Mums do travel

Travel with and without teens

  • Home
  • Destination
    • UK
      • London
      • Kent
      • Northern Ireland
      • Wales
      • Elsewhere
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Croatia
      • France
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • USA
      • Canada
      • Carribean
      • Costa Rica
    • Africa
      • South Africa
      • Tunisia
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Bali
      • Singapore
    • Australia
  • Inspiration
    • Things to do in…
    • Things to do in London…
    • Where to stay
    • Language learning
    • Family travel interviews
    • The journey
    • Recipes
  • Published in
  • About
  • Contact
  • Travel shop
Home / Home Featured / Best hotels with pools where you can actually swim

Best hotels with pools where you can actually swim

March 30, 2018 by Gretta Schifano 2 Comments

Indoor pool, Slieve Donard Resport & Spa. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Indoor pool, Slieve Donard Resport & Spa. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Swimming is my favourite form of exercise. I find it really relaxing and when I’m at home  I aim to swim two or three times a week at our local leisure centre. When I’m booking places to stay on my travels, I always try to find a place with a decent fitness pool if I can. But I’ve found that sometimes it can be difficult to work out from a website what a pool is really like, and whether or not you can properly swim there.

Swimming for fitness requires a pool which is deep enough and long enough for you to swim lengths, without getting in the way of others. Ideally it should have lane dividers and a separate area or a separate pool for those who just want to relax or play in the water. It’s impossible to swim lengths in a pool which is full of people with inflatables, or where there are children with arm bands bobbing about.

So, if you’re like me and really like to swim, I’m sharing with you some places where I’ve stayed which have swimming pools where you really can swim for fitness.

If you like swimming for fitness and you look for places to stay where you can properly swim in the pool (rather than getting in the way of people on lilos) then this one's for you. Click through for full details of tried and tested, recommended accommodation with swimming polls where you can swim lengths for exercise.

UK

Sleive Donard Resort & Spa, County Down, Northern Ireland

The Sleive Donard is a luxury spa hotel on the coast by the Mourne Mountains. I stayed there for a night with my daughter, and we both enjoyed spending time at the spa. The 20-metre indoor pool at the spa has specular views across the beach and towards the mountains, and is a very relaxing place to swim. There’s also a smaller ‘Vitality’ pool where you can just sit and enjoy the views, and a fantastic steam room.

You can read more in my post: Sleive Donard Resort & Spa review.

New Park Manor, New Forest, England

I stayed at this family-friendly spa hotel in January, and enjoyed an early morning swim at the 16-metre indoor pool. There were no lane markers but I had the place to myself so it didn’t matter. I assume that the pool can get busy with children at times, so that would probably make it difficult to swim for fitness, but when I was there (midweek during term time) that wasn’t an issue. The New Park Manor pool has views across the countryside – you may even spot a New Forest pony while you’re swimming.

My full review of the hotel is here: New Park Manor Spa Hotel review.

Hilton at St. George’s Park, Staffordshire, England

St. George’s Park is the English Football Association’s national training centre and is where the 24 England football teams train. When the players are there, they stay at the Hilton hotel on site. I stayed at the Hilton with my husband and son for a couple of nights. The hotel has a good spa and I went for a dip in its 17-metre indoor pool early one morning. I was the only one there and had an enjoyable swim and then tried out the steam room and the thermal foot spa.

Read more in my post: Hilton at St. George’s Park review.

Canary Riverside Plaza, London, England

I haven’t actually stayed at the Canary Riverside Plaza, but I did stay there in its previous incarnation as the Four Seasons Canary Wharf. I’m including the hotel here because it has a fantastic indoor pool which overlooks the River Thames and which I swam in one morning. The 20-metre infinity pool featured in the James Bond film Skyfall and so I can truthfully say that I’ve swum in the same pool as Daniel Craig (just not when he was there!)

You can read about our stay in my post Four Seasons Canary Wharf review.

Swimming pool at Virgin Active, Canary Wharf. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Swimming pool at Virgin Active, Canary Wharf. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Holiday Inn, Cambridge, England

We had an overnight stay at the Cambridge Holiday Inn after a family event and I was delighted to find a 15-metre indoor pool at the hotel’s health club. The pool was divided in to two so that those swimming lengths were separate from others in the pool. There’s also a sauna and steam room which guests can use.

You can read my full review here: A family-friendly hotel near Cambridge.

Europe

La Manga Club, Murcia, Spain

I spent two weeks at La Manga Club on a summer trip with my family, and I absolutely loved the 25-metre indoor fitness pool at the spa. Swimming there was a refreshing change from the summer heat outside, and I swam there each morning until it closed for maintenance for a month (which we hadn’t been warned about, and which was very disappointing!). After that I swam in the outdoor pools when I could – but this was tricky as they were usually busy and had no lane dividers.

You can read my full review of the resort in my post What’s it like to stay at La Manga Club?

