The 10 Best Resort Pools in the United States

Some things will always make or break a vacation – the food, the service, the weather.  But when it comes to picking a hotel or resort for your vacation, it’s important to never forget the one place where you spend a significant amount of time, especially if you have kids – the pool. A great pool can really enhance your vacation and provide some much-needed downtime away from the heat and sightseeing and touring.

There are amazing pools all over the United States.  It was hard to choose, but here are 10 of the best resort pools in the country that will appeal to both adults and children.

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Some of the country’s best pools are in Hawaii, where resorts do an amazing job of melding nature and pool. The Four Seasons on the Big Island is no exception.  The resort has several pools to choose from, but none come close to King’s Pond which is carved out of the coast’s natural lava rock. The pool is an “aquarium” and stocked with 4,000 tropical fish with whom you can play and snorkel.

 

Grand Wailea Resort, Maui, Hawaii

Sticking with Hawaii, let’s jump over to Maui to the Grand Wailea resort. This resort’s pool complex called Grand Wailea Canyon is consistently called the best pool in America. It features nine free-form pools on six levels that are connected by whitewater rapids and lazy river currents.  There are slides, a rope swing, and a water elevator?  What’s a water elevator?  It’s the world’s only water elevator and it takes you to the highest point of the terraced pools.

You’ll never get the kids out of this pool.

 

Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas resorts are no slouches when it comes to their pools, but The Beach at Mandalay Bay is the one that comes out on top. It encompasses 11 acres and features 4 pools and 2,700 tons of real sand.  Kids will love the 1.6 million gallon wave pool and the lazy river. Adults will love the beach cabanas or bungalows and beachside casino. For a kid-free environment, head to the third floor of this complex to the Moorea Beach Club. Bars, restaurants and shops complete this oasis in the desert where you can spend a fun day without ever leaving the hotel.

Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa, Kapolei, Hawaii

It’s no surprise that this next pool is in Hawaii. Disney Imagineers did an amazing job at making sure this resort fully celebrates Hawaiian architecture and culture. The centerpiece of the pool and aquatic area is the Waikolohe Pool.  Waikolohe is Hawaiian for “mischievous water”, and there is plenty of mischief one can get up to. At 8,200 square feet, this pool also is zero entry and has a body slide called the Volcanic Vertical. Families can float down the lazy river, snorkel in the Rainbow Reef, or splash in the children’s Keiki Cove Splash Zone. Guests 18 and older can relax at the Wailana Pool.

 

Disney’s Beach Club, Orlando, Florida

Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Beach Club Resort is probably the best pool on the Walt Disney World Property.  In walking distance to Epcot, this 3 acre play area can easily take up a day of your vacation – make sure you leave plenty of time for it.  Climb to the top of a shipwreck replica and slide down the 230ft. waterslide, or wade in the sand-bottomed pool. You can also float down the lazy river or take in one of the three whirlpools. For the little ones, there is a sandy zero-entry and mini waterslide. It’s a great way to take a break from the heat and busy parks.

Omni Grove Park Inn, Ashville, North Carolina

This resort’s spa pool is inspired by the surrounding mountains. Guests will enjoy an underground grotto of 10 chlorine-free pools surrounded by rock walls, arches and tunnels. If you are seeking peace and quiet you will find it in this haven with two therapeutic waterfall pools and a lap pool complete with 6,500 fiber-optic stars and underwater music. Please note that the spa and pool is for adults 18 years or older.

The Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, Florida

Measuring at 23,000 square feet. The pool at this historic hotel was once the largest pool in the world. Now it’s the largest pool in the United States. You can relax amongst the palm trees in your chaise and imagine former guests of days gone by, such as Bing Crosby and Ginger Rogers. Or if you are feeling truly luxurious, rent one of the 9 private cabanas where you can be treated to poolside service and spa treatments.

 

 

Amangani, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Sometimes, a view is all you need, and the pool at Amangani in Jackson Hole, WY  certainly has that. Perched on the edge of a butte 7,000 feet above sea level, this infinity pool delivers magnificent views of the Grand Tetons and Snake River. Don’t worry – it’s heated year round and linked to a whirlpool so you can relax and soak at this hilltop retreat in the middle of winter after a day of skiing.

Dream Downtown, New York, New York

No one thinks of pools when choosing a hotel in NYC, but maybe you should.  This the Beach at Dream Downtown sits above the hotel lobby where guests can peer down into the hotel from the pool’s glass bottom. The 5,000 sqare foot rooftop deck also features a beach of imported sand, private cabanas and chaise lounges.  After 12pm, guests must be 21 to enjoy The Beach which includes a live DJ.

 

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa, San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is a fantastic city, full of history and culture.  While there, make sure you book your stay at this Marriott so you can spend time at the River Bluff Experience, the resort’s 6 acre water park.  If you love a good pool, you love this one.  As with all amazing waterparks, you can float on the lazy river or zip down two tube slides, or reach up to 20mph on the Hill Country body slide.  Families will find no end to the fun at this 9-acre waterpark in the middle of Texas Hill Country.  There are also cabana rentals and an adults-only swimming area.  All amenities in this waterpark are heated in cool weather so you can enjoy them year-round.