For your next holiday, dip into a luxury pool villa by the sea, hills

Resorts and hotels report rising demand from customers who want to idle or party by a pool

When Harpreet Singh spent a weekend in the Jim Corbett wildness sanctuary in June, the best thing he liked about the resort was its pool villa. 

Pool villas typically have multiple bedrooms, a kitchen, living areas, and outdoor spaces – all centered around a private pool. The villas are popular in resort destinations and sought after by travellers looking for an exclusive and secluded vacation.

“We stayed in a sprawling jungle villa with four bedrooms but the centre point was the pool. The pool had the latest amenities such as an in-built jacuzzi and hydrotherapy bed," he said about the Aahana - The Corbett Wilderness resort. “The best part was that each villa is equipped with a dedicated heritage host who caters to every need.”

Aahana’s five pool villas in Corbett are always booked. “Over the years we have seen that our jungle villas have been performing really well, we see more and more families and friends traveling together as a group and that is why we came up with the concept of four bedrooms,” said Ayu Tripathi, director of Aahana - The Corbett Wilderness.

“We wanted to create a luxurious private space for families who wanted to travel together, enjoy all experiences within the resort yet have a private space with all facilities,” said Tripathi. “It has been only a few months since the launch (of pool villas). However, this has become the best-selling product within our premises.”

Besides hotels and resorts, holiday home rental companies like AirBnb and SaffronStays have invested in poolside properties. “As much as 80 per cent of our inventory has swimming pools. In fact, this figure rises to 95 per cent in Maharashtra, Goa and such warm destinations,” says Devendra Parulekar founder of SaffronStays, which owns a network of private villas and holiday homes.

“Families and friends love to book private villas with pools, as the pool becomes a center of gravity for the entire group to have fun and games. Some of our homes also welcome pets in the water bodies.”

Luxury hotels that have pool villas include the Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa in Goa, and the Leela Palace in Udaipur. Premium suites at the Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort in Greater Noida have pool villas that provide mini bars, wall-size televisions, private galleries, and jacuzzi.

The presidential pool villa at Rishikesh Resort and Spa in Uttarakhand is perched on a hillside and splits over two levels. It has three bedrooms, a “great room” with a combined living and dining area with gas fireplace, two sit-outs, a kitchenette, and a private ‘infinity’ pool. A roof-top patio treats villa occupants to a view of the Ganga and the mountains the villa has an outdoor sauna.

Rohit Chokkar, director of sales marketing at the Westin Resort & Spa Himalayas in Rishikesh says India’s richest book pool villas.
 

“It’s the high-net-worth individuals and ultra-high net-worth individuals who seek unparalleled luxury and personalised experiences. We also cater to celebrities who appreciate the exclusivity and refined ambiance of our villas. Additionally, we are a favoured choice for brides and grooms of wedding groups, providing a romantic and exquisite setting for their special day. Corporate leaders also choose our villas for their retreats and business engagements.” 

The Westin Resort & Spa’s main villa has a view of the Himalayan valley and a spa, open-air, temperature-controlled pool. Priced at Rs 2.5 lakh per room per night, guests can avail of butler service.

In you plan to spend your holidays at a pool villa, pick one that accommodates your group comfortably and has amenities to serve them.

Ramya Mishra, a travel writer who has been blogging for 20 years, says: "An individual should figure out their priorities and make a booking accordingly. Location and privacy play a key role; no one wants to be disturbed when they are having the me-time. Being a solo woman traveller, safety is a thing that is of paramount importance. I always check the safety measures put up by the resort.”

Look for villas that have safety measures in place such as pool gates or covered pools. Akshay D, a stock market analyst in Delhi, says that when he booked a pool villa in Rishikesh in March 2021 he ran into unwelcome guests—monkeys.  “They were aggressive and a big menace. They swam and drank water from our private pool all the time so that made the presidential villa pool useless.” 

Resort/ hotel	Price per night in Rs	Facilities
Aahana-The Corbett Wilderness, Jim Corbett park, Uttarakhand	1,32,000	4-bedroom property with temperature controlled pool, dedicated host

The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur 1,59,500 to 11,00,000

Luxury Kohinoor suite with 2 bedrooms, temperature-controlled pool

Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Goa 42,500 to 1,08,500 'Indulgence' two room villa with plunge pool. Presidential suite with private pool Taj Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 4,00,000 Villa with Pool Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort, Greater Noida 75,000 Premium suite Fateh Safari Suites, Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan 12,600 Suites with pools Westin Resort & Spa, Rishikesh 150,000  Villa with pool