atlanta, GA
FORTH's rooftop pool is anchored by a striking geometric lattice screen that filters light and creates architectural interest without blocking views of the city skyline. The design balances modernist restraint with enough style to feel intentional, with clean loungers, statement umbrellas, and interiors that extend the design language seamlessly from inside to out. It's sophisticated without being stuffy.
Photo: FORTH Hotel
Wynn | Las Vegas, NV
Photo: Wynn
The Wynn's pool delivers Las Vegas elegance through a stunning turquoise expanse accented with bold geometric patterns that reference the brand's maximalist aesthetic. The design walks the line between luxury and theatricality, with enough visual interest to feel special while maintaining the kind of polish that justifies the resort price tag. It's Vegas done with intention rather than excess.
The Chloe | New Orleans, LA
Photo: The Chloe
The Chloe's pool sits centered in a modern courtyard design with navy and teal exteriors, geometric deck patterns, and a color palette that feels fresh and contemporary against the historic New Orleans backdrop. The space balances minimalist design with enough personality to feel distinct, with furnishings and finishes that reflect the property's boutique approach to luxury. It's New Orleans hospitality filtered through a modern design lens.
The pools we love most aren't just about the water. They're about the intentionality behind the design, the landscape they sit within, the light that hits them at different times of day, and the feeling they create when you're actually there. Summer is short, and the best pools make it feel like the only thing worth doing is sitting poolside, watching the light change, and enjoying being exactly where you are. So pick your pool, clear your calendar, and plan accordingly.
All locations featured here are Opulist picks and can also be found when using the “Pool” feature filter while searching for the perfect pool in whichever city you choose.
The Aesthetic Edit is your go-to source for design-forward restaurants, bars, hotels, and more. Keep following along to find more aesthetically appealing content just like this.
Head to Opulist’s search page to discover the most beautiful and aesthetic places to experience to all throughout the country.
