Life Aquatic: Water Sets the Tone at These Eight Properties

At Indonesia’s Somewhere Lombok, located on its namesake island, outdoor water experiences take center stage. A stunning infinity pool gives way to one of the region’s most renowned surf spots, Are Guling Bay, where guests can unwind and immerse themselves in tranquility while watching waves rise and break below. Private plunge pools, made with Balinese green stone, are also found at each of the 20 villas, and the onsite spa has an intimate outdoor pool with a design inspired by rainwater collection tanks as well as an outdoor shower. Plus, the practically untouched white-sand beach and crystal-clear waters of Are Guling Bay are less than five minutes away by car and the property provides regularly scheduled beach shuttles.

Located farther east on the same island, Innit Lombok takes beachfront living to the next level. Seven two-bedroom architectural beach houses are situated along a stunning and secluded stretch of shoreline, where the beach itself becomes an integral part of living: each villa was created with an open-air, unwalled living and dining area, replete with a sand floor. Upstairs, bedrooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows with unobstructed views of Awang Bay and a striking black-tiled 35-meter-long infinity pool, parallel to the beach, separates the villas from an onsite restaurant.

In Thailand, The Surin Phuket is an idyllic seafront resort located directly on the exclusive Pansea Beach. Beyond the secluded beach with soft white sand, tucked away amongst lush tropical vegetation, the hotel also boasts a hexagonal pool with lustrous black anthracite tiling, creating a glittering obsidian surface under the sun and dramatic reflections under the starry sky. The Surin also offers an array of accommodations, ranging from one- and two-bedroom cottages to suites and villas, the latter of which have the added luxury of private infinity pools.

Surrounded entirely by sea and reachable only by boat, an experience at Mamula Island begins and ends on water. Located in Montenegro’s Boka Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Adriatic Sea, the property is spread across a carefully restored 19th-century fort—the only development on the islet. From various vantage points, including a rooftop deck with three pools, guests can soak up 360-degree sea views, or they can head directly to the serviced beach. With the abundance of water in mind, Original Samih Sawiris says, “I’ve always loved the ocean. I get sick if I stray too far from water.” 

An ideal getaway on Mallorca’s northern coast, El Vicenç de la Mar is awash in hues that reflect its surroundings. On the rooftop, shades of blue connect a large pool, sun loungers, and bespoke umbrellas with the shimmering Mediterranean beyond. Many guestrooms also open to shared and private pools with sea views: standouts include the Pool Suite, which has a 96-square-meter terrace and a 17-square-meter pool, and the Penthouse Suite, with its 112-square-meter terrace and 13-square-meter private pool. The spa, Ç Wellness Studio, also features a serene, naturally lit indoor heated pool.

With eleven properties spread across Mykonos, the Myconian Collection Hotels & Resorts group places a focus on unforgettable design and wellness, often with seaside lounges and private Jacuzzis or pools at the center of such experiences. The Myconian Avaton, for example, was built directly into the bare rock above Elia Beach on the island’s southern coast. Here, a large terrace overlooks Mykonos’s longest fine-sand beach and the endless blues of the Aegean Sea, with an infinity pool blending into the horizon beyond. A complimentary shuttle takes guests to and from a private, serviced part of the beach, while many guest accommodations—ranging from single rooms to four-bedroom villas—feature furnished terraces with Jacuzzis or infinity pools. An onsite spa has heated thalasso, or seawater, pools and even the gym looks out over the sea below.

Perched on a secluded hill just outside Mykonos Town, the Myconian Kyma also offers panoramic views of the island, including the famed windmills, and sea beyond, yet it is also only a short stroll from the beating heart of the island. At the heart of the hotel, meanwhile, is the pool deck, a brilliant blue gem set over two levels and surrounded by shaded sunbeds, an outdoor lounge, and a bar that—by both day and night—has earned a reputation as an exclusive hotspot. Here too are five heated thalasso pools, each with a different therapeutic benefit that draws on the cleansing and curative properties of seawater praised since Greek antiquity.

The group’s newest property, O by Myconian Collection, is also their first true beachfront resort. Located in Ornos Bay, less than four kilometers south of Mykonos Town, guests here have the luxury of drifting between a serviced beach and private pools, of lounging on sunbeds during the day and dancing the night away with live DJ sets under the stars. Every building was constructed to align with the light, views, breeze, and horizon over the sea, and every room boasts a private furnished terrace or balcony, with many also having the option of a saltwater pool. Plus, Oasis, an open-air lounge area with an infinity pool, serves up a relaxing atmosphere and complimentary treats by day before transforming into an thriving nightlife destination with live DJ sets by night.