Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Victoria —
Picture this: As you gaze out over the glistening Salish Sea from a heated mineral pool, a mojito – made with coconut milk, mint and fresh lime – is delivered. At this boutique waterfront resort’s three pools, amenities also include bottled water and towel service and assigned lounge chairs. You may just want to order some poolside ceviche from the Boathouse Kitchen & Bar, too.
10 Canadian Hotel Pools to Plan a Trip Around
Kick back and cool off at one of these splashy outdoor pools located in scenic settings across the country, from the front ranges of the Rockies to downtown Montreal.
Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Victoria.
Sparkling Hill Resort, Vernon, B.C. Photo: Emma Peter
Sparkling Hill Resort, Vernon, B.C. —
Everything sparkles at this Okanagan wellness resort (after all, there are more than 3.5 million Swarovski crystals throughout it), and the outdoor infinity pool is no exception. Overlooking Okanagan Lake and the surrounding mountain ranges, the heated, open–year–round pool is perfect on its own, or after a treatment, like a Lavender Fields Massage or Crystal Scrub, at the 40,000–square–foot KurSpa.
The Malcolm, Canmore, Alberta.
The Malcolm, Canmore, Alberta —
Get in some strokes against an epic backdrop: Canmore’s Three Sisters peaks and Mount Lawrence Grassi. At the 124–room property located just a five–minute walk from Canmore’s Main Street, the picturesque second–floor deck not only contains a heated pool, but two hot tubs. Order a refreshing iced tea or Italian soda from the Pulse, a coffee shop and general store inside the hotel, and settle in for a pool day.
Related: Canada’s Best–Kept–Secret Beaches
Mooswa Resort, Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba.
Mooswa Resort, Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba —
Swim lovers, look no further: Between Riding Mountain National Park’s Clear Lake and Mooswa Resort’s large outdoor pool, you’ll be swimming from sunup to sundown. Book one of the 56–year–old resort’s six A–frame chalets for easy access to the pool, which is lined with rainbow–coloured Muskoka chairs.
June Motel Sauble Beach, Ontario.
June Motel Sauble Beach, Ontario —
One of Ontario’s most sought–after pools is located at this new–in–2020 property, the second from April Brown and Sarah Sklash, whose original Prince Edward County motel has been a destination since it opened in 2017. Here, the pool is the heart of the motel – literally and figuratively. Positioned in the centre of the property, you’ll find it happening all day, complete with fringed umbrellas, floaties and a poolside–friendly menu from on–site restaurant Heydays. Brown and Sklash’s recommendation? A lobster roll and a frosé.
Elora Mill Hotel & Spa, Elora, Ontario. Photo: Anne Edgar
Elora Mill Hotel & Spa, Elora, Ontario —
If tubing or kayaking through the Elora Gorge – a section of southern Ontario’s Grand River that rushes past 22–metre–high cliffs – is a tad too extreme, a dip in the clifftop pool at the Elora Mill Hotel & Spa may be just right. Perched above the Gorge, the 30–room hotel’s viewing deck is home to a year–round pool and hot tub, where you can set up on a lounge chair with a glass of Ontario wine (another perk of being above the rapids, rather than on them).
Humaniti Hotel, Montreal.
Humaniti Hotel, Montreal —
We can’t think of a better way to spend a summer weekend in the city than at the rooftop infinity pool at Montreal’s new Humaniti Hotel. Surrounded by the cityscape on the ninth floor, you can rotate between refreshing dips, breaks on your lounger and snacks and cocktails at the poolside restaurant h3 Terrase – oysters and a La Vie en Rose cocktail, with Pimm’s, rose lemonade, mint and strawberries, sounds just right.
Le Germain Charlevoix Hotel & Spa, Baie–Saint–Paul, Quebec. Germain Hôtels
Le Germain Charlevoix Hotel & Spa, Baie–Saint–Paul, Quebec —
Get away from it all at Le Germain’s Charlevoix hotel, sandwiched between the north shore of the St. Lawrence and the Laurentian Mountains. While you could mountain bike, paddle or tour the property’s garden during a Microgreens Workshop, it’s difficult to resist the Spa Nordique Le Germain – where the outdoor thermotherapy circuit will have you switching between hot and cold baths – or the large family–friendly outdoor pool, each surrounded by swaying grasses and rolling countryside.
The Algonquin Resort, St. Andrews by–the–Sea, New Brunswick.
The Algonquin Resort, St. Andrews by–the–Sea, New Brunswick —
The quaint New Brunswick town’s preeminent hotel and its well–manicured gardens provide a striking background while floating in the outdoor pool. Built in 1889, the Tudor–style building with its red roof has long attracted visitors for its seaside locale, golf course and spa – and sipping a gin and tonic by the pool is a lasting tradition.
Keltic Lodge at the Highlands, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia —
After a round at the Cape Breton Highlands Links course and bucket of local mussels in the Highland Sitting Room, find yourself a seat at this 70–year–old resort’s outdoor pool, which provides views over Cape Smokey and links to hiking trails that lead down to the edge of Middle Head Peninsula’s cliffs.