Incredible hotel swimming pools – including one that sparked major love scandal

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Fancy a pool with a view?

2Chill has scoured the nation for swimming pools that boast the most idyllic of settings, they include the Infinity Skypool on the 52nd floor of The Shard, to a magical 'Mermaid Pool' in Devon.

So, pack your costume and towel, and take a dip into the UK’s best poolside panoramas…

Lodore Falls Hotel and Spa, Lake District

Sitting right by the lake in the Borrowdale valley, Keswick, is the rather grand Lodore Falls Hotel and Spa.

Dwarfed by Cumbria’s dramatic landscape, it’s an indulgent haven of tranquility, but the highlight has to be the 16-metre outdoor hydro pool with views across Derwentwater towards the Catbells Mountain Range.

If that isn’t enough to ease weariness, the neck jets, underwater loungers, spa facilities and hot tub might just do it.

The Nare Hotel

Given Cornwall’s ever-growing popularity, it’s getting harder to find a slice of serenity, but The Nare Hotel, described as a country house by the sea, feels like a hidden oasis.

Tucked away on the Roseland Peninsula, one of its most striking features is the outdoor pool, which is surrounded by landscaped gardens and palm trees, and overlooks the beautiful Carne beach.

Open from May to October, the pool’s temperature is maintained at an inviting 30 degrees C. It’s also handily positioned next to the hotel’s restaurant for a tipple or treat post-dip.

Cliveden House, Berkshire

It might not boast the sweeping vistas of the other suggestions in this list, but the pool at Cliveden House deserves a mention. Known as the ‘the Profumo’ pool as it’s famously where John Profumo met Christine Keeler in the Sixties, it’s the only listed outdoor pool to remain in England.

Nestled within the grand surroundings of the 17th century estate, the immaculate lawn is dotted with sunbeds, and has two hot tubs on standby, which makes it the perfect spot to soak up the atmosphere.

Gara Rock, Devon

Although the hotel’s situated in Salcombe, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the Cote d’Azur while reclining poolside at Gara Rock.

It’s not the easiest hotel to reach, but its remoteness is its great appeal because it’s perched overlooking the south Devon coastline. Typically open from April to October, the pool, with its curved white lines, has an Art Deco feel about it, and offers unobstructed sea views while you swim.

Portavadie, Scotland

Breathtaking is a word that’s bandied around a lot, but it does succinctly sum up the view from the pool at Portavadie on the west coast in Argyll and Bute. Believed to be the biggest heated outdoor pool in Scotland, it looks directly across Loch Fyne to the mountains beyond, so you can breathe in the beauty of the landscape while doing a few laps. Due to its exposed position, it may close from time to time, but there’s always the 16-metre indoor pool if needed.

Burgh Island Hotel, Devon

Just off the coast of Bigbury-on-Sea in south Devon you’ll find Burgh Island Hotel, so named because it’s cut off from the mainland during high tide and requires a short voyage by sea tractor.

If it resembles something straight out of an Agatha Christie tale, then it should come as no surprise to hear the prolific author used it as a writer’s retreat.

There’s something rather magical about the place, including the enticingly named Mermaid Pool. A natural sea bathing lagoon surrounded by rocks, there’s a small perch in the middle to take in the views.

Scarlet Hotel, Cornwall

Given its desirable location above Mawgan Porth in North Cornwall, a ‘grown-ups only’ policy and eco-friendly credentials, it’s no surprise that The Scarlet is often fully booked. Designed so guests can enjoy sea views from almost every corner, it means hotel guests and spa-goers can enjoy coastal views from the ‘natural reed-bed’ swimming pool, as well as the cliff-top tubs.

Shangri-La The Shard, London

You have to have a head for heights for the Infinity Skypool at Shangri-La London. As you’d expect given its location on the 52nd floor of The Shard, it offers up one of the most impressive and far-reaching views of the capital’s skyline. One to savour while you float in the clouds.

King Street Townhouse, Manchester

At four metres squared, the seventh-floor infinity pool at King Street Townhouse isn’t much bigger than a hot tub but it does provide wonderful views of the city’s skyscrapers and spires, as well as the city’s Town Hall clock that looms large.

It’s worth noting that the pool is only open to hotel guests, but makes an extra special treat for those staying over.

Saunton Sands, Devon

Devon definitely does like its Art Deco influences as Saunton Sands is yet another hotel in the list that provides stunning views as well as beautiful period features.

Open from May through to October, the outdoor pool is in a prime location looking out over the sweeping Saunton Sands beach, and makes an enviable place to watch the sun dip below the horizon.

  • 2Chill

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