Florida is known for a lot; oranges, sunshine followed by thunderstorms followed by more sunshine, Mickey Mouse, and pools. The chances of you vacationing in Florida without a bathing suit packed in your suitcase is like going to the Arctic without a scarf; it just doesn’t happen. So before you book your flight, book your hotel, and then pack those swim trunks.
1. Hammock Beach Resort:
At Hammock Beach Resort you have the option of letting the kids take on the water slide while you float down the lazy river. An onsite pool bar perfectly pairs your new bikini with a strawberry daiquiri. If you prefer some privacy or just a rest from tanning, the indoor pool is open from 6am to 11pm. After the pool, feel free to kayak on the ocean, rent bikes, or play a round of golf.
2. Eau Palm Beach Resort:
Can’t decide if it’s a beach or pool day? Eau Palm Beach Resorts allows you take a swim in the pool with a beach front. Cabanas are available for families or parties arranged for six people. The cabanas are perfect for privacy, protection from the sun, and even their own entertainment with televisions. If the beach is calling your name, they offer water sport activities (Jet Ski, fishing, and paddle boarding) for their guests.
3. St. Regis Bal Harbour:
Day beds are cabanas are located both poolside and on the ocean front. St. Regis Bal Harbour features two infinity pools and the Tranquility Pool (pictured) is reserved specifically for adults. If secluding rowdy children isn’t enough to entice you to lounge at the Tranquility Pool, perhaps complimentary sampling of massages, drinks, and even sunscreen application. Just in case you feel you can’t escape to the Tranquility pool on your own, the St. Regis offers walk-in or reserved spots for child daycare!
4. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel:
This pool will make you feel like a rock-star with your own private island. Cocktails are available for your enjoyment anywhere on the 4.5 acres of pool exploration. The cabanas come with their own televisions, mini bar, and phones for you and ten guests. Finally, how about a 182 foot tall water slide?
5. Aqualina Resort:
The Aqualina Resort boasts four pools: The Beach Club Pool (pictured) is where you can find families of any size and age enjoying the ocean front view. The Tranquility Pool is reserved for adults who want to enjoy quiet, food and beverage serviced, pool relaxation. The Recreation Pool is where you can find your fitness classes and pool games. Finally, the ESPA Pool is reserved for ESPA member where they can eat only healthy ESPA options so you still look good in those new swim trunks.
6. Omni Hotel:
The Omni Hotel’s pools accommodate everyone from a 850 foot long lazy river, to the family pool (pictured), or the formal pool overlooking the golf course. The family pool includes a 125-foot corkscrew slide while the lazy river includes waterfalls, water cannons, and other adventures you’ll be laughing about with your family from 8am to 10 pm.
7. Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale:
Ritz Carlton offers an exclusivity some other hotels cannot match. Poolside service is available at their 29,000 square foot pool deck. Their Fort Lauderdale hotel offers guests a heated infinity pool. This Ritz Carlton is also very kid friendly with their accommodations including reef exploration, food experimentation, and storytelling. Who knew a resort could be relaxing and educational? Maybe when you return home your kids will start cooking you dinner?
8. Jupiter Beach Resort:
The pool here offers The Sandbar restaurant which is both poolside and beach side for a causal yet elegant meal by the water. Lay out with your meal, enjoy live music poolside or fire pit. This is the social place of Jupiter Beach Resort; meet new people, join old friends, or just order that Yellow Fin Tuna Wrap to go.
9. The Palms Hotel Miami Beach:
This pool is surrounded by the beach, palms, and just the general oasis The Palms offers its guests. The pool is heated with easy access to the hotel’s private beach front and Miami Beach’s boardwalk. Cabanas are available for rental and privacy. This place really feels like your own private island for the time…until the renovations of your own private island are done, right?
10. The Reach:
The Reach is located on the shores of Key West. Being poolside also means you are beach side with service to your poolside needs including cocktails and fresh seafood. Because the pool and beach are on the same stretch, The Reach offers guests jet skiing, water boat rides, and snorkeling. Basically, you’ll never get bored here. The views are enough to keep you entertained.
11. PGA Resort and Spa:
Central Florida is home to gold legend Arnold Palmer so coming to Florida for your love of golf is not farfetched. Enjoy your favorite outdoor pastime during the day and then come cool off in PGA Resort’s overlooking the property’s lake views. The terrace is over 3000 square feet, perfect for evening socializing amongst other golf lovers.
12. Hilton Bonnet Creek:
Starting about $220 a night, guests will receive private access to their pool; yes, the same pool listed as “#1 on TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Fantastic Pools”. The pool is open daily from 7 am to 10pm and offers cabanas for up to eight guests, service, flat-screen television, and Wi-Fi (perfect for Instagramming the experience). The pool offers a 48 foot tall water slide for all the thrill seekers on your stay.
13. Sheraton Sand Key Resort:
Here is where you can almost not see where the pool ends and the ocean begins. The pool is furnished with lounges ready to be served with cocktails from their Turtle Bar; all complimentary to your stay. Next to the pool, on the beachfront, enjoy volleyball, tennis, kayaking, and water sports. Don’t worry, there enough lounge chairs around for when you decide laying down sounds better than sand-diving for a volleyball.
14. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort:
Now this is the pool for your kids. At Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, your kids will feel like are a part of their favorite movies. You can find yourself in Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid, Cars, and The Lion King. Yes, there are four pools designed for each movie with larger than life versions of your favorite Disney characters. In fact this resort is Disney World’s largest on Disney resort property. There is the Drop Off Pool Bar for poolside drinks and food to enjoy with your clan.
15. Pelican Grand Beach Resort:
The pool also is located at the beachfront with only hotel guests allowed access. If you would rather have drink delivered to your lounge chair, that’s fine because your kids can float around on the lazy river. In fact, Pelican Grand’s lazy river is the only one in Fort Lauderdale! If that’s not enough to entice you to stay at the Pelican, perhaps receiving 20% off your stay just for being a Florida resident could seal the deal.
16. Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach:
You have a rooftop pool overlooking the ocean in case the water you’re swimming in isn’t enough. Overlook the ocean while you’re getting the tan all your friends back in Ohio will be jealous of. Everything is resort- style so feel free to order poolside service; not to lose one ray of sun.
17. Club Med Sandpiper Bay:
Located in Port Saint Lucie, Club Med has three pools available for its guests including a lap pool for exercise and sports like water polo. The leisure pool is located overlooking the ocean with individual shaded seating for your comfort. The leisure pool is supervised with a lifeguard from 9 am to 5:30 pm for you and your family’s safety. Don’t worry, the Jacuzzi is reserved only for those above the age of 18.
18. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas- Jambo House:
Ever feel the desire to take a swim and then maybe see some giraffes? Well lucky for you, Disney had the same desire. For about $320per night, wake up and go to bed with African animals outside your window. At their Animal Kingdom hotel African animals roam in field on hotel property, right next to the pool. You can swim, sun bathe, and then check out animals uncommon to Florida…or anywhere except the Sahara! My kind of hotel.
19. Hawks Cay Resort:
This resort is amazing. There is a resort pool for family games, a tranquility pool for cocktails and relaxation, there is a pool with a pirate ship for your kids’ imagination, the Coral Cay pool is host for water exercise classes, the Sunset pool is a quiet sanctuary for sunbathing and reading. Finally (pictured), is a saltwater lagoon. A shallow pool inland between the pool and ocean, perfect for lounging in a safe, ocean like pool. Perfect!
20. Orlando World Center Marriot:
This pool has everything. Waterfalls from stone caves called the Falls Pool Oasis. It has 200 foot water slides for those brave enough to take them on, a 90 foot speed slide, and even a mini splash park for younger children. The pool area also entertains a nightly laser show to accompany you, yours, and your cocktail.
21. Margaritaville Beach Hotel:
Any Jimmy Buffet fans? Well live the life he suggest with a few margaritas at Margaritaville in Pensacola Beach. The pool offers a bar for your snacks, lounge chairs, and the vibes summer Mr. Buffet intended for your enjoyment.
22. Shores of Panama:
Ever wonder what a 22,000 square foot pool deck looks like? Shores of Panama has the largest one North Florida has to offer. If the pool isn’t enough to keep your attention, this resort offers ocean attractions like dolphin tours or even their Shipwreck Island Water Park.
23. Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort:
The Hyatt’s Coconut Point Resort just opened its $7.1 million water park in November of last year. Water slides are not the only thing that will make the world’s coolest dad, it’s their two speed slides and a 900 foot long slide for inner-tubes. The resort already has a 2,700 foot waterslide and a 5,000 square foot Adventure Pool, but these additions make this resort’s pool one of the largest in Florida’s resorts. Finally, as you will be burning off all those calories trying to keep up with your kids, enjoy some refreshments at their new Corkscrew Pool Bar. A hotel and water park for the price of one!
24. Tradewinds Island Resorts on St. Pete Beach:
While this resort offers you a pool on the beach, it also brings the pool to the beach. They have Surf WipeOut which is an inflatable wave to ride for any resort guest. Every want to ride a mechanical bull? How about an inflatable shark? For just 4$ you have three attempts to the inflatable monster known as Buck the Shark. Or how about a movie while you swim (pictured)? All these extreme pool inflatables are located beach front so you don’t have to choose!
25. Ponte Vedra Inn and Club:
Ponte Vedra wants to make not only your family happy, but everyone else at the resort happy as well. To do so, they provide guests with four pools. For about $200/night, your family can choose from four different pools. You have a family pool safe for all ages that includes a seven foot water slide attached to a lap pool for all ages. If you want a pool for swimming laps without little children and their floaties, the Inn offers an exclusive lap pool just for adults. It also offers a heated private pool for adults for time away from the kids. The last pool is also reserved for adults as part of the lodge and it is beachfront.
26. Mandarin Oriental Miami:
At Brickell Key in Miami you swim in their infinity pool while overlooking the ocean. Now if getting a tan in a bikini at the pool with the salty ocean breeze keeping you cool isn’t enough, Mandarin steps it up. They have the Oasis Pool Bar which serves fresh sushi. Yes, my two favorite things in one place; swimming and sushi. I may need to book a room…
27. Fountainbleu Miami Beach:
For about $300 a night, you have access to their famous Bowtie Pool (pictured). If you are coming just for you and your friends, enjoy their Arkadia pool meant only for those above the legal drinking age with poolside bottle service. But if you came for family, enjoy the family pool with beachside with a slide, interactive water games for kids, and shallow enough water for toddlers.