Manon Suites, Copenhagen
In the Balearics or the Greek islands, it’s not unusual for a pool to be the centrepiece of a hotel. But in the capital city of one of Europe’s famously freezing Nordic countries? Not so much. So to describe the Junglefish pool at Manon Suites as singular is not to over-egg the pudding. This one-of-a-kind pool with its array of lushly planted pots and modernist cabanas is like a little slice of Bali in the middle of Copenhagen.
Gyldenløvesgade 19, 1600 København V, Denmark
The Corinthia Hotel, Budapest
The Corinthia in Budapest is a haute-bourgeois five-star hotel straight from central casting: Neoclassical façade, epic ballroom, great sweeping marble staircases. But the thing that sets it apart from its peers is its astonishing pool. Surrounded by Corinthian columns, the 15-metre pool stretches out under a stained-glass ceiling and is a thing of undisputed Mittel-European majesty.
Erzsébet Körút 43-49, Budapest H-1073, Hungary
Le Bristol, Paris
When it comes to pools with a view, the assumption is that they’ll be outdoor. Not so at Le Bristol, which is Paris’s most iconic hotel for a reason and charts its own path at every opportunity. Here, the lavish light-filled indoor pool – with its yacht-like wooden décor and massive windows – is up on the sixth floor looking over the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and the Sacré-Coeur.
112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France
Le Grand Mazarin, Paris
Paris isn’t exactly famous for being blessed with abundant space so it’s something of a surprise big hitter when it comes to spectacular indoor pools, but the City of Light is possessed of another absolute doozy in the form of Le Grand Mazarin’s 17m pool in the heart of the Marais. The hotel was designed by interiors superstar Martin Brudnizki and the pool sits under a glorious fresco by Jacques Merle, a graduate of the Duperré School.
17 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris, France
Cliveden, Maidenhead
The outdoor “Profumo Pool”, where the British cabinet minister first bumped into 19-year-old model Christine Keeler, might be more famous (or indeed infamous), but Cliveden’s real gem is its indoor pool, which has all the Neoclassical splendour of the house itself. It was once owned by the Astor family, with their high-society pomp, and the pool has been the backdrop, no doubt, of many incredible parties.
Cliveden House & Spa, Bourne End Road, Taplow, Maidenhead, SL6 0JF, United Kingdom
Grand Hotel Son Net, Mallorca
Set in Mallorca’s glorious Tramuntana on the island’s beautiful west coast, Grand Hotel Son Net is on a 17th-century estate and is basically the Balearic finca of your dreams. It recently opened a two-storey wellness centre, sitting pretty among olive trees and lavender bushes, the centrepiece of which is a glorious indoor saltwater pool under a stunning red roof.
Castillo Son Net s/n, 07194 Puigpunyent, Mallorca, Spain
David Annand is editorial director of Secret Trips
