Summer has arrived and so has the annual logistical mare that is navigating the tourist-stricken, hotter-than-the-sun, bustling, beautiful city.
There is a cooler way of enjoying the sunshine, however. You can go and swim, chill and sip away the heat at one of the many rooftop pools in London.
Naturally, we've selected the finest of them for your pleasure. Your challenge? Take a dip in every pool on this list before the summer is out.
Shoreditch House
Being a member of Shoreditch House comes with many benefits – not least the access to the club's vast rooftop pool. There's also a bar, which every pool needs. Crank out a few lengths and then party on down with the cool kids. You'll feel young in every sense of the word.
Ebor St, London E1 6AW; sohohouse.com
The Berkeley
With a panoramic view of the city skyline and Hyde Park treetops, The Berkeley’s seventh-floor swimming pool is seventh heaven. Soak up the tranquil atmosphere or slope off to a secret garden so leafy and fragrant it’ll give the Cravens a run for their money.
the-berkeley.co.uk The Berkeley, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge. SW1X 7RL
The Peak Health Club & Spa
The jewel in the Jumeirah Carlton Tower health club’s crown is a pool which glamorously stretches across the ninth floor. Rack up some laps before a trip to the jacuzzi, sauna or steam rooms. If you’re feeling competitive, you can challenge your fellow guests to a race.
jumeirah.com Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Cadogan Place. SW1X 9PY
Mondrian Shoreditch
You can eat, swim, relax and repeat whatever the weather at Mondrian Shoreditch’s lido-cum-restaurant because when the sun comes out, the Lido takes its top off! Coupled with a ringside view of London, there’s little wonder it’s our go-to Mediterranean vista short of a vista in the Med.
sbe.com/hotels 45 Curtain Rd, Hackney. EC2A 3PT
The Ned
Boasting a 360° view of The Big Smoke and being impossibly close to St Paul’s Cathedral, The Ned’s Club is a must. On the top floor you’ll find its heated pool and two converted domes with outdoor terraces for eating and drinking. Sign us up!
thened.com 27 Poultry. EC2R 8AJ
Shangri-La Hotel
Look down on commuters safe in the knowledge that, 52 levels up The Shard, you’re arguably closer to God. At this height the unwashed masses are merely ants. Glide (you simply don’t swim when you’re this elevated) over to the infinity-edge and smile, because if you’ve gotten here, you’ve made it.
shangri-la.com 52nd Floor, The Shard, 31 St Thomas St. SE1 9QU
The Sky Pool
Suspended 35m in the air between two buildings, the Sky Pool is best avoided by those with vertigo. It's 25-metres long and completely transparent. Use of the pool is reserved for Embassy Gardens residents and their guests – so you either better buy an apartment or befriend somebody who owns one.
3 Viaduct Gardens, Nine Elms, SW11 7AY; embassygardens.com
