VIP guests can swim at this airport lounge

VIP travellers flying in or out of Punta Cana International should plan on slipping some swimwear into their hand luggage.

From December the new VIP lounge at the Dominican Republic-based airport will feature an outdoor swimming pool.

Images of the pool show that visitors will be able to swim with a view of the runway, or relax poolside on a large wooden decking area.

The new luxury lounge will be the airport’s third VIP space and is designed by Dominican architect, Antonio Segundo Imbert.

The two existing lounges, located in Terminal A and B, are open to "select elite status fliers on participating airlines" as well as Priority Pass members and passengers who purchase a pass to access both lounges.

The size of the pool, day cost to access the lounge and other details are still to be announced by the Puntacana Resort & Club group which runs the airport.

The airport opened in 1983 and is built in a traditional Dominican style, featuring open-air terminals with roofs covered in palm fronds. It became the first privately owned international airport in the world and has expanded hugely over the years to support the region’s booming tourism industry.

It’s not the first airport to feature a pool, however. Singapore’s Changi Airport, which was recently voted the world’s best for the fifth year running, has a rooftop pool at the Aerotel Airport Transit Hotel at Terminal 1. It costs 17 SGD (£10) for a dip and the facility also has a Jacuzzi, poolside bar and showers.

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