Best London Hotels with Swimming Pools

Start with the swim you actually want

“Hotel with a pool” is not one product in London. A 17-metre, twin-lane pool supports a recognisable morning workout. A small relaxation pool is for floating and cooling down after a steam room. An infinity pool may be memorable because of the view rather than its length, while an open-air rooftop pool exchanges year-round certainty for sunshine and skyline.

The access model matters just as much. Some pools are included for all resident guests; some require a time slot; many restrict children to two daily windows. A spa treatment can unlock facilities for a non-resident at one hotel but not another, and a reservation at a rooftop bar does not automatically include a swim. Treat the room, pool and spa as three linked products and verify each one.

Quick comparison

Hotel	Pool type and published size	Child access	Resident access and booking rule
Corinthia London	Indoor swimming pool, vitality pool and thermal floor; dimensions not published	Under-16s with an adult, 8–10am and 4–5pm; pool only	Included for residents; eligible treatments, passes and day-spa bookings can admit non-residents
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park	Indoor 17m twin-lane pool	Current child sessions not published; confirm directly	Hotel guests have access; external guests need a qualifying spa booking for heat and water facilities
The Langham	Indoor 16m pool in a former bank vault	Under-16s with an adult, 8am–noon and 4–6pm; no sauna or steam	Included for guests; spa is also open to treatment guests and health-club members
The Dilly	Indoor 11.5m × 12.75m pool, 1.5m deep	Under-16s require an adult; no separate hours published	Full facility use for hotel guests; memberships and selected spa packages provide other access routes
Shangri-La The Shard	Indoor infinity Sky Pool on level 52; dimensions not published	9–11am and 3–5pm	Complimentary to hotel guests, but a time slot must be booked
The Berkeley	Heated open-air rooftop pool; dimensions not published	Current child sessions not published; confirm directly	Reserved for residents during the day; seasonal and weather-dependent; public bar bookings do not include swimming
The Savoy	Naturally lit indoor atrium pool with resistance jet-stream; dimensions not published	9am–5pm daily	Included for in-house guests; treatment-linked and paid day access available to non-residents
The Connaught	Indoor 60m² relaxation pool, 1.2m deep	9–11am and 3–5pm	Included for residents; memberships and qualifying treatment packages provide limited external access
Claridge’s	Indoor electrolyte-rich relaxation pool; dimensions not published	Current child policy not published; confirm directly	Included with stays; external spa use depends on the booked treatment or programme
St Pancras Renaissance	Indoor 11m relaxation pool with hydro loungers	Under-16s must be supervised; current session times not published	Listed as included for hotel guests; spa memberships are also available

Times and access rules above were checked on 7 October 2026. Ask the hotel to confirm maintenance closures, school-holiday changes, supervision ratios and whether access applies before check-in or after check-out.

The 10 best London hotels with pools for different trips

1. Corinthia London — best all-round pool and thermal spa

Corinthia London is the most complete wellness proposition here. Resident access covers the swimming pool, vitality pool, amphitheatre sauna, steam room, ice fountain and sleep pods. That makes it a better match for a spa-led stay than a hotel that happens to have a pool beside its gym.

Families need to plan rather than improvise. Children under 16 may use the pool with an adult only from 8–10am and 4–5pm, and the wider heat experiences remain adult territory. The Whitehall address is particularly useful for Westminster, Trafalgar Square and Thames plans; it is less persuasive if Soho nightlife or a neighbourhood mood is the priority.

2. Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park — best for lap swimming

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park publishes the clearest lap-swimming specification in the shortlist: a heated, 17-metre stainless-steel pool with two lanes and a lap timer. It is the sensible first comparison for anyone who wants exercise rather than a decorative dip.

The pool is open broadly for guests, but the official page checked does not publish child sessions. Families should request the current timetable and supervision rule in writing. Knightsbridge places Hyde Park opposite and Harrods nearby, with the usual trade-off of heavy traffic and luxury pricing.

3. The Langham — best balance of laps and family sessions

The Langham turns a former bank vault into a 16-metre indoor pool. It is long enough for useful lengths, while the hotel also states exactly when under-16s may swim: 8am–noon and 4–6pm with an adult. Children cannot use the sauna or steam rooms.

This is the strongest compromise when one adult wants a proper swim and the family needs a predictable window. Portland Place sits at the top of Regent Street, useful for Marylebone, Oxford Circus and West End shopping without choosing Piccadilly’s busiest pavement.

4. The Dilly — best large pool outside the rarest price tier

The Dilly has the broadest published dimensions in this comparison: 11.5 by 12.75 metres and 1.5 metres deep. The shape suits play and general exercise better than narrow lanes, and use is included for hotel guests. Under-16s require an adult, but the official pages checked do not set out separate family hours.

The Piccadilly address is hard to beat for theatres, Regent Street and short West End walks. It is also busy, and the pool should not distract from checking the exact room: family layouts, bed ages and occupancy rules remain separate booking decisions.

5. Shangri-La The Shard — best pool view

Shangri-La The Shard puts its indoor infinity Sky Pool on level 52. This is a view-led swim above London rather than the shortlist’s clearest training pool. Access is complimentary to hotel guests, but the hotel requires a time slot, which can be selected with the room booking or arranged after arrival.

Children may swim from 9–11am and 3–5pm; adult pool hours run from 6am–6pm. London Bridge is excellent for Borough Market, the Tower and South Bank days, though repeated West End evenings mean crossing the river or using public transport.

