The 102-acre Terranea Resort, on L.A.'s Palos Verdes peninsula, has four oceanfront pools. The saltwater Vista Pool (pictured) has an air of Zen-like calm and unbeatable ocean views.
Courtesy of Terranea Resort
Spa Pool —
The Terranea Resort's Spa Pool has private cabanas and fire pits. All four pools are open to resort guests only.
Courtesy of Terranea Resort
Cielo Point Pool —
The Terranea Resort's seasonal Cielo Point pool (open May-September, for those 18-plus years old) is about as close as a pool gets to the Pacific.
Courtesy of Terranea Resort
The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach —
OK, Newport Beach isn't in Los Angeles. But when a pool looks this inviting, what's a quick drive down the 405 into neighboring Orange County?
Courtesy of Pelican Hill
The Coliseum Pool —
With more than a million hand-placed glass mosaic tiles, the resort's 136-foot-diameter saltwater showpiece is one of the world's largest perfectly circular pools.
Courtesy of Pelican Hill
SLS at Beverly Hills —
Guests won't be doing much diving in the shallows of Altitude -- the chic, dual-pooled roof deck of the SLS Beverly Hills. At 3.5 feet in depth, this is a spot for checking out the scenery.
Courtesy of SLS at Beverly Hills
Poolside refreshments —
The SLS Beverly Hills's range of luxury poolside cabanas (from $300 with a $500 food and beverage minimum) earn their price tag with the most buzz-worthy poolside grub in L.A. -- small bites and specialty cocktails from celeb chef Jose Andres.
Courtesy of SLS at Beverly Hills
Mondrian Los Angeles —
This Sunset Strip hotspot has yet to be outshone by any new West Hollywood rival. It's still the place to be for the forever-youngish crowd.
Courtesy of Mondrian Los Angeles
Mondrian Los Angeles —
The Mondrian's lofty Outdoor Living Room features a lovely teak deck, mosaic poolside tables, groovy up-tempo house mixes (pumped underwater) and perfect L.A. panoramas.
Courtesy of Mondrian Los Angeles
The Standard, Downtown L.A. —
About 15 years ago, The Standard (of West Hollywood fame) chose an old Superior Oil Company building in not-exactly-happening-yet Downtown L.A. as the questionable site for its next boutique hipster hotel.
Courtesy of The Standard, Downtown LA
Did the gambit pay off? —
Red AstroTurf. Waterbed pods. Cushy couches. Fireplace. Dance area. German beer garden. Aerial views of Downtown. The party up by the Standard's rooftop pool is worth seeing.
Courtesy of The Standard, Downtown LA
The beautiful people —
If there's a cooler pool atop 12 floors of re-imagined concrete and marble in a resuscitated concrete jungle, the beautiful crowd congregating at the Standard's doesn't yet know about it.
Courtesy of The Standard, Downtown LA
Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles —
For nearly a century, Downtown L.A.'s grand dame of hotels has hosted kings, presidents, the Beatles, nine Oscars ceremonies and generations of businessmen milking corporate expense accounts.
Courtesy of Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles
Roman baths —
Beneath the Biltmore's fanfared lobby is the city's best subterranean splash from the past: a 90-year-old, Roman-style swimming pool.
