Eleven Great Pools in the West

One of the incidental pleasures of summer travel is the chance to take a dip in the hotel—or motel—pool. But not all pools are created equal. Here are our favorites.

 Arizona Biltmore

Phoenix

Even with eight pools to choose from—one with a 92-foot water slide—we still love the blue-and-yellow-tiled Catalina best. So did Marilyn Monroe. (800) 950-0086, www.arizonabiltmore.com [3].

 Berkeley City Club

Berkeley, California

You're not allowed to test the pools at Hearst Castle, but you can take a dip in another Julia Morgan pool when you stay here. Light pours in through Gothic windows to illuminate your laps. (510) 848-7800, www.berkeleycityclub.com [4].

 Fairmont Vancouver Airport

Vancouver, B.C.

Wait for your flight while swimming in a pool above the departures hall. Wall-size windows looking down to the check-in counter let you monitor lines between laps. (604) 207-5200, www.fairmont.com [5].

 Four Season Hualalai

Ka`upulehu-Kona, Hawaii

In the King's Pond, with 3,500 tropical fish swimming around you, you'll think you've seen it all—until a spotted eagle ray swoops by. (808) 325-8000, www.fourseasons.com [6].

 Grand Wailea Resort

Wailea, Hawaii

The Wailea Canyon Activity Pool is comprised of nine smaller pools (at different levels) linked by a river. There's also a rope swing, a water elevator, and a swim-up bar. (808) 875-1234, www.grandwailea.com [7].

 Indian Springs

Calistoga, California

What better way to end a day of winetasting than to slip into a lovely pool heated by thermal geysers? (707) 942-4913, www.indianspringscalistoga.com [8].

 Mandalay Bay

Las Vegas

A giant wave pool sweeps you onto a sandy beach as many times as you can stand it; a lazy river offers a spot to catch your breath. (877) 632-7000, www.mandalaybay.com [9].

 Palms

Las Vegas

The lavender-tinted Skin Pool Lounge spices it up with go-go dancers, mermaids, outdoor blackjack, and floating chaises. (866) 942-7777, www.palms.com [10].

 Peninsula

Beverly Hills, California

The bigwigs taking meetings in the cabanas around this rooftop pool don't even notice the view. It's worth a look for the rest of us. (310) 551-2888, www.peninsula.com [11].

 Phoenix Hotel

San Francisco

It ain't the biggest or the grandest, but this pool has sass. Rock stars gather round when they're passing through town. (415) 776-1380, www.thephoenixhotel.com [12].

 Red Cliffs Lodge

Moab, Utah

After a day hiking at Arches, take a dip here and watch the surrounding cliffs turn fiery red. (866) 812-2002, www.redcliffslodge.com [13].

 Summe Lake Hot Springs

Paisley, Oregon

Talk about away from it all—143 acres of high-desert wilderness form the backdrop for a hot spring-fed pool to soak in and vintage trailers to sleep in. (877) 492-8554, www.summerlakehotsprings.com [14].

Photography by Robert Holmes