Swim city: while Vegas is a desert town, water has made a significant impact on the city

Pool & Spa News, Nov 1, 2004 by Linda G. Green, Joshua Keim

This population explosion has inevitably caused a housing boom. Mirroring the trend on the Strip, many new homes in high-end developments are expensive and loaded with amenities, including fountains and pools. In 2003, city pool permits were up 54 percent from 10 years ago. The Los Angeles Times reported that some condominium complexes even have themes: A luxury condo project in the suburbs is modeled after the Grand Palace of Versailles in France.

In that way, residential Las Vegas stands as a great example of how the same ideas used for commercial themes can be used in residential settings. It also provides a lesson to the rest of the country that pool and spa professionals already know: Water, whether in the desert or not, has the power to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Top 10 Las Vegas resort pools

For pool builders, Las Vegas resorts can be a good source of inspiration. From lazy rivers to swim-up blackjack tables, you won't find most of these amenities in your average backyard pool--or at your average hotel, for that matter.

But which resorts have the coolest swimming holes? Here, Pool & Spa News rates Sin City's hot spots:

1 Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino

Bar none, the 11-acre beach compound at Mandalay Bay offers the Strip's most comprehensive pool package. Part waterpark, part tropical paradise, the hotel features a 1.6-million-gallon wave pool capable of generating 6-foot swells, a lazy river ride, three additional dipping pools, 24 private cabanas, nine bungalows--and a shark reef, to boot. At Mandalay's Moorea Beach Club, there's even a secluded topless pool and VIP area, which doubles as a nightclub. With its own performance stage jutting into the water, the wave pool plays host to the resort's Beach Concert Series during the summer season.

2 Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

In the hotel's own words, the 4.7-acre pool grounds at the Hard Rock are dedicated to the pursuit of "hedonism." An underwater sound system pipes everything from Motown to modern rock through the two Tahitian-style pools, making it the wildest pool party in town. Other amenities include 35 bamboo shacks, palm-shaded beaches, waterfalls, a babbling brook and swim-up blackjack tables under the Palapa Hut pool bar, which seems to float on the water. But before you go flashing the bartender, be warned: you might get caught by one of the hotel's four pool Web cams.

3 Bellagio Resort Hotel & Casino

Old World elegance and Italian villa charm distinguish the pool courtyard at Bellagio, the chicest megaresort in town. Set against a Mediterranean backdrop, it includes five outdoor pools and four spas, bordered by lush citrus and flower gardens. But the well-appointed cabana service sets the Bellagio apart. Each one comes complete with a private patio, plush lounge chairs, ceiling fans, a wet bar, misting system, cable television, complimentary fruit platters and more.

4 Tropicana Resort & Casino

The 12,000-square-foot main pool is the centerpiece of the Tropicana's Poolside Garden Oasis. Next to the swim-up blackjack tables, a sliding glass door partitions off the indoor pool for year-round enjoyment. Koi ponds and an 800-square-foot, adults-only lagoon surrounded by towering rocks, cascading waterfalls and 60 botanical varieties add to the island atmosphere.