Dubrovnik Sun Gardens, Croatia

We stayed at Dubrovnik Sun Gardens resort for a week during the Easter holidays. It wasn’t hot enough to swim outside and I went to the indoor pool at the spa at some point most days. The 18-metre pool is very relaxing and there’s an area with various saunas and steam rooms nearby.

You can read more about our stay in my post Dubrovnik Sun Gardens Resort review.

Aqua Dome, Tirol, Austria

I spent a day enjoying the water here with my son while we were on a trip to Austria. Aqua Dome is a luxury hotel, spa and waterpark in a spectacular mountain location. It uses the naturally hot mineral water which runs deep underground. There are 12 different pools, both indoor and outdoor, and each is different. There’s a fitness pool outside, but my favourite was the salt water outdoor pool where you can listen to underwater music as you float and admire the scenery.

You can read more in my post Aqua Dome, Ötztal valley, Austria.

Some of the pools at Aqua Dome. Image courtesy of Aqua Dome.

Some of the pools at Aqua Dome. Image courtesy of Aqua Dome.

Costa Navarino, Pelopponese, Greece

Costa Navarino is a luxury coastal resort in the Peloponnese and it has two beautiful hotels: the Westin and the Romanos. I stayed at the Westin for three nights in October, and had the 20-metre indoor pool at the hotel’s Health Club to myself for a relaxing swim one evening. There were also steam rooms and saunas for men and women near to the pool.

You can read more in my post The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino review.

Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily, Italy

I think the outdoor pool at Verdura may be the biggest that I’ve ever swum in: it’s 60 metres long, so there’s room for everyone to swim. I stayed at Verdura on a family summer trip, and my teens still say that it’s their favourite hotel that we’ve ever been to. The luxury resort is part of the Rocco Forte Hotels group, and every part of it is beautifully designed, including the pool. My daughter and I also enjoyed trying out the outdoor thalassotherapy pools at the spa.

You can read more about our stay in my post Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily.

Hotel Kalura, Sicily, Italy

We’ve stayed at Hotel Kalura a few times after visiting relatives in Sicily, and it’s a family favourite. It’s on the coast around an hour’s drive from Palermo, on the outskirts of Cefalù. It’s perched on a clifftop with views out to sea, and has a fantastic outdoor pool for lane swimming, with a children’s pool next to it. The pool isn’t heated, but I’ve swum there in April and it’s been fine if a little bracing!

Over to you

Can you recommend any places to stay which have good pools for fitness swimming? Do let me know so that I can add them to the list!

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links, which means that I would receive a commission if you clicked and booked through them. All words and opinions are my own, as ever, and my aim is to be helpful rather than to promote any particular accommodation.

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

Categories: Active, Europe, UK, Where to stay
Tags: fitness pools, swimming pools

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

Facebook - Twitter - Google+

Subscribe to posts by email?

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Comments

  1. Britpakgirl says

    April 4, 2018 at 10:09 am

    I always look at the pool facilities before booking a hotel! A good mix of adult and kids swimming is ideal. We recently stayed at a Village Hotel in Blackpool, the swimming was the highlight of the stay with an outdoor pool too!

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      April 7, 2018 at 9:58 pm

      Well that sounds very good – I assume it was a heated pool?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Search site

Follow me!

Email: gretta at mumsdotravel dot com
Follow me on FacebookFollow me on Google+Follow me on TwitterFollow me on InstagramFollow me on YouTubeFollow me on PinterestFollow me on Bloglovin

You'd like posts by email?

Booking.com

Most popular posts:

  • How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
    How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
  • Thailand with teenagers: a two-week summer itinerary
    Thailand with teenagers: a two-week summer itinerary
  • Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
    Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
  • 5-night itinerary for Northern Tunisia
    5-night itinerary for Northern Tunisia
  • Itinerary for a three-night Berlin sightseeing trip with a teenager
    Itinerary for a three-night Berlin sightseeing trip with a teenager
  • 5 of the best: UK castles for family stays
    5 of the best: UK castles for family stays
  • What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
    What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
  • 60 free things to do in London with a teenager
    60 free things to do in London with a teenager
  • 17 places to find the world of Harry Potter in London
    17 places to find the world of Harry Potter in London
  • Jane Austen tour: the places where she lived and wrote
    Jane Austen tour: the places where she lived and wrote

Recent Posts

  • How to apply for Italian citizenship: everything we’ve done so far
  • How to explore London’s top attractions from home
  • Amsterdam virtual museum & gallery tours
  • Introducing Armchair Travels
  • How to explore Florence, Italy, from home

About

  • About
  • Published in
  • Contact

Disclosure

This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.

Copyright © Mums do travel 2019
Header by Suzanne Barton
Website by
Callia Web

Sign up for my free newsletter:
Subscribe to the Mums do travel mailing list... it's FREE!
You'll receive family travel news, offers and competitions. Once you sign up you can download my tips for saving money on family travel.
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
Sign up for my free newsletter: