Summer in the City: New York’s Best Hotel Pools to Swim and Sip
Here’s where to swim in New York without leaving the city.
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For every well-designed rooftop oasis in New York City, there’s a sad rectangle of water surrounded by folding chairs and a "resort vibes" playlist on its last loop. Half are for hotel guests only. The rest are style over swim, better suited to selfies than actual time spent poolside. This list trims the fat.
Here, you’ll find hotel pools that make the whole endeavor feel worth it, whether you’re dropping in for a few hours or posting up for the day. The common thread? Real utility. Drinks that aren’t just garnish and ice. Food worth eating in a swimsuit.
Some are invite-only, like Soho House’s quietly cinematic rooftops in Dumbo and Meatpacking. Others—like Coda or The William Vale—offer day passes through ResortPass, a site that essentially lets you “hack” your way into the city’s best hotel amenities. Pricing fluctuates (especially on weekends), and if you want a cabana, you’ll need to move fast. But for locals who’d rather tan above the traffic than sit in it, it’s a workaround that pays off.
Whether your idea of summer luxury is a frozen drink in Times Square (somehow yes) or an alfresco soak on Governors Island with lasagna in reach, this is your cheat sheet. These are the outdoor hotel pools that make sweating through August in the city feel like a good decision.
The Best Rooftop Pools in New York City
- Beach Club at Coda Williamsburg
- QC NY Spa Governors Island
- Dumbo House
- The Pool Club at Virgin Hotels New York City
- Terrace on 7 at The Dominick
- The Rockaway Hotel
- TWA Hotel
- The William Vale Pool
- Jimmy at ModernHaus SoHo
- 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
- The Summer Club at Ravel Hotel
- Somewhere Nowhere at Renaissance Chelsea
- Soho House New York
- Gansevoort Meatpacking
- Landshark Pool at Margaritaville Resort Times Square
- Aliya Cocktail Den and Pool Club at Hotel Indigo Williamsburg
- Arlo Williamsburg
Beach Club at Coda Williamsburg
- 160 N. 12th St., Brooklyn, NY 11249
Coda’s saltwater pool isn’t a party pit or an influencer trap—it’s a solid all-day hang where the DJ doesn’t overpower your conversation. Non-hotel guests can buy pool access (from $75), but you’ll need to spring for a daybed or cabana to guarantee seating. The pool is heated, open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with bench space for swim-only passes. Drinks lean tropical-adjacent, and the food is unexpectedly strong—go for the wagyu empanadas or the Coda Smash Burger, which earns its name. Coda Williamsburg hotel guests get automatic access (two per room), and yes, the wifi works poolside.
QC NY Spa Governors Island
- 112 Andes Rd., New York, NY 10004
A short ferry ride from Manhattan drops you into another state of mind. QC NY Spa is a European-style thermal retreat with outdoor heated pools facing the skyline. Day passes (from $98) include robe, towel and full spa access—saunas, steam rooms, relaxation lounges—but the real draw is the alfresco soak, spritz in hand. Sunday through Thursday nights, QC offers a complimentary Italian-style dinner buffet with the purchase of any drink. Inspired by aperitivo hour, the spread includes charcuterie, frittata, soups, lasagna and desserts, plus pours of Ferrari Trento to match the sunset. No DJs, no scene. Just Roman leisure with an outer-borough ZIP code.
Dumbo House
- 55 Water St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tucked inside the Empire Stores building, Dumbo House trades flash for steel-and-glass cool. The rooftop pool stares directly at the Manhattan Bridge with views that don’t need a filter. The energy is sharper than its Meatpacking sibling—less velvet rope, more tech-founder-in-Rei-Co-op. Poolside bites come courtesy of Berenjak, Soho House’s Persian kitchen concept, and the drinks list goes heavy on spicy cocktails and natural wine. The pool area is open to members and hotel guests only, with daybeds and loungers bookable 48 hours in advance via the app.
