The Best Hotels With Pools to Book in London

Although its grand exterior hasn’t changed since the first guests arrived in 1899, the Landmark is packed with modern five-star facilities, chief amongst them a heated, no-chlorine pool flanked by leather loungers and a separate jacuzzi. Revel in the building’s heritage as a luxury railway hotel by booking the smart, purple-and-beige Grand Central Suite, decorated with antique furniture and Victorian suitcases. In the glass-ceilinged atrium, enjoy one of the best afternoon teas in London amongst towering palms.

You’ll totally forget that Covent Garden is next door in this hotel’s blue-lit spa, where sealife projections play over the surface of a chlorine-free pool enlivened with underwater music. After a few laps, unwind with a massage, a steam in the sauna or a workout on the latest Technogym gadgetry. Splash out on the blue-washed Dome Suite for a circular living room inside the building’s copper cupola, warmed by an electric fireplace and equipped with a free mini bar.

Soho House and the Sydell Group are behind this behemoth hotel and members’ club in the City of London, housed in an enormous former bank. Slip off down to the Neoclassical spa to use the 20m (66ft) pool, Moroccan hammam and steam rooms. Afterwards, take your pick from one of the seven restaurants in the food hall, or head to the top floor, where there’s a rooftop pool that surveys St Paul’s Cathedral, although you do need to be a full member to use it.

The rooftop pool at hipster haven the Mondrian is a year-round destination – it’s refreshing in summer and heated in winter, plus there’s a retractable glass roof for when the weather is being especially British. It’s even open late, so you can paddle after dark under the twinkling lights. Don’t expect to swim laps, though; this is a place to see and be seen, or just dangle your feet in. Afterwards, take a seat at the Lido rooftop bar for bubbles, burgers and light bites.

There are four entire floors dedicated to wellness at the Corinthia Hotel on the Thames Embankment. Come here for everything from personal training sessions to pedicures and laps in the swimming pool. Don’t hurry back to reality too soon – you could spend an entire afternoon on the other-worldly thermal floor, home to a tension-busting hot tub, ice fountain, sauna, heated loungers and private sleep pods.

Gym junkie? The East Asian-inspired spa at the Mandarin Oriental is made for you. There’s an 18m (60ft) twin-lane indoor pool (plus a lap timer so you can beat your personal best), a state-of-the-art gym and a private reformer pilates studio for stretching out afterwards. Recover in style in the soothing vitality pool, the amethyst crystal steam room or the very Zen relaxation area.

St James’s can be stuffy, but the Haymarket Hotel feels distinctly down to earth, thanks to designer Kit Kemp’s coordinating clash of bright fabrics. Downstairs, the 18m (60ft) heated indoor pool doesn’t take itself too seriously, either, since it’s housed in a hedonistic grotto with a colourful light installation and a cocktail bar to one side. Rent the whole space for a private pool party of epic proportions.

The Sky Pool at Shangri-La at the Shard looks down on London’s landmarks from 52 storeys up. Officially the highest pool in Western Europe, there’s almost a cinematic feeling to swimming here, which is apt, considering it’s more of a photo opportunity than a place to properly practise your breaststroke. If you can’t take your eyes off the view, get a glass of bubbles at the adjacent Gong Bar and watch the city put on a show at sunset.

A grand Victorian-era railway hotel, the St Pancras Renaissance fell into disrepair and languished for decades, before a multimillion-pound makeover restored it to its former neo-Gothic glory. You can still access the station from downstairs, so it’s perfect for a pre- or post-Eurostar pitstop – though once you’ve seen the Moroccan-inspired spa with pool, zellige-tile patterns on the walls and potted ferns, you may want to stay put.

Expect nothing less than all-out glamour from this classic Mayfair hotel with ornate ceilings, wood panelling and oh-so sumptuous upholstery. Downstairs, at the Aman Spa, the jet set wash away their sins in an enormous black granite swimming pool and a delightfully scented steam room infused with essential oils. Once you’re feeling pure of mind and body, it’s time for a re-tox in the award-winning Connaught Bar – don’t miss the martini trolley, of which Mr Bond would definitely approve.

Sleek beyond measure, the spa space at the Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge is dominated by a 25m (82ft) colonnaded swimming pool made of Italian limestone. It’s surrounded by loungers and cabanas cast in creamy drapes that speak to the calm and collected. This being Bulgari, there’s a blingtastic vitality pool, too, tiled in gold and equipped with powerful massage jets ready to make light of niggles and knots.