INFINITY AND BEYOND

The World's Most Amazing Hotel Pools
Swimming is almost beside the point at these 10 pools found in gorgeous, unexpected locations. Tell the roving pool butlers we say hi.
By David Farley, Thursday, June 18, 2009

Hotel: Park Hyatt Tokyo

Why It's Cool: Sure, Bill Murray took a dip here in Lost in Translation, but it's the view from this sleek, 47th-floor swimming pool that's truly remarkable: Floor-to-ceiling windows frame jaw-dropping vistas of Tokyo, and even venerable Mount Fuji, while the steel-and-glass pyramid-shaped ceiling floods the pool with natural light. The 65-foot-long, four-lane pool is striking at night, too, when the city's skyscrapers light up.
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The Park Hyatt Tokyo's sleek, 47th-floor swimming pool has jaw-dropping vistas of Tokyo and even venerable Mount Fuji. (Courtesy Park Hyatt Tokyo)



The 65-foot-long, four-lane pool at the Park Hyatt Tokyo is striking at night, when the city outside comes to life. (Courtesy Park Hyatt Tokyo)

Hotel: San Alfonso del Mar, Algarrobo, Chile

Why It's Cool: You can take small sailboats out on this saltwater pool that Guinness World Records calls the largest in the world. At two thirds of a mile in length, the massive stretch of water has room for several man-made sand beaches. For nighttime swimming, head to the temperature-controlled beach inside the pool's centrally located glass pyramid—the water and the sand are heated.
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You can take small sailboats out on the saltwater pool at San Alfonso del Mar, in Algarrobo, Chile. The pool measures two thirds of a mile in length—Guinness World Records calls it the largest in the world. (Courtesy San Alfonso del Mar)



For nighttime swimming at San Alfonso del Mar, head to the temperature-controlled beach inside the pool's centrally located glass pyramid—the water and the sand are heated. (Courtesy San Alfonso del Mar)

Hotel: Hotel Caruso Belvedere, Ravello, Italy

Why It's Cool: The Hotel Caruso Belvedere is set at the highest point in the sun-splashed Amalfi Coast town of Ravello, so the open-air infinity pool offers unobstructed, panoramic views of one of the world's most dramatic coastlines—and the sea beyond. It doesn't hurt that the pool itself is flanked by 11th-century Roman ruins.
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The Hotel Caruso Belvedere is set at the highest point in the sun-splashed Amalfi Coast town of Ravello, Italy, so the open-air infinity pool offers unobstructed, panoramic views of one of the world's most dramatic coastlines—and the sea beyond. (Courtesy Hotel Caruso Belvedere)

Hotel: Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, India
Why It's Cool: In a massive, 347-room palace overlooking the Blue City of Jodhpur in the Indian state of Rajasthan, this serene, temperature-controlled swimming basin takes advantage of natural candlelight—with rose petals sometimes strewn on the surface. The hotel is run by the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, which shares the property with the palace's owner, the Maharaja of Jodhpur—who has been known to swim laps with the guests from time to time.
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Inside the massive, 347-room Umaid Bhawan Palace, this serene, temperature-controlled swimming basin takes advantage of natural candlelight. (Courtesy Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces)






Hotel: Viceroy Miami

Why It's Cool: In a city loaded with cool pools, the recently opened pool at the Viceroy stands out. The two-acre pool deck—with Japanese blueberry trees and swanky chaise lounges and beds—features three types of pools: an 80-person hot tub, a wading pool, and a football-field-size swimming pool. Perhaps coolest of all, it's 15 floors above the street, with in-the-middle-of-it-all views of downtown Miami and glimpses of Biscayne Bay in the distance.
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The two-acre pool deck at the Viceroy Miami features Japanese blueberry trees, swanky chaise lounges and beds, and three types of pools: an 80-person hot tub, a wading pool, and a football-field-size swimming pool. (Courtesy Viceroy Miami)



The Viceroy Miami's pool is 15 floors above the street, with in-the-middle-of-it-all views of downtown Miami and glimpses of Biscayne Bay in the distance.

