Pool
In Australia, a hotel pool matters most where the sea is hardest to use. In Darwin, Cairns and Townsville nearly every stay on this page has one, because stinger season, which in Queensland typically runs from November to the end of May, and crocodiles in the tropical north make the open sea a poor bet. This page groups 481 stays with a pool in 74 towns, rated 8.53 out of 10 on average across 593,293 guest reviews. The widest choice is in Darwin and on the Gold Coast (27 each), then Cairns (25) and Townsville (24). The tropical north is where I would make a pool non-negotiable: 27 of the 28 Darwin stays here have one, 25 of 28 in Cairns, 24 of 28 in Townsville. Cairns has no swimming beach in town; swimming off the Esplanade is not allowed because of crocodiles and stingers. Locals use the free Esplanade Lagoon instead, a saltwater pool with lifeguards on duty, which opens only at midday on Wednesdays for maintenance. On a hot Cairns afternoon, a pool at the hotel saves the walk. If the hotel pool itself is the point, Cairns has the most to compare. Crystalbrook Riley, on the Esplanade, has a lagoon of more than 1,000 square metres in three sections, with a 25-metre lap lane; it rates 8.6 from 2,966 reviews. Its sister hotels in town, Crystalbrook Bailey (8.9 from 3,706) and Crystalbrook Flynn (8.8 from 3,717), score higher. For a kitchen and more space, Waters Edge Apartment Cairns leads the city at 9.3 from 536 reviews. Townsville and Darwin each have a public alternative. On Townsville's Strand, stinger nets go up on the beach from November to May, and a stinger-resistant seawater rock pool sits at the northern end, though the council is planning its redesign. In Darwin, the Wave Lagoon at the Waterfront is stinger and crocodile free, with lifeguards on duty. In both cities I would still book a hotel with its own pool: Elsey on Parap tops the Darwin list at 9.6, and Argus Apartments Darwin rates 9.2 from 1,197 reviews. The Red Centre removes the question. All 9 stays at Yulara, the only beds near Uluru, have a pool, from Outback Lodge (7.2) to Longitude 131 (9.6 from 216 reviews). The 4 stays in Alice Springs all have one too. Sunrise and sunset at Uluru shape the day, so the pool fills the long middle hours, when walking in the national park is at its hardest. The resort's free shuttle loops between its hotels but does not go to Uluru, so without a car, pool time fits around tour departures. South of the tropics, a pool becomes the exception, and I would not choose a city for it. Only 5 of the 27 Hobart stays here have one, 1 of 28 in Launceston (the Olde Tudor Hotel), 2 of 17 in Ballarat and 9 of 28 in Canberra. Sydney has 11 of 28, led by The EVE Hotel Sydney at 9.4; Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, at The Rocks, rates 9.1 from 5,418 reviews. Melbourne has 20 of 50, led by 1 Hotel Melbourne at 9.4. For a winter trip, June to August, I would count only on an indoor pool in the south. In Melbourne, at least 11 of the 20 stays with a pool have an indoor one, among them 1 Hotel Melbourne, Lanson Place Parliament Gardens (9.3) and The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne (9.2), whose heated pool is on level 64. In Hobart, at least 4 of the 5 are indoor, Salamanca Inn's on the roof, and The Pavilions at Mona has a heated lap pool. In Canberra, at least 3 of 9 are indoor: Meriton Suites Canberra, Hyatt Hotel Canberra and Hotel Realm. Perth and Adelaide have 12 stays with a pool each. In Perth, COMO The Treasury leads at 9.5 with an indoor pool, while Ingot Hotel Perth and East Perth Suites Hotel heat their outdoor pools. In Adelaide, Eos by SkyCity tops the list at 9.3 with a rooftop pool, and Adelaide Marriott Hotel (9.1), Sofitel Adelaide and Peppers Waymouth Hotel have indoor ones. On the Sunshine Coast, all 6 stays in Noosa Heads have a pool, three of them heated, led by Noosa Boutique Apartments and Elkhorn Villas at 9.3. On the Gold Coast, 27 of the 30 stays have a pool, and the beach stays the main event: swim between the red and yellow flags, which lifesavers move with conditions. The pool earns its place on days when the beach is closed or the surf is too rough for children. The Darling at The Star Gold Coast tops the list at 9.4, and JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort and Spa rates 9.0 from 1,800 reviews. In Brisbane, 15 of 29 stays have one, and Streets Beach at South Bank is a free lagoon beach patrolled all year. This page suits travellers heading north between November and May, parents who want a swim without reading the surf, and anyone at Uluru in the heat. It is wrong for someone who expects a pool on a Tasmanian or Ballarat trip: there, I would pick the stay by location and keep swimming for the beach or a public pool. And in Melbourne, Canberra or Hobart in winter, I would book one of the indoor pools named above rather than any stay that simply lists a pool.
