Miami pool crasher’s guide: How to dive into the best hotel pools without booking a room
Summer in Miami is going to be fire.
No, we’re not referring to the cute emoji on your phone you add to your fave selfies. Like, it’s actually going to be blisteringly hot. That kind of fire.
Don’t own a pool or live way inland in say, deep in Kendall’s nether regions? You will need to find some way to cool off beside turning down the thermostat, sitting in your bathtub or hitting up the Publix frozen foods aisle.
Good news: There are plenty of fancy, schmancy hotels all over Miami-Dade County that will have no issue with you chilling there for hours on end as long as you open up your wallet and behave.
Here’s a local’s guide to Miami’s fanciest pools.
Go for the day
A day pass offers a way for you to luxuriate poolside at a hotel that you could never afford otherwise. They range in price, depending on if you want a full-on cabana or to just to pop a squat on a lounge chair. Food and drinks will almost always be extra, so add that into your budget or, pro tip, pack some snacks inconspicuously in your Chanel knockoff.
Resortpass: This user friendly site offers day passes for a huge number of properties, both by the water and inland, starting at just $15 at the Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon. Granted, you won’t be smelling the ocean air, but you still will be overlooking a body of water.
Most places offered fall in the middle range, around the $50 mark, such as the perfectly pleasant Mayfair House Hotel & Garden in Coconut Grove; the trendy Goodtime, co-owned by Pharrell; the festive Moxy South Beach; the oh-so-chic Novotel in Brickell (where gym use is included) or the Elser downtown, where a bunch of Heat players lay their heads. If you want to really live a little, for $325 you can pass your time at such iconic throwbacks as the Eden Roc or Fontainebleau and put on your best Rat Packer impression for the ‘Gram.
Similarly, If you want to sorta kind feel like you’re in the South of France, try Grand Marnier’s Grand Margarita Summer Encounter at the Kimpton Surfcomber “for an elevated poolside soirée,” which includes your very own bartender. You can rent a cabana for up to six guests (so splitting the $350 check doesn’t hurt so much). Enter GM’s contest to get an actual trip to Europe.
Can’t decide on where to go? Read the honest reviews from folks who have put in the, um, work before you. www.resortpass.com
Daycation: Prices here run from just $20 for the funky Generator in Miami Beach, where you won’t feel guilty running up the F& B bill. Throw down a little more and you could be people watching at the Kimpton Epic in Brickell or SLS South Beach, both are $40, about the price of a dozen eggs these days. daycationapp.com
Book a treatment
If your direct deposit just hit and you’re feeling flush, indulge in a spa treatment at a luxury hotel spa, and (great hack!) you can likely hop on over to the pool afterward. Just grab a towel, walk confidently and act like you belong.
Of all the myriad listings, may we recommend the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort? Beside the renowned spa and two pools, you’ve got a Michelin starred restaurant, The Tambourine Room, on site. Salivate over the menu and leave immediately.
Make it a family affair
While some luxury hotel pools don’t always love your kids as much as you do, there are some awesome destinations that actually cater to them, and not you.
Tidal Cove Water Park at JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa: Forget having to drive to Orlando for Typhoon Lagoon. You’ve got all you need in Aventura, if you survive the mall traffic to get there. This five-acre wonderland includes a 60-foot tower with seven water slides, a 4,000-square-foot pool and a FlowRider Triple surf simulator (your teenager knows what this is) and a lazy river. Trust us, the whole brood will be tuckered out by bed time. Day passes start at $55; 19999 W. Country Club Drive, Aventura; tidalcovemiami.com or call 786-279-6152.
Venetian Pool: Coral Gables’ historic community pool, replete with waterfalls, secret caves and grottoes, is pretty special even for jaded locals. Built in 1923 from a coral rock quarry, this Miami must is fed by spring water from an underground aquifer and is refilled daily, with a whopping 800,000 gallons. This unique facility definitely is not for babies, though; visitors must be a minimum of 3 and 38 inches tall to enter. The only way to go is to order tickets online beforehand: $21 adults and $16 for non-residents of Coral Gables; $6.50 adult and $5.50 kids for residents; coralgables.com
Grab a drink or a meal
Sometimes, when it’s 97 degrees in the shade, all you want to do is day drink, numb the pain and Uber home. There are a handful of bars that conveniently have on site pools, just make sure you stay in the shallow end after a few cold ones.
The Broken Shaker at the Freehand: The impeccably curated cocktail menu is not the No. 1 reason to to go; you can actually play table tennis; listen to live music; and chill in the water. 2727 Indian Creek Drive; freehandhotels.com
The Clevelander: Still fancy fraternizing with ragers and party animals? You really can’t go wrong here. 1020 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach; www.clevelander.com
Duffy’s: Sports fans and the people who love them will appreciate this hole in the wall, with all kinds of games blaring on multiple TV sets, potato skins galore and a pool that’s open to all guests 18 and over. Duffy’s Sports Grill, 3969 NE 163rd St., North Miami Beach; www.duffysmvp.com
Santorini by Giorgio’s: Couldn’t escape to the Greek Islands because you paid your rent this month? This South of FIfth celeb fave is known for its big, fat plates meant for sharing, from fresh seafood and gyros to such classic dips as tzatziki, hummus and baba ganoush, then spicy cocktails to wash it all down. Did we mention there’s a glorious pool for diners? 101 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach; https://santorinibygeorgios.com
Monty’s at the Miami Beach Marina: The go-to spot to take laid-back out-of-towners who want to dine on the water, this is always a good bet. You can depend on this still reasonably priced joint for fresh seafood; stout adult beverages; killer sunsets; and a tropical vibe, which includes (yes) a pool. 300 Alton Road, Miami Beach montyssobe.com
Miami Herald food writer Connie Ogle contributed to this report.
