Splashback: Some of the world's best swimming pools

As hotels increasingly look to make their spa and pool areas an integral part of their offering the pool has come along way from the lap pools that once sufficed for many. Here are a few inspirational spots around the world to go for a paddle...

La Bandita, Tuscany, Italy










Feel as if you're going to fall of the edge of a mountain in this stunning infinity pool on a Tuscan hillside. The surrounding countryside is dappled with vines and fruit groves and marked out as an UNESCO area of outstanding natural beauty, only adding to the experience. Accommodation is provided in a traditional Tuscan farmhouse that has been rebuilt by former Sony executive John Voightman in a thoroughly contemporary fashion – with a bit of help from architects and exhibition designers from some of Florence's top galleries.

http://www.la-bandita.com/index.php?id=home


The Peninsula, New York, USA














Swim amongst the skyscrapers at one of New York's favourite rooftop pool. Then gaze down through the glass walls on the mayhem of Manhattan from a lounger, or from the hotel's sun deck. An added bonus is the stunning Espa spa that has recently opened at the hotel.


The Conrad Hotel, Tokyo, Japan







The top-floor pool at the state-of-the art Conrad Tokyo offers vistas across the Tokyo sky towards the neon of Ginza. The glass skyscrapers of the surrounding business and media district give a space-age feel to the experience. After your swim reward yourself with a massage in the Conrad's impressive Mizuki spa or a meal in China Blue, the hotel's Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant, or Gordon Ramsay's Tokyo flagship, which are also located at Conrad Tokyo.

http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/hotels/index.do?ctyhocn=TYOCICI