The Best Hotels with Pools in Rome

Around the corner of the Piazza del Popolo, with its sun-splashed obelisk and gargoyle-graced fountains, this primped palazzo looks out over the Tiber. Its courtyard garden makes you forget your city surrounds – especially at the outdoor pool, shaded by olive and lemon trees. Come nightfall, retreat to one of the high-ceilinged suites with velvet-veiled beds and restful blackout curtains.

For culture lovers who come to Rome to visit the Vatican Museums, this luxury hotel is the perfect basecamp. After a long day of art- and architecture-musing in Vatican City, you can slump poolside on a daybed or cool down at one of the villa’s many indoor and outdoor pools. For ultimate post-sightseeing relaxation, book a treatment at the spa, overseen by luxe brand Clarins.

If you love swimming, this pools-studded stay on top of one of Rome’s seven hills is the best you can get: the award-winning spa and fitness club has a glass-domed indoor pool (with a cascading waterfall, no less), a hydro-massage pool and a snug wood-burning fireplace, as well as three outdoor heated pools, looking out over the surrounding pines. It’s no surprise that, since its opening in 1963, the hotel has been frequented by movie stars. Massages using caviar, honey and spice are worthy of their celestial status – and yours.

In the heart of Villa Borghese – Rome’s most famous park – this arresting palace boasts one of the best pools in the Eternal City. The outdoor addition is framed by pruned hedges, while the spa includes a mini Thalasso pool, sauna and steam room. Budget travellers who don’t want to splurge on a night in this top-tier address can reap its benefits by booking full- and half-day spa packages.

Cooling down in a pool after a long day is great, but, at times, you need something more to unwind. The Aleph Hotel offers a hammam-style wellness hub that includes a thermal pool and a sauna, clad in marble mosaics. You can also let off some steam in the rooftop pool, looking out over Rome’s jumbled rooftops, then settle in for some well-deserved rest in one of the soothing, sand-coloured rooms with marble floors and sculpted ceilings.

This imposing, crescent-shaped palazzo is situated in the middle of the majestic Piazza della Repubblica, facing the famous Baths of Diocletian, which date back to 306BCE. The hotel takes its name from the Fountain of the Naiads, an ode to the Greek water nymphs, which crowns the middle of the square. The hotel’s infinity-edge rooftop pool is a triumph, flanked by view-spying seating. Inside, imposing 19th-century marble architecture sets the tone, with rooms done out in an elegant, Neoclassical style.

Strategically set in Rome’s Esposizione Universale Roma (EUR) district, between the city centre and Fiumicino airport, Hotel Cristoforo Colombo is a great option for travellers on a budget who don’t want to splash out on the price but do want a pool – here, surrounded by sunbeds and a marble-clad bar. Rooms are restful, too: dressed in botanical greens and flower motifs throughout.

This affordable hotel blends a prime position close to Marconi metro station with an upscale rooftop pool and jacuzzi. While you swim and chill, look out over the Ostiense neighbourhood with its Meccano-like Gazometro tower and street-food stops, including Puglian-hailing PuRo and Roman-purists Sorrisi e Caffè. Besides the pool, guests can also enjoy the wellness centre, a gym and a Turkish bath.

If you’re looking for a swagged-out Roman stay, this stylish hotel is for you. Designed by world-famous Italian architect Gio Ponti and located next to Villa Borghese, Parco dei Principi offers all-out luxury amid velvet-clad interiors. The crystal chandeliers and marble fireplaces are straight out of the 18th century, the outdoor pool looks out over a lush garden, and the indoor version comes with a Finnish sauna and a Turkish bath.