One of Hyatt Zilara’s expansive, freeform pools with swim-up bar |
When Millennials are choosing their Caribbean destination, a stylish, swanky pool can go a long way in helping them make their decision. Finding such aquatic playgrounds at an all-inclusive resort ups the ante for a carefree, sun-and-fun experience. Here are some examples to illustrate our point.
Travel Agent recently returned from a stay at the new Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana and found the main pool to be a great spot for Millennial parents and their children to cool off after an active day. Overlooking Uvero Alto beach in the Dominican Republic, this modern chic pool is the perfect place for guests to catch some sun, swim a few laps or simply relax with a cold drink at the swim-up bar, Jazmin. We were told the best cocktail at Jazmin is the pina colada, while the most recommended non-alcoholic beverage is the freshly squeezed lemonade.
The pool also offers activities like aqua aerobics, which takes place every day at noon, and sports such as water volleyball and water polo, offered every other day at 3 p.m. If Millennials would like to stay active on their own time, the pool offers everything from volley-balls and footballs to board games for rent. Agents should note that the pool and surrounding area can be rented out for private events. The price depends on the event, the number of guests, the decor, the food, and such.
For Adults Only
Couples who want some cool pool time in a kid-free environment will find no shortage of options. In the Mexican Caribbean, for example, the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya invites Millennials with a love for nightlife to enjoy its sexy pool at the modern chic, adults-only Club Heaven. It includes a bar, Rock Star Library and Club Heaven Dance Club, where the pool and hot tub areas are found. The decor is very white and reflective with faceted mirrors on many of the surfaces that reveal the laser and light show.
Club Heaven can be rented out during non-operational hours (11 p.m. to 3 a.m.) for $1,000 per hour. The rate includes a DJ and the lights from the club. The bar is designed around the pool itself, which is now anchored by a DJ booth, flanked by two hot tubs and surrounded by cabana-style seating pods. Club Heaven is accessed through the interior lobby bar spaces or via the “Stairway to Heaven,” a walkway, cabana and stepped path that goes from the beach over an existing cenote up the back terrace of the club with waterfalls, hot tubs and cabanas along the journey.
The expansive, freeform pools at Hyatt Zilara in Cancun invite days of sun-soaked relaxation or amusement, from the beachfront infinity pool with swim-up bar and pool lounge to the 165-foot-long lap pool and dual temperature whirlpool tubs. Guests can enjoy their day in a cabana with cushioned lounges and canopied shade beds, join a game of volleyball or aqua gym activities, or make a reservation to join a Pool Party complete with Taittinger Champagne.
In addition to its main pool, Nickelodeon Punta Cana offers Swank Swim-up Suites. |
Millennials making their way to St. Maarten should check out the pools at the new, luxury Sonesta Ocean Point Resort. The modern, chic Edge Pool, perched on a cliff on the southernmost point of the island, has its own man-made beach with extraordinary views of the infinite horizon over Maho Bay. Silica-based sand lines the bottom of the Edge Pool, which has a cleansing filtration system, while loungers and umbrellas surround the beach.
After dark, the party gets started as fire pits take over the scene and illuminate the edge. Sonesta Ocean Point’s signature Swim-Out Suites provide seamless access from the terraces directly into the stylish Swim-Out Pool that meanders alongside the hotel’s façade and charming pathway, offering gorgeous southern sea views.
Sandals LaSource Grenada offers an array of cool pools, mostly found in the Skypool Suites category, but the main, fresh-water pool in the Italian Village is considered the hotel’s best one overall. Set on the beach and overlooking the Caribbean Sea, its amenities include poolside bar service, curtained cabanas that are included in the cost of stay and an adjacent Jacuzzi. This pool’s sexiest feature, however, is the lounging area with a fire pit that comes alive at night.
For Millennials who dare to get bare, it doesn’t get more “adult” than the Nude Pool at Hedonism II in Negril, Jamaica. This clothing-optional beach resort was created as a child-free haven where guests can feel comfortable and at ease being just who they are. That’s why it has a no-clothes-allowed “Nude” side and a clothing-optional “Prude” side.
Though the resort offers three freshwater pools and three cold plunge pools, the Nude Pool is by far the most fun. Just a few feet from the beach, it’s open 24/7 and has a swim-up bar open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. While all six pools at Hedonism II allow nudity, this is the only one that requires it.
Making an Impression
Among the all-inclusive resorts that made Travel Impressions’ (TI) list of “Top 10 Infinity Pools” for 2016 is the adults-only Breathless Punta Cana Resort & Spa. The two-tier infinity pool here is a party central, where DJs spin and MXC–type games are played. A waterfall cascades down from the glass wall, pushing floats toward the swim–up bar and Acapulco loungers built right into the main pool.
Bringing us full circle — or a full lap, as it were — is the decidedly family-friendly Iberostar Cancun, which made TI’s Top 10 for its tier after tier of water flowing into one another, ending with the vanishing edge, while palm trees seem to sprout right from the water. It’s also a short distance from the kids’ pool’s pirate ship and water slide.