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Score Your Own Plunge Pool at These 6 Luxury Hotels Around the World

Nov. 04, 2017
6 min read
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For many hotels, a pool with a killer view can be a major selling point. But if swimming in public isn't your style, that's okay, too. There are dozens of luxury hotels that offer guests — especially those willing to pay top dollar — rooms complete with their own private plunge pool. And while most of these higher category rooms aren't bookable with points, elite members might get lucky and score an upgrade. Here are six of our favorites around the world.

1. The Ritz-Carlton, Okinawa

Nestled in the hills overlooking the crystal clear beaches of one of Japan's most underrated destinations, The Ritz-Carlton, Okinawa is nothing short of magnificent. Water is a central element in the hotel's design, a fact that's made immediately apparent by the open air pond that snakes its way through the property. While the hotel offers courtesy shuttles down the hill to the beach, eight of its cabana rooms bring the relaxation right to your doorstep. Note that while the whirlpool itself is incredibly private, the area right behind the wall is part of the hotel pool so it can get noisy during the day. Rates for the cabana rooms start at about 58,000 yen (~$508) per night in November.

Image courtesy of The Ritz-Calrton Okinawa.

2. The Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay

Its hard to think of Bali without conjuring up images of stunning infinity pools hanging over the water's edge, but the Four Seasons takes this to an entirely new level. Whether you're in the mood for a secluded villa...

Image courtesy of the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay.

... a picturesque sunset over the water ...

Image courtesy of the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay.

...or a beautiful hybrid of the two (pictured below), the Four Seasons Bali at Jimbaran Bay has what you're looking for. In fact, each of the 156 suites and villas here has its own private plunge pool. Rates start at about $670 per night for a garden villa and climb well over $1,000 for an ocean view. Deluxe villas with partial ocean views go for about $1,000, while premier ocean villas with panoramic seaside views start at $1,300 a night.

Image courtesy of the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay.

3. The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

The overwater villas at The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort are on every traveler's bucket list and are a personal favorite of TPG himself. But what do you get when you mix a modern, upscale property, a private island with ocean views as far as the eye can see and overwater plunge pools? The answer is somewhere between excessive and ironic. Add in the fact that this unbelievable view can be booked with points, and things really start to get exciting.

Image by Brian Kelly / The Points Guy.

An overwater villa will run you 90,000 Starpoints per night, worth about $2,430 based on TPG's latest valuations. That's an expensive room, especially considering that cash rates start as low as $1,000 during the off season. During peak season, which runs from November to April, however, rates can climb as high as $2,000 a night. If you're flexible with your travel dates, SPG occasionally runs a promotion that drops the price of these rooms down to 58,500 Starpoints per night. And while that's still on the pricey side, you can stack it with SPG's 5th night free deal and pay as little as 46,800 Starpoints a night, worth ~$1,260 according to TPG.

Image courtesy of The St. Regis Maldives.

4. W South Beach

The W South Beach boasts a prime location just a few blocks from Miami's famous Lincoln Road, beach front access and — for a few lucky high rollers — a penthouse ocean view suite complete with a rooftop pool and enough seating for all your friends and family. In case the 2,200 feet of interior space ever starts to feel too small for you, you can step outside to your private balcony and take in gorgeous views of the ocean and city from the comfort of your pool. But be prepared, it's going to cost you. Rates for this magnificent suite start at a whopping $7,000 a night and can climb above $15,000 a night for the E-WOW ocean view penthouse. For that much money, they better be sending a piece of the beach home with you!

Image courtesy of the W South Beach.

5. Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa

Located on the beautiful French Polynesian island of Moorea, the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa offers a stunning combination of overwater bungalows and more secluded garden villas. While the overwater bungalows will get you closest to the turquoise ocean, if you're looking for a private pool to relax in, the garden villas are what you want. While rates for these — which, by the way, come in both King and Twin varieties — start at about $550 to $650 depending on the season, they're also bookable using Hilton Honors points. Thanks to Hilton's more "flexible" award pricing, one night in a garden villa will run you up to 154,000 points, worth $924 according to TPG's latest valuations.

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Image courtesy of Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa.

6. Sheraton Hua Hin Resort and Spa

While the Lagoon isn't nearly as private as some of the pools mentioned above, the unique U-shape design at the Sheraton Hua Hin Resort and Spa offers guests in most ground level rooms direct access to the central pool. The lagoon-access rooms are reasonably priced, starting at about $250 a night, and while rates at this Category 4 property start at just 10,000 Starpoints per night, awards are booked into the lowest room category, which doesn't include lagoon access — SPG and Marriott elite members might get lucky with an upgrade, but there's no guarantee.

Image courtesy of Sheraton Hua Hin.

Have you stayed at any of these hotels? Tell us about your experience, below.

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