POOL COOL
Hotel pools have long served as oases for weary travelers looking to swim off a little travel fatigue. Now they’re also prime spots to check out the latest swimwear looks.
After all, many guests head poolside for sun worshipping, not swimming. One-piece suits, swim separates, halter-neck styles and pareos are a few of the looks they’ve been sporting in recent weeks.
At Little Nell’s outdoor pool in Aspen, Colo., guests are sporting one-piece suits with sarongs or robes to shield them from the sun, since the resort is located 8,000 feet above sea level, said Eric Calberon, vice president and general manager.
Sometimes, the pools are as alluring as their swimmers. The posh hotel the Merrion in Dublin has a pool backed by a trompe l’oeil mural showing a neoclassical landscape. At California’s Furnace Creek Inn, located in Death Valley National Park, natural warm springs fill the pool, making it a major draw for late-night swims under the stars.
Poolside at Little Nell, guests get a good glimpse of Ajax Mountain. A soaking bench is being installed along the length of one side of the pool, which is open year-round. Designed to allow skiers and snowboarders to stretch their legs after a day on the slopes, the soaking bench will emit water heated to 100 degrees, Calberon said.
For decades, guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel have been flocking to the nearby cabanas for parties. Ava Garner, Elizabeth Taylor and Raquel Welch were some of the stars known to take the plunge there over the years.
“Everyone says Beverly Hills was here first, and then came the Beverly Hills Hotel,” he said. “But the Beverly Hills Hotel was here first and the city was built around it. It used to be just bean fields.”