(Courtesy Viceroy Miami)

Hotel: InterContinental Hong Kong

Why It's Cool: Set on the third floor of the InterContinental Hong Kong, the hotel's three pools—two hot and one cold, but all with underwater music piped in—give the almost unnerving illusion that you're floating in Victoria Harbor. After your swim, park yourself in one of the poolside cabanas and gaze out at Hong Kong's skyline.
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Set on the third floor of the InterContinental Hong Kong, the hotel's three pools—two hot and one cold, but all with underwater music piped in—give the almost unnerving illusion that you're floating in Victoria Harbor. (Courtesy InterContinental Hong Kong)





Hotel: Golden Nugget, Las Vegas

Why It's Cool: You'll swim with five species of sharks (16 sharks in all) at the Nugget's $30 million pool complex. The Tank, as it's called, houses a three-story waterslide, waterfalls, and the pool's pièce de resistance, the 200,000-gallon shark tank. You're in more danger at the Golden Nugget's roulette wheel: The sharks, stingrays, massive Queensland grouper, and silvery jack crevalle are separated from the swimming pool by a four-inch clear acrylic wall.
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You'll swim with five species of sharks (16 sharks in all!) at the Golden Nugget's $30 million pool complex in Las Vegas. (Courtesy Golden Nugget)



Take a waterslide straight through the Golden Nugget's 200,000-gallon shark tank. You'll see stingrays, massive Queensland grouper, and silvery jack crevalle, too. (Courtesy Golden Nugget)

Hotel: Quincy Hotel, Singapore

Why It's Cool: This brand-new, glass-enclosed pool is cantilevered from the 12th floor of the futuristic-looking Quincy Hotel, suspending swimmers high above the passing cars and pedestrians at street level. At night, special lighting effects make the pool appear to glow. Bask and swim for a bit, then retire to one of the rattan chairs at poolside for a nap.
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The Quincy Hotel's pool suspends swimmers 12 floors above Singapore's passing cars and pedestrians at street level. (Courtesy Quincy Hotel)







Hotel: Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat, Muttrah, Oman

Why It's Cool: After an extensive 18-month renovation, this InterContinental property in Oman recently reopened with a major pool upgrade—which the roving pool butlers (you heard us) are more than happy to tell you about, after refreshing your rose-scented spritzer. The spacious, 164-foot-long infinity pool is flanked by shady, palm-studded islands. The water is temperature controlled, so it's always an oasis-like 84 degrees.
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The Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat in Oman has a spacious, 164-foot-long infinity pool flanked by shady, palm-studded islands. The water is temperature controlled, so it's always an oasis-like 84 degrees. (Courtesy Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat)

Hotel: Anantara Koh Samui Resort & Spa, Samui, Thailand

Why It's Cool: You look straight out into the Gulf of Thailand from the 98-foot-long infinity pool at this stylish resort on the island of Samui, Thailand. If the views aren't soothing enough, order a stiff drink at the swim-up bar and laugh it off with the comical, spitting monkey statues along the pool's perimeter.
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You look straight out into the Gulf of Thailand from the Anantara Koh Samui Resort & Spa's 98-foot-long infinity pool at this stylish resort on the island of Samui. (Courtesy Anantara Koh Samui Resort & Spa)



If the views at the Anantara Koh Samui Resort & Spa aren't soothing enough, order a stiff drink at the swim-up bar and laugh it off with the comical, spitting monkey statues along the pool's perimeter.



