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Is there anything better than luxuriating in your own private plunge pool? Here is our pick of the ten most spectacular hotel rooms in Europe with private pools. The list includes hotels in Venice (did you even know you could book a hotel room with a private pool in Venice?), Greece, France, and Turkey. Take your pick, and then take a dip!
Our top picks include the pool suites at the Grand Hotel Du Cap-Ferrat, which have large pools to swim in. Each pool is set among rocky outcrops with an infinity view at the end, looking out to the horizon. At the JW Marriott in Venice, you must upgrade to a “La Residenza Pool De Luxe room” with its own private pool. The double doors open the room onto your own private pool, which also has a decked area with loungers, tables, and chairs, and a mini lawn to enjoy. The poolside suite at the Belmond Cipriani gives you direct access to the main pool and your private loungers. Although it is not a private pool, we feel that the quick access from your bedroom and the fact that this is one of the best luxury hotels in the world justifies its position in this listing.
1. Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel
The best hotel in Europe where you can select a room with a private pool is the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel on the French Riviera. Set in Belle Epoque splendor in a building that dates back to the 1800s, this ultra-luxury hotel offers everything you would expect of the very best Four Seasons hotel, but with a sprinkle of French chic.
The Grand Hotel Cap Ferrat sits on the very tip of the Cap Ferrat peninsula, in the prime position amidst gated luxury villas. The hotel is accessed by large pearly gates. Behind the gates lies immaculate, tropical grounds framed by the deep blue sea.
Rooms are either in the main historic building with views out to sea or back inland towards the pine woods or in a newer building that must have been modeled on the Thunderbird’s house. The latter, more modern rooms, offer marvelous large balconies or their own private swimming pool. It is worth noting that these pools are not little dip-in and out plunge pools. The pools in these suites are large enough to swim in, and each pool is set among rocky outcrops with an infinity view at the end, looking out to the horizon. Inside, these rooms have a white marble finish, although the feel is definitely modern as opposed to historic.
Of course, you don’t come here for the rooms. You come here for the grounds, the views, the ambiance, and to immerse yourself in complete luxury. The gardens of Le Grand Hotel Cap Ferrat are a fragrant mix of pines, lush tropical bushes, and cacti, and apparently, the climate is so mild that even bananas grow here.
Beyond the gardens is Club Dauphine, the beach club, accessed by crossing a tiny road and taking a cable car lift down the cliff. This cable car is the absolute highlight for my son, like a glass bubble that takes you down to the pool below (and back up and down and up and down if you are six and like pressing buttons!). The Beach Club has a super restaurant, plenty of loungers, and a fabulous saltwater infinity pool, which is great for your skin but less so for your eyes (bring your goggles if you like to splash). Of course, the staff here are as brilliant as everywhere else in the resort, offering complimentary iced lemon water and setting up loungers for you so that you can bask and absorb the views out to sea. Because Club Dauphine is on the very tip of the peninsula, the motorboats traveling between Nice and Monaco pass by incredibly closely, which is great fun to watch.
Wherever you are in the world, Four Seasons hotels are consistently one of the best hotels in that city or resort. There isn’t a Four Seasons loyalty program, so you will never be able to book a free stay by racking up and redeeming points, or by collecting points on your credit card and spending them at a Four Seasons hotel. It can’t be done. But you can get discounts at Four Seasons hotels and benefit from special rewards at Four Seasons hotels for no extra cost by booking your next stay via our luxury travel concierge.
2. Amanruya, Bodrum
The turquoise Aegean laps Amanruya’s private pebble beach, while ancient pine forests scent the air. Resting amid olive groves and cypress trees on the Bodrum Peninsula’s serene north coast, the village-like resort is a secluded retreat offering an abundance of space and privacy.
