THE SWIM HOTELS RATING SYSTEM

As you'll notice as your explore our entries on various hotel lap pools around the world, Swim Hotels employs a simple rating system for pools. We rate each Swim Hotel on a scale of 1-4 "Waves", taking into account the dimensions of the pool, the pool's water type and temperature, its design and surroundings, and any special features of the pool, such as swim lessons and in-pool bars.

This rating system is strictly subjective, but here is the rubric we have in mind...

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1 Wave: A good pool, probably suitable for swimming laps, with some limitations. Many pools rated 1 Wave are shorter than 75 feet, and therefore less than ideal for serious lap swimming.

2 Waves: A very good pool, suitable for swimming laps. Pools rated 2 Waves will almost always be at least 75 feet long; the few that are shorter compensate with excellent design or special features. 2 Waves is the most common rating for pools on Swim Hotels.

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3 Waves: An excellent pool, superb for swimming laps and beautifully designed. Most pools rated 3 Waves will be 82 feet (25 meters) in length or more. Pools in this category are rare, with less than a quarter of all Swim Hotels rating so high, and may merit a special trip.

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4 Waves: One of the best hotel pools in the world. Pools rated 4 Waves are always more than 90 feet long, and most are at least the length of an Olympic competition pool, 50 meters or 164 feet. In addition, 4-Wave pools feature spectacular design and stunning views. As of May 2021, only 21 pools in the Swim Hotels database are rated 4 Waves.