The Best Hotels With Pools to Book in Florida, USA

For almost a century, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club has drawn sun seekers to the south like moths to the proverbial flame. Some are here for the 36 holes of golf, others clamor for the 15 Har-Tru tennis courts. For children, there’s a playground – all in all, no excuse to return home without a golden glow. Their four pools are perfect for cooling down after all that exertion. Just be sure to pack your sunscreen; we have a feeling you might spend a lot of time on a chaise lounge, too.

Things go swimmingly for everyone at this grande dame, which pays homage to the northern Italian harbor idyll of Portofino. The Beach Pool is a blast for families, with a water slide themed around a Roman aqueduct and a sandy beach. The Villa Pool is a subtler affair, with private cabanas for couples. Or there’s the Hillside Pool, an even quieter hideaway for peace-seekers. When you’re thoroughly refreshed, you’ll be ready for the short walk to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

The diverse amenities at this wonder-resort are part of what makes Orlando so magical. While Dad is thwacking away on the 18-hole golf course and Mom is lying sedately in the spa, kids have their big chance to make a splash – in its Falls Pool Oasis, an amazing waterworld of pools and thrills. The fearless can head to Splash Down and ride one of their two 200ft (60m) water slides or 90ft (27m) speed slide. Less nerve-racking is a lounge chair by the water’s edge, reading a book and regularly reapplying sunscreen.

Vacationers come initially for the three celebrated golf courses – but they return year after year for the five-acre (2ha) water park at Reunion Resort & Golf Club in Kissimmee. Among its attractions are twisting water slides, super-power water cannons, rope bridges and a lazy river to bowl down. When you want to beat the heat, seek some shade and sip rum-laced cocktails with nachos at the Water Park Grill. With additional pools throughout the resort, you’ll want to carry your towel around wherever you go, just in case.

Pencil in a pool party in Palm Beach at the Breakers. The original home of R&R, the Breakers offers the ultimate Palm Beach experience. Excuse yourself from the sand for a day and instead hang out at one of their four pools or five whirlpool spas. The main pool, next to the restaurant, is great for a lunchtime swim, while the zero-entry active pool is perfect for families. Couples and adults will want to check out the two infinity-style pools with private bungalows.

Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort claims it’ll give you an experience to last a lifetime – but no need, as you’ll be back before you know it. And when it comes to Florida hotel pools, the Omni Amelia Island offers North Florida’s largest poolscape in its backyard, meaning you’ll have little motivation to go anywhere else. Two heated pools, a splash park for kids and two hot tubs keep everyone busy doing nothing all day, with that lovely worked-out tiredness in your limbs. Retreat to Oceanside, overlooking the pools, for a heady Pirate’s Kiss Piña Colada before dinner comprised of a Foribbean chicken-salad wrap and – you’ve earned it – a slab of key-lime mango pie.

Reimagine luxury and rediscover paradise at Naples Grande Beach Resort. Sun-kissed suite balconies and miso-broiled sea bass are on the menu for your stay, as well as three pools that insist you jump in and laze the hours away. The Mangrove Pool’s giant waterside is a kid’s dream, while the adults-only Palm Terrace Pool offers private cabanas for Mom and Dad. Couples looking for a secluded place to lounge or exercise should head to the Hibiscus Hideaway.

If you think a hotel surrounded by water has no use for a pool, think again. Hawks Cay Resort may be on the beautiful Duck Key in the Florida Keys, but they know how much you love sipping a fruity drink by the pool. Their five resort pools and lagoon are just a few of the many amazing on-site amenities you can make the most of when you’re not deep-sea fishing, swimming with dolphins or going on a private lobster-catching excursion. For us, the Sunset Pool is the most magical at the end of the day, with the tangerine glow of the disappearing sun turning the surface metallic and mysterious.