From South African wildlife to the glittering Med, the vistas delivered by these luxury hotels are truly unmatched. These are pools with views to wanderlust over now… 

The world’s best pools with views

SANT FRANCESC HOTEL SINGULAR, PALMA DE MALLORCA

Situated in the heart of the historic centre of Palma, Mallorca, Sant Francesc Hotel Singular offers the perfect base for an exceptional city-break or romantic weekend and delivers near-enough year-round sunshine. The five-star, boutique hotel is set within a former Mallorcan mansion, built in 1860, which was lovingly restored in 2015. The hotel’s crown jewel is the stunning roof terrace with an enticing pool overlooking the Sant Francesc Basilica. The rooftop is the perfect sunbathing spot, and during the evenings, guests can enjoy sundowners at the rooftop bar and fresh, handmade sushi from the sushi bar.

Rates at Sant Francesc start from €285 per night. For more please visit: hotelsantfrancesc

THE LEGIAN SEMINYAK, BALI

Built over 20 years ago, The Legian Seminyak, Bali is one of island’s most iconic and best loved hotels. It has truly stood the test of time and is still the luxury travellers top choice in Seminyak, thanks to its superb choice of 11 private pool villas and 67 suites, all of which directly face the sea. The hotel boasts an iconic three-tiered infinity pool and its unparalleled elevated location allows stunning views of one of Bali’s best beaches, Seminyak.

The Legian Seminyak, Bali is a mere 25-minute drive from the Ngurah Rai International Airport and is situated on Bali’s southern coast. For more information please visit: lhm-hotels

HOTEL DU CAP-EDEN-ROC – CAP D’ANTIBES

Exceptionally private and secluded on a rocky aerie above the Mediterranean Sea amidst 22 acres of parkland, the award-winning Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc is acknowledged as one of the most beautiful properties in Europe – and the world. The hotel’s heated infinity pool is one of the most emblematic settings on the Côte d’Azur and offers guests idyllic panoramas of the French Riviera, from Juan-les-Pins to the Estérel coastline and the Lérins Islands beyond. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc is an exclusive retreat where generations of families and friends reunite for the summer season year after year.

Rates at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc start from €580 per night. For more information please visit: oetkercollection

SIX SENSES YAO NOI

Simplicity and natural beauty are at the heart of this stunning resort on the unspoilt Thai island of Yao Noi. Located beyond Phuket, 40 minutes by speedboat from the mainland in the beautiful Phang Nga Bay, there is a pure sense of privacy and adventure at Six Senses Yao Noi.  55 elevated pool villas offer superb space and privacy and a variety of awesome views of the spectacular landscape. The Ocean Panorama Pool Villas deliver glorious ocean vistas of the limestone rock formations rising from the sea, while Mountain View villas face a plantation of rubber trees and tropical forest.

Rates at Six Senses Yao Noi start from $695 (approx. £522) per villa per night, including breakfast. For more information please visit: sixsenses

SIX SENSES DOURO VALLEY

Six Senses Douro Valley is set high on a hill in Portugal’s enchanting UNESCO World Heritage area and wine country and was the first Six Senses resort to open in Europe. The landscaping boasts vine filled terraces, green and golden hills and the River Douro winding its way to the Atlantic Coast. There are two fantastic pools at the resort, both offering soothing, calming nature-filled vistas of the picturesque region. The heated indoor pool has floor to ceiling windows to overlook the lush green woodland, and forms part of the expansive Six Senses Spa – a definite highlight of the resort. The heated outdoor pool is set amidst the resort’s verdant private forest, with uninterrupted views of the rolling hills and meandering river.

Rates at Six Senses Douro Valley start from $290 (currently approx. £218) per night, B&B. For more information please visit: sixsenses

Kumu Beach, Sri Lanka

Located on a secluded beach stretch on the west coast of Balapitiya between Galle and Colombo, Kumu Beach is a brand new 10-bedroom boutique hotel from Teardrop Hotels. Perfect for soaking up summer rays, the hotel has four spacious Ocean View Suites, four Ocean View Bedrooms and two Kumu Bedrooms, all with Indian Ocean panoramas and some with a private balcony or garden terrace. The hotel’s stylish design is largely symmetrical with the sweeping lawns stretching out to a 23-metre infinity swimming pool and timber sun deck shaded by palm trees. Activities on offer include windsurfing, jet-skiing, visits to the local turtle hatchery and voyaging up the Madu Ganga estuary – home to 64 islands.

Rates at Teardrop Hotels’ Kumu Beach start from $182 / approx. £139 per room per night on full board basis. kumubeach

Matetsi Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Matetsi Victoria Falls is a beautifully designed, luxury bush camp with 18 river-facing suites, located on a 17km stretch of the Zambezi, just 40km from Victoria Falls. Heralded for its exquisite contemporary interiors, the luxury bush camp has scooped up a number of design awards and travel accolades since it opened a year ago. It differentiates itself from other lodges by offering a tranquil retreat from which to visit the falls and a world class safari experience. Trips to the falls are attended to by conservation-minded guides and attentive butlers, whilst access to the 55,000 hectares of pristine wilderness, to view great herds of elephant, buffalo and plains game can be done on foot, by vehicle and by boat.

