The 10 best pools in Vegas

What Las Vegas lacks in a coastline, it makes up for in aquatic playgrounds, and when it comes to the art of the pool party, exhibit A is Encore Beach Club. This 55,000-square-foot oasis has palm trees, shower go-go platforms, and an enthusiastic crowd that packs the place to dance to top DJs. With a gaming pit, daybeds perched in the water, VIP cabanas, and exclusive bungalows with private plunge pools (and restrooms), EBC’s strength lies in how it manages to be both a total rager and luxurious dayclub simultaneously.

Plenty of Vegas pools have luxury cabanas, DJs, and servers who look like models. You know what they don’t have? A waterslide that goes through a tank full of sharks. The centerpiece of this multi-tiered poolscape is that 200,000-gallon tank, glowing blue and filled with predators. But guests who skip the fast ride down from the top will still find plenty to enjoy here, from the cooling waterfalls to the cabanas to the Hideout, an adults-only area with its own petite pool, bar, and not a kid in sight.

Even in January, there’s a pool party on the Las Vegas Strip. This Cosmopolitan dayclub laughs in the face of cold weather with a climate-controlled dome that covers the poolscape and lets visitors don their bikinis in the dead of winter. However, Marquee comes to life in summer with a lineup of A-list DJs that gets the club crowd out of their beds to start the fun before lunch. Bringing a group? Consider reserving a daybed or cabana with a private infinity pool so you’ll have a place to relax, share some snacks and get down on a beer bucket or bottle.

Some hotels have a pool. Caesars Palace has seven. They’re all part of the resort’s Garden of the Gods, a sprawling outdoor escape jazzed up with stately columns and statues divided into smaller pockets, each offering a slightly different experience. Want to party without the full-on dayclub crush? Venus. Looking for somewhere chill to lay out? Jupiter. Fancy a game of swim-up blackjack? Fortuna. Free to hotel guests, those staying elsewhere can pay a cover to bask poolside or ante up for a cabana, which comes with cold refreshments and a fruit plate. 

At the Bellagio pool deck, no less than five pools beckon from an elegant garden landscape. Indulge in cocktails made with fresh juices, a sushi lunch, or even a poolside massage while you spend the day soaking up rays or relaxing with a book. Private cabanas come with misters, WiFi, pool rafts, fresh fruit, and a fridge stocked with non-alcoholic beverages.

Like the Waldorf Astoria hotel that houses it, this eighth-floor pool deck is smaller than many of its Strip neighbors but more sophisticated. Service is stellar here; that means attendants who pass by every hour with complimentary nibbles like frozen fruit or mini smoothies and cabanas—also available to non-hotel guests—stocked with non-alcoholic beverages, fresh fruit, sunscreen, and magazines. The Pool Café serves a full range of approachable fare, from continental breakfast to seared tuna salad to skirt steak quesadillas. Wash it all down with a pineapple ginger mojito or a glass of rosé.

Play blackjack, order barbecue, or lounge in a luxurious cabana at this 15-acre dayclub, which features a live DJ on most days of the week. Flamingo's exclusive pitcher service offers pre-mixed cocktails such as mojitos, pink lemonade, and sangria served in specially made pitchers guaranteed to keep your beverages ice cold. If you're willing to spend the big bucks, each cabana is 260 square feet of air-conditioned heaven, equipped with plasma televisions, video games, surround sound, and seating for 12. 

It’s all about the party at this 54,000-square-foot MGM Grand dayclub, where champagne showers and crowd-surfing DJs are par for the course. The crowd’s as hot as the music, the pools are filled with salt water, and those looking to go the VIP route have plenty of options to fit their style and budget. At the top end of the spectrum are ultra-exclusive bungalows with private dipping pools, personal safes, and teak furniture, but guests can also book a more economical daybed or a table in the lounge where your seat comes with blessed shade. When the thermometer hits 110, everyone will be jealous.

This expansive resort backyard checks every box; wave pool, sandy beach, lazy river, and poolside casino. There’s even an adults-only top-optional enclave for those allergic to tan lines. And if you’re looking to rent some real estate for the afternoon, the beach offers 100 different cabanas, daybeds, and bungalows, where you can order Jell-O shots, nachos, or a spa treatment. After dark, it hosts outdoor concerts and other special events.

The Wynn has a reputation for impeccable design and tasteful decor, and both are on display at the resort’s pool, open only to hotel guests. The space is beautifully landscaped with gardens creating small alcoves that lend an atmosphere of privacy even when packed. There are European pools for topless bathing, a gaming lounge with the day’s sporting events on TV, and a cocktail menu that trades piña colada mix and cloying margaritas for refined and refreshing flavors. Just don’t forget to hydrate, too.