Friday March 6, 2015 – When Travel and Leisure took its pick of the World’s Coolest Plunge Pools last month, the Caribbean was in the swim with two listings earned by the luxurious facilities at Puerto Rico’s Royal Isabela Resort and St Lucia’s Ladera Resort.
As the publication pointed out, the modern traveller is increasingly difficult to impress, but the in-room private pool remains the ultimate luxury.
According to Travel and Leisure, the private plunge pools at the Ladera Resort in St Lucia are the focal point of every villa—perched on the cliff’s edge, like waterfalls cascading into the Caribbean Sea a thousand feet below. At the Conrad Maldives, they’re the centrepiece of select overwater bungalows, jutting dramatically over the Indian Ocean.
They’re not exclusive to breezy island resorts, either: at India’s Lodhi boutique hotel, compact suites are outfitted with in-room pools overlooking the twinkling New Delhi skyline. In the heart of Cartagena, Colombia, courtyard splash pools at the Casa San Agustin offer leafy respite from the bustling urban surrounds, and at Hong Kong’s InterContinental Hotel, rooftop dips come with sunset vistas over busy Kowloon.
The magazine also offered tips for budget-conscious travellers: at the Blue Lime Hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, modest rooms with their own private saltwater pools start at only US$85. And at Indonesia’s Novotel Bali, freestanding thatched-roof villas with courtyard pools go for as low as $290 during off-season.
Here’s what Travel and Leisure had to say about its Caribbean picks:
Royal Isabela Resort, Puerto Rico
The rustic Royal Isabela Resort, set in the rugged cliffs of Puerto Rico’s northwest coast, opened in 2012 and remains something of a hidden gem, though likely not for long.
Each of its 20 elegant, freestanding casitas is outfitted with an expansive wooden deck, an outdoor dining area and a marble plunge pool that turns into a steaming Jacuzzi with the flick of a switch. The view: over 400 acres of wind-sculpted trees and pristine native flora, with the Atlantic Ocean in the distance.
Ladera Resort, St Lucia
A cliff-side location, dramatic Piton vistas and luxe, tree-house-style suites make for a winning trifecta at this St Lucia institution.
Throw in private infinity plunge pools with pool swings and views over the Caribbean Sea — a thousand feet below — and you have the most romantic resort in St Lucia.
