What’s a gal supposed to do if they want to get wet but don’t want to risk their relationship, bank account and sanity to put in a pool of their own? Let’s forego the many city pools for now (as well as the overwhelming expense and time-suck of putting in your own) and look instead at some higher-end options.
Here are 10 pools you can dip your toes into without the masses making it a summer camp nightmare.
FAIR TRADE: The Tradewinds Resort’s day pass is $45 well-spent — not only does it include the pool (pools, actually!), it includes the water fun — slides, bouncy-thing–in-the-water, mini-golf, paddle boats and that beach cabana the 18-year-old hot pool boy totally keeps telling you you can’t use. 5500 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. 727-367-6461. Credit: Tradewinds Island GrandZ’LOVELY: On St. Pete Beach, Hotel Zamora has one of the smaller pools you’ll find on the beach, but it’s open to anyone — for free. And because it’s not huge, odds are you won’t have to fight crowds. Bonus: the rooftop bar has some spectacular sunset views, so when the sun’s ready to say goodnight, head to the rooftop to toast it one last time. 3701 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. 727-456-8900. Credit: Hotel Zamora via booking.comOver Tampa way, WTR has so many pool events, you might not even realize there’s a hotel attached, but there is. Of course, that’s not important — what’s important is that you can use the pool all week, whenever you want. Friday night there’s usually a charity event, so it has a fee, and on weekends they do charge a cover charge, but it’s nominal —$10 on Saturdays and on Sundays, $10 for girls and $20 for guys and yes, we know. 7700 Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa. 813-265-1234. Credit: via WTRSPA-TTED: The Safety Harbor Spa has a couple of options: Their pool-only membership costs $60/month or $90.00/month for a family of two or more. You can get a day pass for $25, or, if you want to sit by the pool for your two-week vacation, you can get a 10-day pass for $150. Spa guests also get access to the pool. Safety Harbor Resort & Spa on Tampa Bay, 105 N. Bayshore Dr., Safety Harbor. 727-726-1161. Credit: Roman Eugeniusz [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsHAIL, CESAR: On St. Pete Beach’s Don Cesar, a $50 day pass gets you pool access and access to the fitness center. We’ve heard the Pink Lady may be haunted, but odds are you’re safe at the pool. Seriously, who haunts a swimming pool? The Don only offers the pass when they’re not at capacity, so call the Don Club first to make sure you can dip your toes in this storied pool. The Don CeSar, 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. 727-367-0862. Credit: Josh Hallett via Flickr/CC2.0If you do brunch in St. Petersburg, odds are you’ve done it at The Hollander. Which means you probably know that you can use the pool gratis on Sundays from 2-5 p.m. —but did you know you can rent a cabana anytime? It’s $100 during the week and $150 on the weekends, but anything you spend on food and drink while you’re there goes against that rental fee. That means if the CL edit team rented a cabana, we wouldn’t pay a dime for that rental. But you do you. The Hollander, 421 4th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-873-7900. Credit: The Hollander via FacebookNOT JUST GOLF: At Innisbrook, the only day pass available is a free one — for those considering membership. We suggest you grab a free pass — because their membership’s actually pretty reasonable — $149 annual fee and $149 a month for access to six pools, the fitness center, discounts on spa services and dining and resort rates for tennis, racquetball and the driving range. That includes you, a spouse and any of your kids 25 or younger. So it’s six summer pools, a gym and a spa. Pretty sure a Y membership costs almost that much, and they only have one pool. 36750 US Hwy. 19 N., Palm Harbor. 888.794-8627. Credit: Public Domain, United States Air ForceGO CLUBBING: The Pasadena Yacht & Country Club has a summer membership that runs $1000 for five months (May through September). That includes the use of the pool, tennis courts, health club — and it gives you access to the social events. At this point in the summer, they’re pro-rating that number, too. Bonus: full-time students (under age 27) can get the student membership, which includes pretty much all of the above, plus unlimited golf (cart fee only). That’ll cost you $100/month, which is a spectacular rate. The student membership carries a $100 initiation fee, and both have dining requirements, but you gotta eat anyway, right? Pasadena Yacht and Country Club, 6003 Pasadena Point Blvd. S., Gulfport. 727-381-7922. Credit: via Bacon Realty GroupRENAISSANCE, MAN: The Vinoy Club has perhaps the priciest — but possibly the most rewarding — access. Granted, it carries a $3,000 initiation fee and costs $260 per month, but in addition pool access, you’ll get 40% off food and drink (including booze, and the Vinoy bartenders may be some of the best you’ll find in DTSP), substantial discounts on in-room dining, 20% off their retail, 25% off the rooms and 20% off their catering — plus two discounted tee-times. 501 5th Ave. NE, St. Petersburg. 727-894-1000. Credit: By Ebyabe [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], from Wikimedia CommonsOPEN UP AND SAY “SPA”: The Epicurean doesn’t offer any day passes, but here’s a hack: Book a spa service — any spa service — at Evangeline, and you can use the pool and the fitness center. They have a bourbon pedicure and — for the men — a whiskey scrub, plus a whole list of spa services that include champagne soaks, couples massage and cosmetic enhancements. 1207 S. Howard Ave., Tampa. 813-999-8742.