Rates at Matetsi Victoria Falls start from US$705 per night per person staying in a suite. Rates for Family Suites start from US$2,470 per night based on four sharing. For more information please visit: matetsivictoriafalls

Sasaab Lodge (The Safari Collection), Kenya

Sasaab is a stunning blend of Moroccan and Swahili style, located in the heart of the African bush. The lodge is close to the Buffalo Springs National Reserves in Kenya’s Northern Frontier District in a place of rich natural diversity. Each of the nine Moroccan-styled rooms boasts an enormous open-air bathroom and private plunge pool. From their pools, guests can relax and take in the remarkable views across the Laikipia Plateau toward the jagged peak of Mount Kenya. Its position on the river naturally facilitates watching the herds of elephant that come to bathe.

Rates at Sasaab Lodge start from £695 per person per night on a full board basis. For more information please visit: thesafaricollection

Monastero Santa Rosa, Amalfi Coast

Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa is a converted 17th-century monastery and one of the most dramatic properties on the Italian coastline. Nestled into the side of a cliff, vaulted ceilings and arched windows of the nun’s rooms and refectory have been carefully preserved and are cleverly linked together with en-suite bathrooms to create truly contemporary spaces. The wide tiered gardens cascade down into an infinity edged pool, with panoramic views over the Amalfi Coast.

Rates start from €400 per room per night on a B&B basis. For more information please visit: monasterosantarosa

Singita Serengeti House, Singita Grumeti Reserve, Tanzania

One of Africa’s leading conservation companies, Singita brings new meaning to privacy and an intimate wilderness experience. Following its re-launch in August 2017, the design transformation includes brand new living spaces, a full gym and a brand new tented spa suite for couples to choose from an array of Bush Spa treatments. A 25-metre lap pool, outdoor dining decks and fire pits provide intimate interactions with a busy waterhole. Guests can experience their slice of Africa with private dinners in the bush, fine wine-tastings from in-house sommeliers overlooking the Serengeti plains and hot air ballooning over the treetops.

Rates at Singita Serengeti House start from £4,748 per night, based on an exclusive-use occupancy of 1 – 4 guests. For more information please visit: singita

Nihi Sumba, Sumba, Indonesia

Nihi Sumba is a remote hideaway on Sumba, one of the 17,000 islands in the Indonesia Archipelago, boasting breath-taking views across the Indian Ocean. Here, guests can expect tropical jungles, an ancient tribal culture and pristine beaches. Voted ‘Best Hotel in The World’ twice in a row by Travel and Leisure Magazine, the hotel’s remote set-up is castaway, the interiors are tropical chic and the scenery is raw and wild. Combine this with the host of activities that keep the adrenaline on high – from waterfall trekking, to surfing and sunset horse riding, it’s the perfect recipe for the getaway of a lifetime.

Rates start from US$795 (approx. £590) per villa per night based on double occupancy on a full board basis and a minimum 3-night stay. For more information please visit: nihi

Le Bristol

The indoor rooftop pool at iconic Le Bristol Paris overlooks the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and le Sacré-Coeur. Surrounded by glass and bathed in light, this is a pool of ‘elegant magic.’ In the evening as the sun dips and lights shimmer across its surface, the pool becomes a thing of true beauty. In summer months, guests can recline on a balcony fragrant with rosemary while overlooking the majestic Parisian rooftops. Part of Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie – one of Paris’s finest city spas – there is a steam room in the changing area and the fitness centre sits adjacent to the pool.

Rates at Le Bristol Paris start from €990 (currently approx. £869) per night on a B&B basis. For more information please visit: oetkercollection

Maisons & Hotels Sibuet, St Barths

Villa Marie is Maisons and Hotels Sibuet’s first property outside of mainland France. It offers guests a secluded and stylish retreat with breathtaking views of the quintessential Caribbean island, St Barths. Full of charm, Villa Marie exudes laidback luxury in its design by Jocelyne Sibuet, combining elements of Caribbean flair, British colonial style and French art de vivre. The individually designed and spacious rooms and suites are decorated with vibrant touches of turquoise, bougainvillaea pink and canary yellow, with inspiration taken from Indonesia, North Africa and Spain.

Rates start from £400 for a classic bungalow and from £1,000 per night for a villa. For more information please visit: saint-barth.villamarie

Taj Green Cove, Kovalam in Kerala

Located on the southern coast of Kerala, India, Taj Green Cove Resort & Spa, Kovalam has a prime location and natural backdrop, offering guests the beaches, hills and backwaters of Kerala. Swaying palms, tropical flowers and fountains set the scene for the 59 Balinese-style cottages, which feature thatch roofs, colonial-style furniture and private balconies. For dreamy pool views, guests can check into one of the spacious villas which come with their own private lap pool and offer verdant vistas of beach and serene Kerala backwaters.

Rates at Taj Green Cove Resort & Spa Kovalam, Kerala from £142. For more information please visit: tajhotels