Top 10: Singapore's best swimming pools
With such an impressive skyline it's no wonder that Singapore has more than its fair share of spectacular rooftop pools. But it's not all about contemplating the view, the city-state also boats some particularly picturesque swimming spots at less vertiginious heights. We select the best
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Your support makes all the difference.If you feel no holiday is complete without a stint of poolside lounging, this is for you. Singapore boasts some of the world's most spectacular rooftop and infinity pools - the perfect place to relax, unwind and of course snap that all important photo to share on social media.
Hard Rock Hotel
The massive freeform pool at Sentosa Island’s Hard Rock Hotel (+65 6577 8899, rwsentosa.com) comes complete with a man-made sandy beach, a beach volleyball court, lush palm trees and a swim-up pool bar for an all-day experience.
The poolside cabanas are available for some R&R and the chilled-out vibe is enhanced by cool music, a tropical landscape and year-round balmy weather.
W Singapore
W Singapore's (+65 6808 7288, wsingaporesentosacove.com) 1,400 sq. m outdoor freeform pool is surrounded by gorgeous greenery, decking and seating that lights up at night and views of the Sentosa sunset out over the South China Sea. Underwater speakers emit relaxing sonic waves and you can even float on a canopied lounger while deciding where to go for dinner.
The WET Bar serves snacks and drinks including cocktails brought to your lounger by W Singapore’s ‘Ambassadors’ and you can even hide out for a couple of hours in your own private cabana complete with iPads and a mist fan. This really is one of Singapore’s most luxurious experiences.
Naumi hotel
The rooftop infinity pool at the 73-room Naumi (+65 64 03 6000, naumihotel.com) is one of Singapore’s most impressive. Ten floors up amid the city’s skyscrapers, the pool and deck offer guests a calming daytime poolside experience with lush flora and fauna in all directions but at night the pool transforms into something special.
Come the twilight hours, attire switches from swimming gear to smart/casual and the poolside becomes one of Singapore’s coolest bars with the style set sipping cocktails, listening to tantalising tunes and taking in the stunning views of the Garden City.
Sofitel So Singapore
The Sofitel So (+65 6701 6800, sofitel-so-singapore.com) may well be Singapore’s most luxurious boutique hotel. The rooms have the feel of a Parisian apartment with pieces commissioned by fashion king Karl Lagerfeld and Apple tech throughout. But the star of the show has to be the swimming pool.
The pool is inlaid with thousands of gold tiles that shimmer in the light and while it’s not the highest rooftop pool in the Garden City, it really is a sight to see, with great views of the city centre. And you don’t have to go far for a drink, the pool shares space with the Hi-So bar and you can relax in opulent style with a cocktail, a cold glass of prosecco or a great selection of new and old world wines.
Capella
Designed by Sir Norman Foster, the Capella (+65 6377 8888, capellahotels.com) is one of Singapore’s most elegant five-star hotels and the three cascading, lounger-lined freeform swimming pools create an environment of serenity and calm amid naturally landscaped surroundings. In addition, each villa comes complete with its own personal plunge pool and each manor, a mini lap pool.
The three turquoise-tiled pools all have sensational views out across the South China Sea and combined with the colonial architecture and world-class contemporary hotel design, the Capella is the jewel in the Sentosa Island crown.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel
No list of Singapore’s best pools is complete without the Marina Bay Sands’ (+65 6688 8888, marinabaysands.com) iconic infinity pool. Fifty-seven floors up with arguably the best views of the Garden City, the pool is the world’s longest elevated swimming pool as well as the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool.
Boasting a 146m vanishing edge, it truly is one of the world’s most spectacular swimming spots and there is no better place to relax than in a comfy sun lounger, sipping a cocktail or a glass of fizz while watching the sunset.
Shangri-La Hotel
Sitting pretty next to the Singapore Botanic Gardens (in fact the 15 acres of landscaped gardens at the Shangri-La are known as the second botanic gardens) and close to the world-famous shops and bars of Orchard Road, the vast pool at the Shangri-La (+65 6737 3644, shangri-la.com) is an oasis of green and calm.
Overlooked by dozens of stunning bougainvillea-covered balconies, the famous pool features a relaxing Jacuzzi and a shallower children's pool. There’s something for everyone at this oasis in the city.
Fullerton Bay Hotel
The rooftop pool at the beautiful Fullerton Bay Hotel, (+65 6333 8388, fullertonhotels.com) is described as ‘a haven of serenity from the bustle of the city’ and it’s hard to disagree. The light show from the Marina Bay Sands is a night time highlight as it illuminates the pool.
The delightful waterfront breeze is welcome as you sip cocktails surrounded by lush greenery. The pool transforms from a swimming spot during the day to one of Singapore’s best rooftop bars at night with snug alcoves, luxurious furniture, cool drinks and views as good as any you’ll find in Singapore.
One°15 Marina Club
One degree and 15 minutes north of the equator on Sentosa Island overlooking the Singapore Strait, the ONE°15 Marina Club (+65 6305 6988, one15marina.com) is, in their own words ‘part of the emerging hip, upscale luxury neighbourhood that is positioned to become one of the world’s most well-integrated waterfront lifestyle communities’. And the stunning infinity pool is central to this.
Overlooking the marina’s magnificent mega-yachts, the glass wall that takes up an entire side is an underwater swimmer’s dream and there is also a children’s pool for the paddlers. Surrounded by palm trees and luxurious loungers, the infinity pool at the ONE°15 Marina Club has to be one of the best swimming pools in Singapore.
Hotel Fort Canning
It’s been a country club, a British colonial outpost, a Japanese corporate HQ and completely abandoned, but in 2011, Fort Canning was transformed into a stunning, 86-room boutique hotel right in the middle of the ultra-verdant Fort Canning Park.
The stunning freeform and lagoon pools are surrounded by tropical palms and the park’s natural hills and you can relax on the poolside with a cocktail enjoying sensational views of what Singapore looked like before the skyscrapers took over. (+65 6559 6795, hfcsingapore.com)
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A version of this article first appeared on firststopsingapore.com
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