Ffrom rooftop eyries to spa pools surrounded by herb gardens, family-friendly spas and great swimming, these hotels have plenty of reasons to come down.
1. The Nici, Bournemouth
Finished in glossy green tiles, the 30m pool at Nici is equipped with parasols, sunbeds (first come, first served) and lockers on the sand – they’re reserved, but the minimum charge is £140. Enjoying a friendly family, it is good for laps and lounging – the latter in the form of water seats, virgin coladas and grateful glasses to wipe. Mid-century furniture, and bedrooms with lush greenery, CBD (cannabidiol) spa treatments from OTO and the zigzag path to the golden sands of West Cliff show the attraction of this place to be Miami.
Details B&B doubles from £230 (thenici.com)
Pictures of London Battersea Power Station
MATTHEW SHAW
2. art’otel London Battersea Power Station
A brick marvel with white chimneys, Battersea Power Station gives you a glimpse of the back of your chest. Sixteen floors up, on the roof of the Jaime Hayon-designed art’otel London Battersea Power Station, there is a 12.5m heated pool with a hot tub at the end. With Latin and house music from Soho Radio, the pool has lounges where you can enjoy chilled pitchers of sangria and tapas from the JOIA Rooftop. Hotel guests can reserve a pool from 6am to 9pm.
Details Doubles in rooms only from £400 (artotellondonbattersea.com)
Hydrojets at Manor House Alsager, Cheshire
3. The Manor House Alsager, Cheshire
Set in a garden full of lavender and rosemary, Manor House Alsager’s 10m pool aims to refresh you. Heated to 38C, it has benches and beds with hydrotherapy jets, and a south-facing pool where cocktails and passionfruit nojitos are served. The garden also has several relaxation areas, including a hydro tub and a salt room. The hotel has an indoor swimming pool and orangery-style swimming pool, rooms in the 17th-century farmhouse have a botanical flair while the Stables Bar & Grill restaurant does AA Rosette pub grub with aplomb.
Details Half board doubles from £249pp (manorhousealsager.com)
Middleton Lodge, North Yorkshire
REBECCA TAPPIN
4. Middleton Lodge, North Yorkshire
Set in 200 acres, framed by the Yorkshire Dales, family-run Middleton Lodge has beautifully decorated rooms in stone cottages, hay barns and shepherd’s huts, as well as a restaurant and bar. The new Forest Spa will open to hotel guests on June 17. Overlooking the ancient forest, the 15m x 7m outdoor pool is fed by the estate’s spring water, a wood and stone relaxation room, a wooden sauna, a steam room, something hot. Tubes and containers to store medicines using Irish Voya products.
Details B&B doubles from £260 (middletonlodge.co.uk)
The Scarlet, Cornwall
ELLIOTT WHITE
5. The Scarlet, Cornwall
It’s a perennial favorite and with good reason: the reed-filtered swimming pool at the adults-only Cornish eco hotel Scarlet offers natural swimming in a boutique setting. Unheated and fresh water, the pool has views towards Mawgan Porth beach; dunks and dips bring real life to life. There are steaming hot tubs and pillars and a cedar sauna for post-swimming facials, as well as a spa menu of ayurvedic treatments – from coffee mud hammams to sarvanga massages. Expect subtle menus in the restaurant – miso onion tatin with morels and Earl Gray rice pudding, say – and boho-beachy-feel rooms.
Details B&B doubles from £245 (scarlethotel.co.uk)
● The best seaside towns in the UK
● I’ve traveled 1,000 miles from the UK coast – and this place is fantastic
The Tawny, Staffordshire
ANDREW BILLINGTON
6. The Tawny, Staffordshire
Stone columns, curved walls and carved stone lions give the 10m x 5m pool at Tawny more than a miniature Roman bath. Below the Plumicorn restaurant – named after the owl’s head feathers – the heated pool overlooks the 70-acre property and its follies. Use the poolside phone to order refreshing drinks like ginger-citrus Aperol spritzes, or ask the drivers to take you back to your room. Quirky accommodations include glass-enclosed treehouses and waterfront boats.
Details B&B doubles from £240 (thetawny.co.uk)
Portavadie, Loch Fyne
ANDY MCCANDLISH
7. Portavadie, Loch Fyne
Portavadie is a marina resort on the west coast of Scotland that is family friendly, affordable and offers views of Loch Fyne. Its 9m outdoor infinity pool is kept at 32C between March and November, and a more refreshing 20C in winter. Aquaphiles are spoiled for choice with plenty of other places to soak – a 16m indoor pool, a children’s pool, and indoor and outdoor hot tubs. Choose from Scandi-style holiday cottages, multi-purpose holiday apartments and family hideaways with wood-burning stoves and two bathrooms.
Details B&B doubles from £129 (portavadie.com)
What is your favorite outdoor hotel pool? Tell us in the comments below
Subscribe to our Times Travel newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Twitter
