5 Close-to-home Hotels With Epic Pools
Increase your upcoming holiday’s splash factor with these next-level swimming pools.
The best pool for… adults-only access
Seven interlinked pools that feel as vast as the ocean backdrop means you’ll be spoiled for choice at Hilton Fiji Beach Resort and Spa. Fringed by frangipani and palm trees and crossed by boardwalks, the resort’s big blue includes an infinity-edged pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Four family friendly zones allow youngsters to splash to their hearts’ content, while another two pools are reserved for adults only. For those who want to soak up the serenity of a child-free zone, there’s a poolside bar to ensure the daiquiris keep coming, and musicians to serenade the sunset.
And for when the family comes back together, the resort (hugging more than two kilometres of private beach on the western side of main island Viti Levu) also offers all-ages poolside dining at Nuku restaurant, where enormous seafood platters will feed the whole gang.
The best pool for… sweeping city views
Sightsee without leaving the sundeck at Park Hyatt Sydney. In the historic waterfront The Rocks precinct, the hotel’s rooftop pool and spa offer a 360-degree panorama of the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and twinkling city skyline.
A dedicated poolside menu by acclaimed executive chef James Viles makes it tempting to linger over a bucket of chilled prawns with Bloody Mary cocktail sauce. However you might want to dress up for dinner in the elegant The Dining Room, where things step up a notch with bonito sashimi, charcoal-grilled quail and just-shucked, perfectly briny Sydney rock oysters.
Indulgence of a different kind awaits at the day spa, where a 90-minute massage using native clay and hot oil will leave you floating on air. Or at least ready for another float in that pool.
Receive the best value by booking your hotel and flights together at Qantas Holidays. You’ll also earn 3 Qantas Points per $1 spent plus Status Credits on discounted flights. Or use Points Plus Pay on your booking and save money to put towards your holiday. Visit qantas.com/holidays to find out more.
The best pool for… a glamorous escape
The hip QT Gold Coast doesn’t hold back. The high-rise hotel’s colourful celebration of surf culture delivers quirky touches such as a VW Kombi van at the front door and surf boards hanging from the ceiling.
But it’s the dramatic black and white stripes of the swimming pool and its matching umbrellas and cabanas that brings the retro Miami vibe home. It’s only a block from the beach but try to resist the allure of the pool deck, where Baja fish tacos, salt and pepper squid and chilli salt-rimmed margaritas are on call.
Feel like exchanging your flip-flops for something fancier? Five on-site eateries include the izakaya-style menu of edamame, gyoza and kushiyaki at Yamagen and all the flavours of the world at the international buffet, Bazaar.
The best pool for… waterside dining
To call the pool at Port Douglas’ Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort big is an understatement. The two-hectare saltwater lagoon enveloping the resort on both sides is a vision of unadulterated tropical dazzle. The landmark property, next to Four Mile Beach, has swim-out rooms offering direct access to turquoise waters from private furnished balconies – or you might like to spend your day flitting between pool, palm-shaded sun loungers and the pina colada-pouring poolside bar.
Sunday sessions at the sandy lagoon “beach”, complete with cocktails and live DJs, are a fixture on the Port Douglas calendar – as is a special occasion-worthy dinner on the idyllic poolside terrace of Harrisons restaurant. Try the citrus-cured salmon with cucumber and buttermilk or tandoori-spiced crayfish with smoked yoghurt to see why it’s a critical darling.
The best pool for… private plunge indulgence
Cascading down a wild green hillside, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay is designed like a traditional Balinese village, with the decidedly un-traditional touch of a private plunge pool for each of its 147 stone-walled villas.
Private courtyards and sun-soaked terraces are another given at the luxury escape but for the pinnacle of private swims you’ll need to check into the Imperial villa, where the elevated pool’s curving lines are as mesmerising as the glittering ocean below.
Down on sand level you’ll find Sundara Beach Club’s 57-metre infinity pool, the longest in Bali, where you can laze on a daybed snacking on wagyu tataki and lobster rolls. Stick around for sunset to see the barbecue fired up for a nightly seafood feast.
For best value, bundle your hotel and flights to save. You’ll earn 3 Qantas Points per $1 spent on your whole trip. Plus, you’ll also earn Qantas Points and Status Credits on your flight. Visit qantas.com/holidays to find out more.
