Summer in the city can be really fun — and scorching hot.
Enter the rooftop hotel pool that offers not only a cool reprieve from sizzling concrete but also a stunning city view.
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
A dip in the Marina Bay Sands’ 150-meter infinity pool, touted as the world’s largest for its height, comes with a truly stunning Singapore view. From 57 stories up, the skyline stretches far beyond what the swimmer can see.
The pool, open to hotel guests only, is part of the Sands SkyPark, which also features various restaurants and an observation deck. The park is open through ticket purchase to non-hotel guests.
Room rates start at $780 in July.
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, 10 Bayfront Ave., Singapore
Thompson Toronto
From the natural majesty of Lake Ontario to the towering architecture of the CN Tower, guests at Thompson Toronto can see it all. The hotel’s infinity pool and rooftop lounge are open to hotel guests and lounge members.
The hotel is located in the city’s King West neighborhood, a growing urban hotspot. September’s Toronto International Film Festival is a popular draw for hotel guests.
Room rates start around $315.
Thompson Toronto, 550 Wellington St. W., Toronto
Hilton Molino Stucky, Venice, Italy
Venice’s only rooftop hotel pool offers a 360-degree view of the unique cityscape, with Piazza San Marco in the distance. The pool tops the Hilton Molino Stucky hotel, which is housed in a restored 19th-century flour mill on the banks of Giudecca island. The pool is open from mid-May through September.
The hotel, which also features seven bars and restaurants, a fitness center, spa and conference facilities, has twice been named the leading conference hotel in Italy and Europe. Room rates start at around $210.
Hilton Molino Stucky, Giudecca 810, Venice, Italy
SLS Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
Feel like a movie star from the comfort of a pool.
Guests can bask in the lounge chairs at the SLS Beverly Hills’ Altitude Pool or spring for the VIP experience with a cabana rental. Small cabanas (accommodating up to six) run $300 on weekends, plus a $500 food and beverage minimum. They come equipped with flat-screen TVs and DVD players.
Swimmers and sunbathers can check out views of the famous Hollywood sign, the Pacific Ocean and downtown Los Angeles.
During the spring and summer, DJs create a lounge atmosphere. Cocktails and light dishes by the hotel’s culinary director, chef José Andrés, top off the experience. Rooms start at $349 a night.
SLS Beverly Hills, 465 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles
Hotel Fasano, Rio de Janeiro
For a unique angle on Rio de Janeiro’s hotspots, head to the rooftop infinity pool at the Philippe Starck-designed Hotel Fasano.
The panoramic view stretches over legendary Ipanema Beach, the surfing area of Arpoador and the double-peaked Morro Dois Irmãos. Guests can also take in the view from the steam room and visit the rooftop fitness center and bar.
The pool is for hotel guests only. Rooms start at $820 for a courtyard view.
Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Vieira Souto, 80, Rio de Janeiro
W Hong Kong, Kowloon
Guests of W Hong Kong can relax in the 76th-floor pool and soak up sweeping views of Victoria Harbour and the adjacent International Commerce Centre, the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, at 118 stories.
Behind the pool, a flashy mosaic wall with more than 200,000 tiles adds to the see-and-be-seen vibe.
The W Hong Kong pool is also open to non-hotel guests who buy tickets for summer barbecue promotions or pool parties. Rooms start at around $425 for a standard room.
W Hong Kong, Kowloon, 1 Austin Road W., Kowloon Station, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Athens Ledra Hotel, Greece
Greece is having its share of problems, but travelers will never tire of views of the Acropolis, Mount Lycabettus and the Saronic Gulf. They’re all visible from the pool deck at Athens Ledra Hotel. The Panorama Restaurant also offers gorgeous views of the Athens skyline.
And pool-goers do not have to be hotel guests. The rooftop attraction, which is open from mid-April through October, is open to the public for about $22 on weekdays and $27 on weekends. Rooms start at about $120 in July.
Athens Ledra Hotel, 115 Syngrou Ave., Athens, Greece
