So Swimmingly – Snapping The Globe

Hotels with swim-up pools.

We have all seen the photos.

Wedding and travel magazine spreads showing beautiful couples wearing expensive jewelry, designer swimsuits and perfectly coiffed hair lounging around, looking at each other lovingly while hanging in their hotel room’s private pool.

Yeah, I was always sure that was for the rich and famous.

During spring break, my son and I were playing travel roulette. No set plans…we had a list of tropical destinations that we thought we might like to try to sit standby for (a perk of my airline job) and we were going to see where we ended up.

Punta Cana eventually won out and as I made my way down the jetway to my last-minute seat, I frantically scrolled on my phone through the list of resorts that had availability.

There were three that I was eyeing…

There was one we visited a few years ago; the cheapest, but one we had enjoyed for its lively staff, wide-spread beach and their rooms’ proximity to the beach.

There was another that I knew nothing about but my son had a friend staying there. It had excellent reviews and a decent price.

The third was the most expensive of the three (though most akin to number two). It was located two properties over from the first option and one property over from where we had stayed last August, so we were familiar with the area. Both my son and I had friends staying there, so while my son could spend time hanging with his friends, I would have others to have adult conversations and drinks with!

Checking the prices for the third option, I discovered that I could choose the cheapest of their rooms, however, since it was last minute, I could get a room with a swim-up pool for just a little more.

Being that it was my son’s senior year, I had just received a good bonus check and I just felt like pampering myself, I decided to go with option number three! I just hoped that it was worth it!

We arrived to dark skies, rain and no waiting transportation due to a mix-up with our booking. Finally, arranging a one-way transfer, we were exhausted as we made our way into the open air lobby of the Royalton Punta Cana Resort & Casino.

A short time later, we were being escorted to our room near the beach area of the resort. As we passed the rooms with swim-up pools facing the main pool area, I got my first look at what we had paid for. These people could watch the action of the main resort area, yet hang out in their own private space.

As I entered our room, I pulled open the curtains and glanced out at our own pool area, which faced the side of our resort and the resort next door. Well, we didn’t have a great view. No watching the action of the resort, but it was still exciting to have this amenity. With the miserable weather, however, I decided that I needed a nap more than a swim. Taking advantage of this perk would have to wait until the next day.

The next morning, I eagerly opened the curtain, ready for sunshine! What was this? Shadows? With the sun making its way across the sky, our pool was enshrouded in darkness. How on earth was I going to work on my tan?

As we walked to the main lobby for breakfast, I enviously spied on the guests lounging on their verandas, dipping themselves in their private pools. They had sun! I thought, “No wonder I got my room for such a steal…it’s on the shady side of the resort. ”

After stuffing ourselves with pastries and omelets, we decided to head to the beach, spending the remainder of the morning lounging under one of the resort’s thatched umbrellas and enjoying the azure waters that lapped it’s shores.

One of the perks of this resort is that although there were many restaurants that served lunch near the beach, we could utilize room service…for free! Using the ordering feature on our television, we could sit on our veranda and enjoy lunch in the privacy of our room.

This needing doing!

Heading back to our room and noticing that the shadows had changed with the movement of the sun, we ordered our meal and then opened the curtain. Can you believe it? Noon was the witching hour! The sun had crept slowly across the sky during the morning and now our private pool and veranda was filled with bright light!

After enjoying our lunch, we jumped into the pool, relishing in the coolness of the water. Though our pool was private, it was connecting to the others along the length of the building. Though we remained here for the remainder of the day, we were always alone. Not one of the rooms here had guests who swam outside or relaxed on their verandas!

Each day, we repeated the same pattern; hang at the beach during the mornings and enjoy the resort’s many amenities…mini-golf, lazy river, flowrider, restaurants, snack bars. Every afternoon, however, we retreated to our room to take advantage of our pool. What luxury!