Set on the quietest of bays, Amanruya’s guest pavilions are free-standing, with unusually large private pools. Meandering footpaths lead to the property’s heart, where restaurants, a spa, and a library overlook a marble infinity pool. Beyond the property lie ancient Greek and Roman ruins in spectacular natural surroundings, including Unesco-protected Ephesus, Priene, Miletus, and Didyma. These cultural relics vie for attention, with sun-kissed beaches and villages forgotten by time.
3. Belmond Hotel Cipriani
Venice is one of our favorite destinations. The Bond-style water taxis, the historic passageways, and the views over busy waterways. There is nowhere quite like Venice. Nestled on the tip of Giudecca Island, the Belmond Hotel Cipriani is just 40 minutes by water taxi from Venice airport and a short boat ride across the water from St Mark’s Square. For our stay, we chose the Junior Suite Pool room (around €2,500 EUR per night in season), which was ideal for our little boy as it opened up to a patio that backed straight onto our reserved loungers by the pool.
This meant that we could go for a dip without the indecency of having to trawl along corridors and down lifts in dressing gowns. The room was the epitome of classic elegance, adorned with handcrafted Murano Glass features, including a handsome blue chandelier that looked somewhat like an octopus. The marble floors were softened with Turkish silk rugs, and the bathroom was large, with a huge walk-in shower and a double basin sporting lovely-smelling designer Hermes amenities. The whole room felt fresh, light, and airy, a pleasure to call home for the duration of our stay.
A highlight of the hotel is, of course, the pool, so it is a huge advantage to be able to step out of your patio windows and into the pool. The pool itself is huge, surrounded by gardens and a bar & restaurant that’s open during the day and again later in the evening. Loungers are arranged by deck boys who will set up your sunbed with just the right shade and provide as many Evian spritzers as you can. Other than the size of this saltwater pool, what was noteworthy was the space around it. Plenty of loungers were available, and you could always find a little peace and quiet.
I preferred having direct access to the Belmond Cipriani’s shared pool over the plunge pool room at JW Venice. The plunge pool is very nice, but there isn’t much you can do in a plunge pool other than cool down, so having the entire pool on your doorstep is paradise!
4. Amanzoe, Porto Heli
The helicopter flight from Athens to Amanzoe creates a swift segue into an altogether wilder Greece – a place of pure nature, where time stands still. Scattered with Unesco-protected ruins, the beach-fringed Peloponnese has been at the heart of Greek culture for millennia, its small mountain towns and quaint seaside villages welcoming visitors to traditional Greek living at its best.
On the east coast of this fabled peninsula, Amanzoe rests, a modern-day Acropolis from which 360-degree views encompass olive groves, Aegean blue, and little else. Designed to meld with the land, suites, and villas with private pools open onto fragrant gardens or the beach, where speedboats lie waiting to zip between secret coves and the nearby islands of Spetses and Hydra.
Drawing on classic Greek architecture, with strong lines and a pared-back aesthetic, Amanzoe’s standalone luxury Pavilions all open onto terraces with private plunge pools and views of the surrounding land and sea. Each Pavilion is accessed via a stone-walled courtyard, leading to a high-ceilinged living area and king-size bed positioned in a marble alcove with views over the Porto Heli vista.
5. Aman Sveti Stefan
Aman Sveti Stefan is a story in two parts. One is a beautifully preserved 15th-century fishing village on a fortified islet; the other, on the mainland, is the shore-side former summer home of the Queen Maria of Yugoslavia, a rustic retreat and a royal residence connected by an isthmus.
Together, these historic properties occupy an 80-acre patch of Montenegro’s wildly beautiful coast, including three idyllic swimming pools and a trio of pink-sand beaches that are among the most beautiful on the Adriatic.
The hand-restored stone buildings house the island’s 51 Rooms, Cottages, and Suites. Each one is individually styled to showcase original details and harmonize with the centuries of history that give the isle its inimitable charm.
Book the Sveti Stefan Suite, designed over two floors and offers a private swimming pool and breathtaking sea views from a tranquil terrace.
