The 15 Best Infinity Pools at Hotels Worldwide

An infinity pool is an engineering trick — the vanishing edge creates the illusion that water extends to the horizon. But at the right hotel, with the right backdrop, that trick produces something genuinely transcendent. These 15 pools don't just look good in photos; they alter your perception of where water ends and landscape begins.

Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali perches its 50-meter infinity pool on a cliff 100 meters above the Indian Ocean. The water appears to pour directly into the sea below, and the sunset views toward the horizon are unobstructed. The minimalist concrete-and-wood design by WOHA Architects means the pool itself is architectural art. Rooms from around $500.

Grace Hotel Santorini in Imerovigli has the pool that launched a thousand Instagram posts — a small infinity edge overlooking the caldera with Oia's white buildings cascading down the cliff opposite. It's tiny (capacity is limited to keep it exclusive) and the effect at sunset, when the sky turns pink and the pool reflects it, is genuinely painterly. Book at https://www.gracehotels.com/santorini.

Hanging Gardens of Bali is the dramatic jungle version — two tiered pools cantilevered over a ravine above the Ayung River, surrounded by ancient rainforest. The lower pool seems to float in mid-air above the canopy. It's 20 minutes from Ubud and feels like a set from a fantasy film. The split-level design is unique among infinity pools and the mist from the valley below adds an ethereal layer.

The Cambrian in Adelboden, Switzerland, positions its heated infinity pool facing the Engstligen Falls and Swiss Alps. Swimming in warm water while snow falls on your head and Alpine peaks fill your vision is a sensory contrast that no tropical pool can offer. The winter season (December through March) is the most dramatic time to visit.

Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman, Jade Mountain in Saint Lucia, Belmond Hotel Caruso on the Amalfi Coast, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Anantara Golden Triangle in Thailand, and the Katikies Hotel in Santorini all make the list for combining infinity-edge engineering with landscapes so dramatic that the pool becomes a frame for the view rather than a destination in itself.

The common thread: these pools work because of what's beyond the edge, not the pool itself. A flat, featureless horizon produces a different effect than a caldera, jungle canopy, or Alpine range. The best infinity pools are less about swimming and more about dissolving the boundary between your body in water and the world beyond it.