10 fabulous New York hotels with pools
An expert guide to the best New York hotels with pools, including the top places to stay for marble-mosaic spas, Andy Warhol murals, the city's largest hotel swimming pool, dazzling rooftop bars, trendy décor and views of the city, in locations including Midtown, Manhattan, Brooklyn.
The fashionable Parker Meridien resort vibe has been transplanted to a towering Midtown office block, and it’s always quirky, eclectic, and surprising. There’s a distinct Scandinavian look to the rooms, with the minimalist layout and cherry and cedar wood accents, while beyond the sleek atrium-like lobby, a bar area called Knave with vaulted ceilings and stone pillars is more Middle Eastern in style. There are shops, restaurants and grooming outlets throughout, not to mention cafes, cocktail bars, a ballroom, fitness centre, and a rooftop pool with Central Park views. Highlights include the basement-level spa, Moonshine, and old school men’s barbershop Sharps. Don’t miss the rooftop pool with its floor-to-ceiling windows with Central Park views, outdoor deck and bar menu.
The most impressive part of this distinctive 'eco' hotel is its rooftop pool with spectacular views towards Manhattan (see top of page). It is situated on the waterfront; expect wonderful vistas of downtown New York over the East River and, as the name suggests, the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge. The hotel overflows with natural materials, from the living wall in the lobby to the distressed wood in the bedrooms. It’s industrial-chic: think large metal lamps hanging from chains and exposed pipes, spruced up by the odd indoor tree or potted plant. The hotel operates entirely on wind power and uses a snazzy rain-water reclamation system to irrigate neighbouring Brooklyn Park too.
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Cultural acolytes and first-time visitors to New York alike are well served by the Baccarat, which is awash with agreeably flamboyant features. Among the 15,000 or so pieces of Baccarat crystal strewn across the hotel are 2,000 of the brand’s signature Harcourt glasses, with LEDs embedded in their base, placed into the foyer wall to form a dazzling light installation that pulsates from morning to night. Elsewhere hand-pleated silks cascade from ceilings, ornate chandeliers sparkle in the light and fresh bouquets of blood-red roses, arranged into perfect orbs, add bold blots of colour to pastel-hued lounges. The pool, in the basement with the spa is particularly dashing, with a checkered floor, towels scented with signature Rouge 540 and cabanas inspired by the C?te d’Azur.
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This boutique hotel is a design bombshell, both inside and out. It's housed in the former annex of the National Maritime Union of America; the porthole-bedecked design was futuristic in the Sixties when it was built and continues to look dazzlingly other-wordly now. Guests enjoy full access to the 50-foot heated pool and surrounding ‘beach’ area including deck chairs, poolside bar and DJ. Massage and spa treatments can also be booked in one of two poolside cabanas, and elsewhere there's a hip on-site hair salon and a library. Some rooms have gorgeous views of the pool, others link directly to the pool deck, and there’s a $5,000-a-night penthouse suite complete with glass-bottom whirlpool tub, private barista and its own 'sneaker stylist' if you really want to splash out.
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The hotel is slick and modern with minimal colour, and dazzles in mostly black-and-white mingled with earth tones for accent. The rooftop pool with a filmstrip image of Andy Warhol on the tiled floor (one of the chicest pools in town), is where guests can lounge and order drinks and small bites from staff who are pleasant and go out of their way to ensure a memorable experience. The restaurant provides 24-hour room service and two other bars are also available. On the lower level, a 24-hour fitness centre, sauna, and a spa offer a place to decompress. The hotel is steps from the trendiest places to dine, drink, and shop, and, for nightlife there's a mixture of fancy cocktail lounges and dive bars on almost every street. Rockwood Music Hall is next door to the hotel.
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A fun, eclectic, brightly coloured collage of styles and materials. Acclaimed designer Fernando Santangelo (who worked on the redo of Los Angeles’s Chateau Marmont) has transformed the lobby into a cross between a jungle scene (all lush forest murals) and a Seventies nightclub, with marble floors and black mirrored walls. Start with the saltwater swimming pool, located directly off the lobby, one of the largest in New York and where they serve pitchers of signature cocktails from May until September. The pool area has terraced seating, pastel-coloured sun loungers and assorted topiary including palms and potted ferns. It’s a fun feast for the senses. Free bike rentals, seasonal morning yoga and in-room dining from the hotel's restaurant, Oleanders, are also available.
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The hotel boasts the largest hotel pool in New York, on a 5,000 square-foot outdoor pool deck surrounded by plush loungers (open from June to September). Westlight is the most dazzling rooftop bar in New York with a 360-view of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Staying at the William Vale can feel like you are on the set of 2001 A Space Odyssey. Interiors are light and futuristic with lots of discreet geometric details, dove greys and blond wood. There are futuristic glowing edge details on the bedroom balconies and even the wardrobe with its zig zag doors eerily emits light. The star of each room is the huge private balcony with chairs and a table for eating, sunbathing or viewing the sunset over the East River. Floor to ceiling glass walls offer incredible views.
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New Yorkers make the right noises when you say you’re staying on 5th Avenue, one of Manhattan’s most prestigious addresses. The city’s best department stores are clustered around here too, while Central Park, MoMA and Times Square are a short walk from the hotel and for trips further afield, there’s a subway station around the corner and an abundance of taxis to hail whatever the hour. The spa boasts a range of treatments including popular facials by the French luxury skincare line Biologique Recherche, there’s a fitness centre and a sumptuous swimming pool surrounded by floor-to-ceiling teak columns and sleek black tiles. Poolside dining is also available, featuring a selection of Naturally Peninsula dishes.
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The style at this chic Tribeca design hotel, owned by Robert De Niro, is Morocco meets the tropics, with elements of Europe and the Orient thrown in. Somehow it all works seamlessly. The free-flowing ground floor mimics a Tribeca loft, but instead of cold minimalism you get warm polished oak floors, comfy floral sofas, lush palms and Moorish tiles. There are numerous guest-only communal areas including a carpeted Drawing Room and a secluded garden Courtyard that recalls a Riad in Marrakech. Graham Greene would feel at home. The hotel’s subterranean Japanese-inspired Shibui Spa is a veritable oasis, complete with a tranquil pool and fitness centre. Guests have free access to bespoke ‘his & her’ Shinola brand ‘Bixby’ bicycles.
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Deep in the heart of the Financial District, this bronze-brushed palace is superbly located for exploring nearby attractions such as the One World Trade Center, 9/11 Memorial and Battery Park. If you’d rather relax in the hotel, facilities include a gym and spa with lap pool. The latter is a vision of gorgeousness, decorated with cream marble mosaics that are implanted with mother of pearl, tree-trunk tables, and Korean paper art. Rooms are restful visions in taupe with armchairs made from the supplest of leathers and rough-textured feature walls. Lamps with stems bent into eccentric angles keep things interesting. Marble-mosaic bathrooms have rain showers and bathtubs with a view of the One World Trade Center.