The Pool Club at Virgin Hotels New York City
- 1227 Broadway, New York, NY 10001
The Pool Club at Virgin Hotels is pure rooftop Americana—equal parts play and polish. It’s open to the public through ResortPass (21+ only, no kids after 11:30 a.m.) with timed slots throughout the day and a full-service bar slinging seasonal cocktails. The deck delivers on design: striped loungers, shaded private cabanas and NYC skyline views with just enough attitude. General admission includes towels, wifi and poolside service, while cabanas (for up to five) come with privacy curtains, iced teas, bottled water and a dedicated server. Order the Saint James rum cocktails and shrimp ceviche from the Pool Club Bar and plan to stay until the playlist shifts into sunset mode.
Terrace on 7 at The Dominick
- 246 Spring St., New York, NY 10013
Seven floors above SoHo, The Dominick’s rooftop pool serves up luxe on all fronts: skyline views, strong cocktails and rare downtown quiet. The pool is heated and flanked by plush loungers and semi-shaded cabanas, bookable through ResortPass (from $140–$280). Expect front-row views of the Hudson River, Empire State Building and One World Trade, plus poolside service from El Ta’Koy—an Asian-Hawaiian spot that sends out guava margaritas and spam sliders. Weekends bring DJ happy hours and Sunday brunch. Spa access is separate, but you can add on a massage or facial for a full day reset. Pro tip: weekday bookings get you more elbow room and fewer phones. This one’s for locals who know how to work the system.
The Rockaway Hotel
- 108-10 Rockaway Beach Dr., Queens, NY 11694
One block from the Atlantic and a world away from midtown, The Rockaway Hotel’s heated outdoor pool is a summer-day cheat code: crisp cocktails, cedar sauna and breezy-beachy tunes. Day passes ($50–$100) include towel service, wifi and access to the pool deck, though weekend visits require a cabana reservation. The real sleeper hit? The Pool House, the hotel’s alfresco restaurant, serving all-day plates like summer berry French toast and seafood platters alongside pool-friendly cocktails. Come for the swim, stay for the lobster roll—and that rare New York sensation of actually relaxing by water that isn’t a river.
TWA Hotel
- One Idlewild Dr., Queens, NY 11430
You wouldn’t expect a killer pool day at JFK, but TWA Hotel rewrites the rules. Its rooftop infinity “pool-cuzzi” overlooks Runway 4L/22R and is heated to 95°F in winter, making it just as viable in January as July. Entry starts at $50 for non-guests (via ResortPass), while hotel guests can book for a free swim from 7 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. or reserve longer slots throughout the day. You’ll get towels, runway views and access to the Pool Bar, where “Jet Fuel” cocktails and snacks fly fast. Seating is first come, and there’s no saving lounge chairs by the infinity pool. Inspired by Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, it’s got beach entry, underwater seats and a mosaic TWA logo—plus the best plane-watching perch in the city.
The William Vale Pool
- 111 N. 12th St., Brooklyn, NY 11249
Brooklyn’s longest hotel pool is also its best executed. Vale Pool stretches 60 feet across a fourth-floor terrace with unobstructed Manhattan views. Cabanas and daybeds are available on ResortPass (from $165), and the crowd is equal parts hotel guest and Williamsburg creative with decent taste in sunglasses. Service is tight, snacks are legit and the DJ knows when to fade. Later, go upstairs to Westlight for a Negroni and the city’s cleanest sightlines.
Jimmy at ModernHaus SoHo
- 15 Thompson St., New York, NY 10013
Atop ModernHaus SoHo, Jimmy is a locals-first lounge with teak decking, skyline views and a swimming pool that’s more about ambiance than laps. Hotel guests get first dibs, but on summer weekends it opens to the public with no cover. Grab a seat, order the fried chicken sliders (served on Hawaiian buns with sriracha aioli) or the spicy tuna toast topped with caviar, and let the sunset do its thing. This isn’t the place to splash around, but to land softly after a long week.
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
- 60 Furman St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
It’s not big, but it might be the most cinematic. Floating in this plunge pool—with the Brooklyn Bridge on one side and downtown Manhattan on the other—feels like a rendering. No day passes, no public access. But if you’re staying here, it’s the one pool where you skip the rooftop bar and post up for golden hour in silence.
