Since March, COVID-19 has prompted travelers to plot more creative adventures, with many prioritizing remote locales and privacy. Cruises and European holidays have been postponed as Americans turn closer to home – hiking through national parks, road-tripping in RVs, and booking hotel rooms with more isolated amenities. According to Google trends, the search for “hotels with private pools in room” has been surging over the last few weeks, and for good reason. These rooms and villas offer the ultimate treat in travel right now: a blissfully secluded oasis. From Arizona to Hawaii, here are nine pools in the US and the Caribbean where you can take your own private plunge.
Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona
Situated on 70 acres on the red rocky terrain of Sedona’s Boynton Canyon, Enchantment Resort is known for its award-winning Mii amo spa, hiking and biking trails that wind through canyons, cliffs, and desert forests, and supreme tranquility. Book one of the property’s pool or spa pool suites, each with its own viewing deck and outdoor sitting area with a fireplace and heated pool. To stay socially distant, opt for a no-contact delivery from one of two on-site restaurants, or order a customizable family-style meal for DIY grilling.
The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee, Greensboro, Georgia
A little over an hour’s drive from Atlanta, the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee is a sprawling resort surrounded by miles of shoreline and verdant forest. Besides rooms, suites and charming lakeside cottages, the resort offers a 5400 sq ft (500 sq m) freestanding Lake House. The deluxe accommodation option comes with plenty of amenities that promote social distancing, including a dedicated concierge, a fully stocked kitchen, and a patio with a private pool and firepits.
Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, Maui, Hawaii
Four cascading outdoor infinity pools at this 15-acre beachfront resort on the island of Maui are open to all guests. But 11 villas, ranging from two- to four-bedrooms each, all have their own plunge pools, too. Private lanais are outfitted with lounge chairs, dining tables for al fresco meals, and vibrant blue-tiled pools, where you can take a dip surrounded by palm trees and the Pacific ocean.
The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, California
Channel Old Hollywood glamour with a stay in one of the world’s most iconic hotels. The Sunset Boulevard institution has hosted a long list of celebrities, from movie stars to musicians to royalty, including Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra. Elizabeth Taylor spent six of her eight honeymoons in one of the hotel’s private bungalows. Book Bungalow 5 – the largest – for French doors that open out to your own pool, hot tub, and patio surrounded by 12 acres of tropical gardens.
JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, Paradise Valley, Arizona
Located minutes from downtown Scottsdale’s Arts District and Desert Botanical Garden, the Camelback Inn manages to feel worlds away, surrounded by the natural beauty and painted skies of the Sonoran Desert. The Pueblo Revival-style accommodations on the 125-acre resort at the base of Camelback Mountain each come with kitchenettes and plenty of thoughtful amenities, and one with its own separate pool. The one-bedroom Jackrabbit suite includes a tiled patio with both a lounge and dining area, plus a roomy plunge pool where you can have a secluded swim and still take in romantic desert vistas.
Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California
The luxury boutique Hotel Bel-Air tucked into the foothills of the Santa Monica mountains has been a quiet escape for some of Hollywood’s brightest stars since it opened in 1946. Both the patio suite and the Grace Kelly suite have sprawling private patios with plunge pools, and the presidential suite – in addition to its grand piano, chef’s kitchen, and separate study – features a private Spanish courtyard with its own infinity pool.
Bardessono Hotel & Spa, Napa Valley, California
The scenic Wine Country Bardessono Hotel & Spa resort known for its low-key luxury and a LEED Platinum-certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – one of only three in the country) just unveiled the new Maple Grove Villas. Each can be booked individually, or together as a three-bedroom retreat, and have all the essentials for a restorative Napa Valley vacation: outdoor patios with individual “cocktail pools”, floor-to-ceiling windows to take in the surrounding Mayacamas Mountains, and, most importantly, a stocked wine fridge.
Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, St-Barthélemy
The tiny French-speaking Caribbean island of St-Barthélemy opened to American visitors in late June (with some requirements, including a negative COVID-19 test from 72 hours prior to arrival), and one of its most celebrated hotels reopens on October 28. The breezy, beachfront Le Barthélemy’s Océan Lux Piscine Privée suites have glass doors that slide open to heated plunge pools and panoramic ocean views.
Amanyara, Turks and Caicos
Meaning “peaceful place” in Sanskrit, the Amanyara resort is situated between an 18,000-acre nature preserve and a marine national park in Turks and Caicos. Accommodations range from private villas to glass-walled pavilions with sun decks and hammocks. Elevated above the water, the Amanyara Pavilion is one of the most stunning, with its own T-shaped pool surrounded by lush gardens and overlooking the azure water. (Turks and Caicos is also open to visitors with some requirements, including presenting a negative COVID-19 test from within five days of arrival.)
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