6. JW Marriott Venice
On our last trip to Venice, we fell in love with the terribly romantic Aman Canal Grande Venice, but if you are looking for your own private plunge pool in Venice, you must try the JW Marriott Venice in their “La Residenza Pool De Luxe room” (pictured above) which comes with its own private pool.
The room’s double doors open out onto the star attraction – your own private pool, which sports a decked area with loungers, a table, chairs, and a mini lawn where you can sit and enjoy your very own private view onto Venice. The pool was large enough for a lovely splash, complete with spa bubbles, and the views beyond the pool are over the Venice lagoon.
7. Miraggio Thermal Spa Resort in Halkidiki
The ultra-luxury Miraggio Thermal Spa Resort in Halkidiki is a slice of paradise that looks out upon the spectacular Aegean sea. Pick one of the 48 suites which have private pools. The hotel is surrounded by outrageously pretty hills of fragrant green pines, and of course, any vista is framed by that deep blue sea.
There are 300 guest rooms, all of which have a no-expense-spared feel to them. Every item used in the design, from the furniture to the beds, to the bathroom towels and the shampoo, feels five-star. Rooms have mountain, sea, or landscaped garden views. All are ultra-modern with natural wood or stone flooring and natural detailing such as backlit woods inset into the walls and wooden partitioning separating larger rooms from their sitting areas. The most exciting rooms are the 48 suites, which have private pools. These rooms have their own private patio and a decent-sized private plunge pool where you can take a dip.
8. Iconic Santorini
Santorini must be the most photographed Greek Island. With cliffs rising out of the sea and clifftop hotels literally built into the side of the ancient caldera, there is nowhere else like it. The island itself is part of a circular archipelago that remains after an enormous volcanic eruption that destroyed the earliest settlements, leaving the island in its current crescent-moon shape. In the middle is the deep blue Aegean sea, dotted with white sailboats, crisscrossed by ferries, and graced by the peaks of the now hibernating volcano.
Located in the picturesque village of Imerovigli, the highest settlement along the Santorini caldera, the Iconic Santorini, a boutique cave hotel offers panoramic views of the ancient volcano. With luxurious amenities, all-natural oversized beds, delicious local cuisine, and magnificent caldera views, you can’t fail to fall in love with this rather special hotel.
19 cave-sheltered rooms including 14 suites boast the coziest beds imaginable, made from coconut fibers and covered in soft, downy pillows with white cotton sheets. Smooth curves adorn the white walls and ceilings of the rooms, and rustic furniture is dotted around. Dedicated patios and sun-drenched terraces are decked out with olive trees, pots of lavender, and sunbeds with navy cushions and white umbrellas. All offer majestic caldera views.
Caldera Suites are the highlight and feature outdoor heated and jetted plunge pools for romantic evenings to admire the breathtaking views as the sun rises and sets. Grotto Suites feature spacious jetted indoor pools hidden deep within these historic cave homes.
9. Ikos Aria
Ikos Aria can be found on the Greek island of Kos, in the resort of Kefalos, which is famed for being featured in the hit film, Mamma Mia. Ikos Aria is surrounded by charming tavernas, rolling mountains, and enchanted churches.
Book a Deluxe one-bedroom bungalow suite with a private pool for luxury All-Inclusive accommodation. Modern suites come with a 35m2 private pool overlooking the azure Aegean Sea and are decorated with plush sun loungers. These rooms will fit up to five guests, so all the family can enjoy your private swim-up pool.
10. Suites At The Hotel Pitrizza, Sardinia
Situated on the Italian island of Sardinia and surrounded by the white beaches of the Costa Smeralda, we love the Baki Unique Suite at Hotel Pitrizza. Surrounded by olive trees, cane apples, and picturesque rocks sculpted by the wind, the Baki Suite bewitches guests with a setting that transforms as the day progresses. Your large and luxurious living room opens directly onto the terrace with dining, lounge, and, of course, your own private pool.
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