(Courtesy Anantara Koh Samui Resort & Spa)

Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Where The Weird Things Are

14 Weird Animals You Can Travel to See

Tired of seeing run-of-the-mill lions, tigers, and bears? Then say "oh my!" to these oddball creatures at zoos and sanctuaries worldwide—from a giant Chinese salamander to a little lemur called the aye-aye.
By JD Rinne, Thursday, August 6, 2009 Subscribe to the magazine

Aye-aye

Weirdness factor: Where to start? The aye-aye is a kind of lemur, with large round ears that rotate independently. How does it eat? There are no woodpeckers in Madagascar, but the aye-aye has evolved to feed like one, using its long middle finger to scoop out grubs in tree bark.
See it in: Madagascar (and the Bristol Zoo Gardens).

The aye-aye is a kind of lemur, with large round ears that rotate independently. The aye-aye feeds using its long middle finger to scoop out grubs in tree bark. See it in Madagascar (and the Bristol Zoo Gardens). (Courtesy Bristol Zoo Gardens)


Proboscis Monkey

Weirdness factor: The male proboscis monkey has a pendulous nose that is thought to amplify his calls to females (and his warnings to big-nosed rivals). The most dominant male usually has the biggest nose and can collect a harem of five to eight females.
See it in: Borneo (and the Singapore Zoo).

The male proboscis monkey has a pendulous nose that is thought to amplify his calls to females (and his warnings to big-nosed rivals). See it in Borneo (and the Singapore Zoo). (Gavriel Jecan/Corbis)


Naked Mole Rat

Weirdness factor: Almost totally blind, the naked mole rat is one of only two species of mammals that live in colonies with a caste system, like termites or ants. There's one queen and sometimes hundreds of workers and soldiers—which are expected to sacrifice themselves in battle should a snake appear (and not lose its appetite).
See it in: Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia (and Zoo Atlanta and the National Zoo).

Almost totally blind, the naked mole rat is one of only two species of mammals that live in colonies with a caste system, like termites or ants. See it in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia (and Zoo Atlanta and the National Zoo). (Courtesy Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian's National Zoological Park)

Philippine Tarsier

Weirdness factor: The tiny tarsier's eyes are about twice the size of a human's and have no peripheral vision. Tarsiers pounce on prey with their vulnerable eyes shut tight, for protection (because who wants a cricket stuck in their eye?).
See it in: The southern Philippine islands of Bohol, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao (and the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary in Bohol).

The tiny Philippine tarsier's eyes are about twice the size of a human's and have no peripheral vision. See it in The southern Philippine islands of Bohol, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao (and the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary in Bohol). (Frank Lukasseck/Corbis)

Emperor Tamarin

Weirdness factor: Named for the last emperor of Germany, this tamarin's wildly eccentric moustache (strikingly similar to Mr. Monopoly's) is something of a mystery. Experts think it might be a unique identifier, as a fingerprint is for humans.
See it in: Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru (and the Paignton Zoo, in Devon, England).

The emperor tamarin's wildly eccentric moustache (strikingly similar to Mr. Monopoly's) is something of a mystery. Experts think it might be a unique identifier, as a fingerprint is for humans. See it in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru (and the Paignton Zoo, in Devon, England). (Courtesy Paignton Zoo)

Matamata Turtle

Weirdness factor: The knobby, gnarled matamata uses its huge mouth to suck in unsuspecting food sources as they pass by. In Spanish, matamata means "it kills, it kills."
See it in: The Amazon River in Brazil, and in parts of Trinidad and Guyana (and the Honolulu Zoo and San Diego Zoo).

The knobby, gnarled matamata turtle uses its huge mouth to suck in unsuspecting food sources as they pass by. See it in The Amazon River in Brazil, and in parts of Trinidad and Guyana (and the Honolulu Zoo and San Diego Zoo). (Courtesy San Diego Zoo)

Gelada Baboon

Weirdness factor: This primate's fangy yawn is actually a display of aggression to show off its canine teeth. The red patch of skin on the female's chest gets brighter as her hormone levels increase. As a natural design feature, it's probably a little too much information.
See it in: Eritrea and Ethiopia (and the Bronx Zoo).

