At these premier resorts, the pool is the place to be
There’s an art to enjoying a day at the pool, and it’s all about location and accessories. You’ll want a spot with enough personal space to stash your bag, book, lotion, sunglasses and hat. And while the sun is nice, there are times when shade and a cool breeze are equally desirable—especially if you want to take a quick snooze between dips. What you want is a poolside cabana, and we’ve found three of the best the Caribbean has to offer.
Casa de Campo, La Romana, Dominican Republic
The sprawling resort complex of Casa de Campo is a tropical playground for activities from big game fishing, snorkeling and windsurfing to tennis, horseback rides and championship golf. And if you just want to chill out for the day, the hotel pool is the coolest spot at the resort. Sun worshipers can recline on waterside lounges dressed in subtle tones of creams and whites, or settle under an umbrella. For the ultimate in shaded relaxation, cloth-shrouded cabanas offer both privacy and convenient access to the water. If you want to combine a cooling dip and a cocktail, there’s a swim-up bar. La Caña Restaurant and Lounge is just above, with outdoor seating if you choose to leave your spot. If not, just lie back, order a cocktail and watch the day unfold.
At Casa de Campo, the pool is flanked by a row of linen-draped cabanas that sit on an elevated deck. Butler service brings libations right to chaise lounges. Photo: Casa de Campo
Sonesta Ocean Point, St. Maarten
This adults-only, all-inclusive property offers a choice of two pools, both with cabanas reserved solely for guests of Ocean Point. The Point Pool is centrally located and surrounded by a deck dotted with cabanas, while the Edge Pool takes you to the beach without ever leaving the hotel. The pool is lined with silica- based sand, and the surrounding area is sculpted and landscaped to resemble a beach, with chaises lined up by the simulated shoreline and cabanas scattered about, right on top of the soft granules. The spot exudes serenity, with tropical gardens that fill the air with fragrant frangipani and sea breezes. Find your cabana, settle in, order food and drinks—it’s all included. You can curl your toes in the sand without leaving your cabana.
No need to go down to the beach, as the Edge pool at St. Maarten’s Sonesta Ocean Point resort brings the sand and palm trees to an exclusive oasis on the bluff. Photo: Sonesta
Malliouhana, Anguilla
Malliouhana dazzled guests on it’s opening some 30 years ago, and it has remained one of the most iconic properties in the Caribbean. In 2014, the resort unveiled a fresh new décor, and is still known for its high level of service. It doesn’t hurt that the hotel is perched on a bluff overlooking a pristine stretch of sand on Meads Bay, delivering astonishing views from rooms, restaurant and the pool area. The double-tiered design of the infinity-edge pool creates a lower level that hosts families, while the upper level is reserved for adults. Grownups can settle into chaises set among marigold-yellow umbrellas, or relax and indulge on day beds set under indigo-and-white striped cabanas. The Sunset Bar is close by, tempting one to order aged Caribbean rum on the rocks with a twist of lime, and then relax in style.
At Anguilla’s Malliouhana resort, the two-tiered pool features a family-friendly lower deck and an adults-only upper area that includes private cabanas. Photo: Malliouhana