The Summer Club at Ravel Hotel
- 8-08 Queens Plaza S., Long Island City, NY 11101
This Long Island City hotspot boasts EDM brunch, inflatable swans and bottle service without the apology. It’s open seven days a week from noon to 7 p.m. (last entry at 6 p.m.), with access options ranging from $75 general admission to $200 cabanas booked from noon to 5 p.m. Daybeds go fast on weekends, and the music turns up accordingly. There’s a place for this energy—and it’s usually around 3 p.m. when you want a Miami reset without the airfare.
Somewhere Nowhere at Renaissance Chelsea
- 112 W. 25th St., New York, NY 10001
Somewhere Nowhere is NYC’s highest rooftop pool—and it knows it. Set on the 39th floor, this open-air spot trades laps for photo ops, with general admission from $100 and rosé-accompanied daybeds starting at $165. Swimming’s allowed Wednesday through Sunday until 4:30 p.m., weather permitting. After dark, the space flips into a curated scene with live jazz (Sinatra Under the Stars), themed nights, and a crowd that dresses like there’s no work tomorrow. You’re not here to unwind—you’re here to show up. Late-night access isn’t included, but if you’re already on the guest list, you don’t need the main room, anyway.
Soho House New York
- 29-35 Ninth Ave., New York, NY 10014
The OG Soho House rooftop is still one of the toughest reservations in town, with a heated pool that stays open year-round. Daybeds and loungers are bookable in 3-hour, 45-minute slots, while the guest policy shifts by day—up to three on weekdays, one on weekends before 5 p.m., three again after. The food showcases classic House fare (burgers, spritzes and other pool-friendly bites), and the west-facing views still frame a sunset that justifies the annual dues.
Gansevoort Meatpacking
- 18 Ninth Ave., New York, NY 10014
The Gansevoort helped define rooftop culture in the aughts—and somehow, it still pulls it off. The 45-foot heated pool is open year-round, exclusively for hotel guests and Seven24 Collective members. By day, it’s loungers, skyline views and poolside food and drink service; by night, it pivots into a slick rooftop lounge with DJs, cocktails and the kind of crowd that still dresses for downtown. Inside, there’s Saishin, a rooftop omakase concept that doubles as a flex for out-of-town guests.
Landshark Pool at Margaritaville Resort Times Square
- 560 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10018
Landshark is New York’s only Times Square pool, and it seems to cherish the chaos: palm-printed everything, frozen drinks on repeat, and epic tequila options. It’s open daily with day passes and cabanas starting around $100. The crowd? Somewhere between Broadway tourists and downtown escapees who didn’t book the Hamptons in time. Food is classic beach-bar fare—loaded nachos, peel-and-eat shrimp and chicken wings in three sauces—while the signature drinks lean tiki-adjacent (Landshark Lager, spicy margaritas, plus a full frozen menu). The hotel rooftop pool is not massive, but the people-watching is, and there’s no better place to clock skyscraper views through the haze of a piña colada brain freeze.
Aliya Cocktail Den and Pool Club at Hotel Indigo Williamsburg
- 500 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
Hidden on the fourth floor of Hotel Indigo, the 70-foot heated pool offers front-row views of the Manhattan skyline—best appreciated with a drink in hand and a cabana to your name (bookable via ResortPass, from $125). Inside, the cocktail den doubles down on personality: moody lighting, velvet corners and a bar program that leans conceptual without losing the plot. Mixologist Mike Haze’s drink menu is split into “traits”—think “Dangerous” (bourbon, rum, tamarind, allspice) or “Decadent” (mint liqueur, crème de cacao, cream). Chef Scotley Innis, known from Chopped and Hell’s Kitchen, delivers standout small plates like lamb shank pot pie and lobster tostones that punch above typical poolside fare.
Arlo Williamsburg
- 96 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11249
Arlo’s 40-foot heated rooftop pool is one of the few spots in Williamsburg that nails both scene and service. Hotel guests lock in two loungers per room (by reservation only), but outsiders can crash the party via ResortPass. Daybeds and cabanas book out early, with pricing that floats around $185, depending on demand. Pitchers of cocktails keep the energy loose, and the menu from ART Williamsburg covers your post-swim cravings. Kids are technically allowed during off-peak hours, but the overall scene remains grown-up and self-aware.
