Laps of luxury

PRIVATE plunge pools are the latest resort must-have.

Qualia Resort

THE ultimate in resort amenities is no longer an ensuite with gold taps, spa bath and Hollywood-starlet lighting. Today's must-have accommodation lure is an exclusive plunge pool, typically set within a shaded courtyard, beside the beach or protected from view by decorative wooden or stone walls.

Whether a celebrity or VIP seeking absolute privacy or a holiday-maker of a certain age who's done with posturing by a big resort pool, the trend is in keeping with the 21st-century quest for sanctuary and seclusion. No operator opening a villa compound in tropical destinations such as Bali and southern Thailand would consider omitting private swimming spaces, whether glossy lap pools or petite plunge options.

Even accommodation groups operating big properties in Bali, such as Pan Pacific Nirwana near Tanah Lot and Starwood's funky W Hotels & Resorts beachside bolthole at Seminyak, have added exclusive villas to the room category mix, charging up to double the standard overnight tariff for the pool option.

Fiji has caught up with the trend, too. The couples-only Likuliku Lagoon Resort in the Mamanucas near Nadi features pools on the decks in front of 18 of its beachfront bures. Other properties with private swimming options in this island nation include Royal Davui, Tokoriki, Tadrai and the millionaire's playground of Laucala. The family-friendly Vomo Island Resort, also in the Mamanucas, has augmented its accommodation inventory with a pair of "private residences" that feature multiple ensuite bedrooms and seaside pools; privacy-seeking high-profile guests have included the likes of John Hannah, Elle Macpherson, Ian Thorpe and Peter Morrissey.

You wouldn't think the Maldives would need to lure tourists with lap pools; the Indian Ocean nation consists of a series of atolls ringed by lagoons. It's a case of water, water everywhere, with most resorts offering thatched overwater bungalows on stilts that come equipped with ladders leading down to the sea so guests can swim and snorkel with great access and ease.

But tourism is the mainstay of the Maldives and resorts here are so competitive that, as an extravagant selling point, key resort operators are also including pools on bungalow decks.

At Angsana Velavaru resort in the South Nilhande Atoll of the Maldives, 33 in-ocean villas (or IOVs, as they become quickly known to guests) form a satellite about 1km across the lagoon from Angsana Velavaru proper and are reached by a little open-sided ferry. Each has a long, blue-tiled pool on its deck, echoing the colours of the water below. Other resorts in the Maldives that have opted for this level of layered luxury are the honeymoon havens of One & Only Reethi Rah and Huvafen Fushi.

Given our popular beaches and penchant for renting holiday houses in summer, Australian hoteliers have been slower to see the potential of so-called plunge-pool tourism although a handful of well-established resorts - such as Capella Lodge on NSW's Lord Howe Island, Queensland's Hayman and Kims Beach Hideaway at Toowoon Bay on the NSW central coast - feature pools in their top-tariff room category.

Leading the emerging trend down under is Qualia on Queensland's Hamilton Island where its north-facing Windward Pavilions all feature pools set on decks with broad water views. This premium category of accommodation, with breakfast and other inclusions, ranges from about $1525 to $1980 a night, depending on the season; the Leeward Pavilions, without pools, start at $975 through to about $1250, although special deals are sometimes on offer for both styles. Qualia general manager Matthew Taverner says the Windward Pavilions are "immensely" popular.

"Without doubt a major drawcard is that they offer their own private plunge pools. The Windward Pavilions are very much a first choice for our guests and the premium tariff differential proves to be little barrier. If we had our time over, we'd have designed plunge pools into some of our Leeward Pavilions too to satisfy demand."

It's not just the Sunshine State that's attracting cashed-up dippers. When the weather is cool, the pool temperature dial goes up. The Emirates-owned Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa near Lithgow, west of the NSW Blue Mountains, features cottage suites, all with a temperature-controlled pool in a covered annexe. Bi-fold windows open to reveal plantings of native plants and shrubs, bushland beyond and the chance to spot kangaroos, wallabies and intriguing wallaroos.

Things can get rather chilly down at Saffire-Freycinet Lodge on Tasmania's pristine east coast. But the designers have added courtyard pools to the top-level Private Pavilion category - decidedly warmer and cosier than the prospect of a swim in adjacent Coles Bay.

qualia.com.au

wolganvalley.com

saffire-freycinet.com.au

royaldavui.com

angsana.com