6. The Berkeley — best open-air rooftop pool

The Berkeley is the outlier: a heated outdoor pool on the roof, with views across Hyde Park and the city. Daytime swimming is reserved for hotel residents. The rooftop bar can open to public bookings in summer, but those visitors do not gain swimming access.

Outdoor appeal brings uncertainty. Operation is seasonal and weather-dependent, while current dimensions and child-swim hours are not published on the official pages checked. Confirm both before choosing a room for the pool. A stay also includes access to the indoor pool at Surrenne Belgravia, providing an indoor fallback rather than a guarantee that the roof will open.

7. The Savoy — best for theatre and resistance swimming

The Savoy uses a naturally lit indoor atrium pool with a jet-stream, so a compact body of water can still support resistance swimming. Access is included for in-house guests. The hotel also publishes a paid day pass and treatment-linked access for non-residents, useful context when meeting someone who is not staying.

Children’s swimming runs from 9am–5pm daily, a longer window than many luxury peers. The Strand location works particularly well for Covent Garden, theatres and Thames walks; choose it for that combined itinerary rather than the pool alone.

8. The Connaught — best small Mayfair relaxation pool for families

The Connaught publishes a 60-square-metre pool with a depth of 1.2 metres. It is framed as a relaxation pool, not a lane pool, and sits within Aman Spa alongside a steam room. Resident guests receive access; memberships and qualifying treatment packages provide controlled non-resident routes.

Family sessions run from 9–11am and 3–5pm. The timetable makes it more practical than an adults-only spa, but its compact scale still calls for quiet use. Choose Carlos Place for a discreet Mayfair base, not for a resort atmosphere.

9. Claridge’s — best intimate Mayfair spa pool

Claridge’s has an electrolyte-rich relaxation pool supported by saunas, steam rooms and six treatment rooms. It is an atmospheric spa facility rather than a place for lengths, and the official material checked does not publish the pool’s dimensions or child hours.

Access is included with a stay, while non-resident arrangements depend on the specific spa treatment or programme. If swimming is essential, ask for the permitted session, age rule and whether the pool will be available around the treatment before paying. Brook Street suits Bond Street shopping and quiet Mayfair evenings.

10. St Pancras Renaissance — best for Eurostar convenience

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London combines a direct station setting with an 11-metre indoor relaxation pool, hydro loungers and a jacuzzi. Marriott lists the pool as included for guests and states that under-16s must be supervised, but it does not publish the current children’s sessions on the pages checked.

This is a logistics choice as much as a pool choice. It removes a transfer for Eurostar and several northern rail routes, which can matter more on a short stay than an extra few metres of water. Serious swimmers should choose Mandarin Oriental or The Langham instead.

Which London area works best with a pool stay?

Area	Best for	Pool hotels in this guide	Main trade-off
Whitehall and the Strand	Westminster sights, theatre and first visits	Corinthia, The Savoy	Formal, visitor-heavy and quieter than Soho late at night
Mayfair, Marylebone and Piccadilly	Shopping, central dining and short West End walks	The Langham, The Dilly, The Connaught, Claridge’s	Premium pricing or busy streets, depending on the exact address
Knightsbridge and Hyde Park	Parks, museums and luxury shopping	Mandarin Oriental, The Berkeley	Traffic, high prices and longer journeys to the City
London Bridge	Borough Market, the Tower and South Bank	Shangri-La The Shard	Frequent West End plans require river crossings
King’s Cross and St Pancras	Eurostar, northern trains and short arrival-led stays	St Pancras Renaissance	Weaker for a landmark-heavy itinerary centred on Westminster

For a fuller area comparison, use Where to Stay in London. The best pool is rarely worth a repeated cross-city journey that works against the rest of the trip.

Rooftop, infinity, lap or relaxation pool?

Choose The Berkeley’s rooftop pool for open air and skyline, accepting season and weather. Choose Shangri-La’s infinity pool for a high-rise view with greater indoor certainty, accepting the time-slot system. Choose Mandarin Oriental or The Langham when lengths are the purpose of the swim. Choose The Connaught, Claridge’s or St Pancras when the pool is part of a quiet spa sequence rather than exercise.

The Dilly’s near-square dimensions make it useful for family time and general swimming, while The Savoy’s jet-stream creates resistance without publishing a long pool length. Corinthia is the category-spanning choice: less about one exceptional measurement and more about moving between a swimming pool, vitality pool and thermal facilities.

Booking checks that prevent pool disappointment

Before paying, ask the hotel to confirm all of these for the exact dates and rate:

1. Is pool access included for every registered guest in the room, or tied to a package, membership or named room category?
2. Must each swim be reserved, and can the preferred slot be secured before the free-cancellation deadline?
3. What hours apply to each child’s age, what adult-to-child ratio is required, and are inflatables or pool toys permitted?
4. Is the water intended for laps, relaxation or hydrotherapy, and what length, depth and lane arrangement are actually available?
5. For a rooftop pool, what is the seasonal opening period, weather policy and indoor alternative?
6. Are sauna, steam, vitality pool and relaxation areas included, and what minimum ages apply separately to them?
7. Is there a step-free route to the changing room and pool edge, and what entry equipment is available?
8. Do access rights begin before check-in or continue after check-out, and is luggage storage available around the booked slot?

A useful confirmation names the pool, date, guest ages and rate. “Spa access included” is too vague when the property has several floors, pools or time windows.