The Best Hotels With Pools to Book in Calgary, Canada

Your kids are going to love it at this Sheraton. It’s home to the Oasis Waterpark, where a winding, turquoise water slide curls and zips past columns in the window-lined pool space. The good news for everyone else? The slide has a dedicated splash zone, so you can still stroke through the main pool or recline in the hot tub in peace. A range of on-site restaurants – including a pub stocked with microbrews – and calming rooms with crisp white sheets are other reasons to book into this stay by the Calgary International Airport. What could be simpler? Swim, dry, get some shut-eye and fly.

This grande-dame hotel – opened in 1914 – draws well-heeled locals with its crafted afternoon teas, avocado-toast brunches, excellent people-watching and luxurious spa. Book in for a Himalayan salt stone massage, then spend an hour lounging around the atmospheric pool area, complete with leafy palms and regal columns. There’s a hot tub should you fancy a steamy soak, though you can warm up another way – with a handcrafted Canadian rye cocktail in the atmospheric Hawthorn Dining Room and Bar.

The rooms at this Marriott are contemporary yet classic, with watercolor-style murals inspired by Calgary’s epic natural surrounds and gilded statement floor lamps. However, if you’re keen on swimming, you can enjoy all that later. Drop your bags and head straight for the pool. It’s indoor and heated and features a frothing hot tub. The slick pool itself is flanked by loungers so that you can strike a pose and relax with a book or magazine post-dip. Want to be alone? The complex is only open to Marriott guests, so you’ll get more privacy than at some of the other hotel pools in the city.

The shimmering pool, perfect for doing laps, is only one of the draws at this resort on the western outskirts of the city center. There’s also the casino, with 84,000sqft (7,804sqm) of gaming space featuring 40-plus tables and more than 1,000 slot machines. And let’s not forget the bountiful dining options, including a vast buffet dishing up prime rib and a grill turning out seafood. The giant live-music space, host to leading acts, is a plus point, too. You’ll be so busy that you might not have time to swim – or even sleep.

Hotel Arts calls itself an urban resort, and when you see the pool, you’ll understand why. Lined with cushy sitting areas, furnished with firepits, oversized outdoor lamps and foliage, its pool space is covered by an inflatable roof in cooler months so that you can enjoy it even when snowflakes are falling. Grab a seat and tuck into the poolside menu, with dishes such as twice-cooked fries, burgers and flatbreads topped with mortadella and pickled sweet chili. Afterward, check into one of the pool-view suites to bask in the aquatic-ecstatic vibe even longer from your private balcony.

The pool at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino is really more like a mini water park. A two-story, four-curl water slide plunges kids into the shallows, alongside two hot tubs, a full swimming pool and a dedicated toddler area. It’s the perfect excuse to tucker out the little ones before hitting the Saturday all-you-can-eat prime rib buffet, available in the Mohave Grill. An on-site casino provides a more adult kind of entertainment, but the young ones will sleep deep in the comfy family suites, with their attractive wooden headboards and, crucially, free cookies.

Set in a historic sandstone building downtown, this Hyatt Regency balances traditional style with modern conveniences. Look no further than its mirror-like pool area with windows overlooking the city skyline and festooned with greenery. After a dip, stake out a corner at one of the stylish dining spaces – these include a lounge warmed by a flickering fire and a moody restaurant with velvety sapphire chairs. Tuck into an Alberta sirloin with truffle potato gratin, washed down with plummy cabernet sauvignon harvested in the nearby Okanagan Valley. A true Canada high.

Looking for an outdoor pool? The one at the Carriage House Hotel is a dream place to lap up the rays in summer, then keep toasty in winter – it’s heated so that you can enjoy a few strokes even when the temperatures plunge. There’s a hot tub, too, but for something special, book into the jacuzzi suite. Here, you’ll get a private heart-shaped jacuzzi tub, as well as a comfy lounge space for spreading out. When you’re hungry post-swim, hit the on-site bakery, which turns out freshly risen bagels, challah and cakes every day.