South West hotels with outdoor pools

Whether you want to swim laps with the sun on your face, read with your toes dipped in the cooling water or splash around in the shallows with little ones, you’ll find the perfect setting in our collection of South West hotels with outdoor pools

St Moritz, near Rock

If a trip to the Cap d’Antibes is off the cards this summer, then a long weekend at St Moritz in Cornwall is perhaps the next best thing. The Art Deco-inspired hotel and spa evokes the spirit of the roaring twenties and you can almost imagine author F Scott Fitzgerald and wife Zelda sipping G&Ts by the crystal clear waters of the outdoor pool.

Spend the morning dipping in and out of the 16-metre heated pool, and then lollop from your sun lounger or hammock to the poolside Seaside Cafe to graze on fresh-from-the-sea native oysters, Porthilly mussels and freshly prepared sourdough pizzas.

St Moritz’s enviable location on the north Cornwall coast means you’re only a short drive from the culinary hotspots of Padstow and Port Isaac too, so mix up your stay by dining in or out whenever the mood takes you.

Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa, Warminster

With glorious private gardens and its own meandering stretch of river, Bishopstrow is a haven of tranquillity. Situated on the outskirts of Warminster, this Georgian country house hotel is known for its sumptuous spa facilities including a retro outdoor pool.

Unwind with a spa treatment and range of thermal experiences indoors, before enlivening the senses with a dip in the heated outdoor pool and hot tub. On balmy days, punctuate the water-based bliss-outs with cocktails and slushies from the bohemian garden bar.

When you take the plunge you can rest assured the water you immerse yourself in is 100 per cent pure. It’s extracted from the hotel’s own borehole and filtered through limestone and naturally activated carbon, before it’s filtered and sterilised a second time, resulting in naturally pristine bathing water.

The Headland, Newquay

Perched above Newquay’s Fistral Beach, The Headland has welcomed guests to dine, recline and enjoy its coastal vistas for over a century. While historic glamour seeps from the fabric of the hotel’s grand exterior, the facilities and furnishings have been given a refreshingly modern makeover to appeal to a more contemporary clientele.

At the heart of the hotel’s stunning reinvention is The Aqua Club, a luxurious swimming and wellbeing complex which includes not one but three outdoor pools. The heated Sunset Spa Pool overlooks the Atlantic, with swimmers shielded from the elements by a glass wall. The Edge Pool, meanwhile, gives guests full exposure to the coast and overlooks the rolling waves. For a more tranquil outdoor experience, the hydrotherapy Vitality Pool is a place to while away the hours while gazing at the blue skies above.

Follow poolside lounging with cocktails and Mediterranean-inspired bites, such as flatbreads, pizzas and salads, at The Deck. Alternatively, make a sunset visit to RenMor, The Headland’s new ocean-view restaurant, or enjoy cocktails and seafood at The Terrace.  

The Mole Resort, north Devon

Formerly known as Highbullen Hotel, The Mole Resort is a family-friendly manor house and eco-lodge complex set amid the rolling north Devon countryside.

While golfers have been teeing off at the resort’s 18-hole golf course for years, it’s only now that visitors are making the most of the full breadth of activities The Mole has to offer. From axe throwing and archery to tennis, fitness classes and croquet, there are outdoor pursuits for all ages and abilities. Or, if organised activities aren’t your bag, take a ramble across the fields, trails and paths of the resort’s surrounding 125 acres of countryside.

On hot summer days, guests make a beeline for the secluded outdoor pool for a refreshing dip before reclining on a sun lounger with a good read and an ice-cold tipple in hand.

Woolley Grange, near Bath

For a no-compormise family getaway crammed with on-site activities and plenty of local attractions, Woolley Grange takes some beating.

The Jacobean manor house’s 12-metre outdoor pool is open from late May until the end of September and guests can enjoy cold drinks and snacks from the pop-up poolside bar during the summer holidays. If there’s a nip in the weather, there’s also an indoor pool, sauna and steam room to revive chilly fingers and toes.

Follow poolside frivolities with fun in the outdoor play area or indoor games room, as well as stories with milk and cookies in the library, cinema screenings with popcorn, and marshmallow toasting round the fire as the sun goes down.

Like 5 of the best South West hotels with outdoor pools? Check out our roundup of dip and dine experiences.

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