The red patch of skin on the female gelada baboon's chest gets brighter as her hormone levels increase. As a natural design feature, it's a little too much information. See it in Eritrea and Ethiopia (and the Bronx Zoo). (Courtesy Bronx Zoo/WCS)

Chinese Giant Salamander

Weirdness factor: The largest salamanders in the world, these unattractive guys can grow to three feet long. But that doesn't stop them from being eaten: Their meat is considered a delicacy in parts of China.
See it in: The streams and lakes of central China and Taiwan (and the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco).

The unattraChina. See it in The streams and lakes of central China and Taiwan (and the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco). (Courtesy Steinhart Aquarium)ctive Chinese giant salamander can grow to three feet long. Their meat is considered a delicacy in parts of

Echidna

Weirdness factor: The echidna is an evolutionary mashup—it has a pouch for its young like a kangaroo, spines like a porcupine, and a sticky tongue like an anteater. Oh, and it lays eggs like a chicken.
See it in: Tasmania, Australia, and New Guinea (and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, which has a short-beaked echidna).

The echidna is an evolutionary mashup—it has a pouch for its young like a kangaroo, spines like a porcupine, and a sticky tongue like an anteater. Oh, and it lays eggs like a chicken. See it in Tasmania and New Guinea (and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo). (Courtesy Cleveland Metroparks Zoo)

Victoria Crowned Pigeon

Weirdness factor: These blue, turkey-size pigeons with outrageous plumage live mostly on the ground, mating for life and building sturdy nests for their young.
See it in: New Guinea (and the Philadelphia Zoo).

The blue, turkey-size Victoria crowned pigeon has outrageous plumage and lives mostly on the ground, mating for life and building sturdy nests for their young. See it in New Guinea (and the Philadelphia Zoo). (Courtesy Philadelphia Zoo)

White-faced Saki Monkey

Weirdness factor: Often called flying monkeys, white-faced sakis rarely let their feet hit the ground. They prefer to stay in the mid-level trees of the rain forest, where they can jump up to 30 feet in a single bound and can run upright along narrow branches.
See it in: The rain forests of northeastern Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela (and the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, Pa.).

White-faced sakis prefer to stay in the mid-level trees of the rain forest, where they can jump up to 30 feet in a single bound. See it in Northeastern Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela (and the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, Pa.). (Courtesy Elmwood Park Zoo)

Tree Pangolin

Weirdness factor: This insect eater's scales feel a little like human fingernails. But don't touch: Like the common skunk, the pangolin has an unpleasant-smelling spray for those who get too close.
See it in: Central Africa's rain forests (and the San Diego Zoo—which displays the tree pangolin infrequently, and without a lot of advance notice).

The tree pangolin is an insect eater with scales that feel a little like human fingernails. But don't touch: Like the common skunk, the pangolin has an unpleasant-smelling spray for those who get too close. See it in Central Africa's rain forests (and the San Diego Zoo). (Courtesy San Diego Zoo)

Pygmy Marmoset

Weirdness factor: Pygmy marmosets are the smallest monkeys in the world. They communicate though whistles and twitters, but when hostile they emit a frightening cry that's audible to peers but inaudible to humans.
See it in: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru (and the Houston Zoo and the Philadelphia Zoo).

Pygmy marmosets communicate though whistles and twitters, but when hostile they emit a frightening cry that's audible to peers but inaudible to humans. See it in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru (and the Houston Zoo). (Courtesy Houston Zoo)

Leafy Sea Dragon

Weirdness factor: Male leafy sea dragons carry and give birth to the offspring. Instead of swimming upright, like sea horses, the leafy sea dragon swims in a horizontal position. It uses its tube-shaped mouth as a straw to suck up food.
See it in: The waters of the southeastern Indian Ocean, near southern and western Australia (and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta).

Instead of swimming upright, like sea horses, the leafy sea dragon swims in a horizontal position and uses its mouth as a straw to suck up food. See it in The southeastern Indian Ocean, near southern and western Australia (and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta). (Courtesy Georgia Aquarium)

Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.