My Favorite Spas & Pools Around the World (A Running List)
If you've followed me for a while, you know I split my time between two worlds: helping mission-driven brands and entrepreneurs build out their personal brand through The Dean's List Brand House, and chasing the best spas, pools, and stays across the globe as a travel and lifestyle content creator. I got my start in broadcast journalism at places like CNN, CBS, Fox, and Ryan Seacrest Studios, and these days I get to do partnership and promo work with properties, Airbnbs, and hotels all over the world, sharing the spots that are actually worth your time (and your points).
My very first influencer trip ever was with W Costa Rica, and it completely changed the direction of my career. I still pinch myself that "creating content at beautiful properties around the world" became an actual job. Since then I've been lucky enough to soak in hot springs in Charlotte, plunge into hammams in Marrakesh, and float in an infinity pool 57 floors above Singapore.
That trip is also what led me to start Dean's List Destinations, small-group international trips I personally lead a few times a year. I took my first group to Bali in 2024, then Morocco in 2025, then Kenya in 2026, and I'm so excited to announce Japan next, March 2027. These trips are so much more than a vacation. I've watched women come on these trips and leave with an entirely new perspective on their lives, their confidence, and what's possible for them. Every trip also includes a mini, optional social media workshop where I teach the group how to shoot better travel photos and videos on just their iPhones and turn them into scroll-stopping reels, no fancy camera or editing experience required. If you've ever wanted to travel somewhere life-changing with a group of women who get it, this is your sign. Grab your spot for Japan here.
This is a running list of my favorite spas and pools around the world, in no particular order, including a couple of stops from past Dean's List Destinations trips. I add to it every time I find somewhere new worth sharing, so bookmark this page and check back before your next trip.
1. Sunday Hot Springs — Charlotte, NC, USA 🇺🇸
Instagram: @sundayhotsprings | sundayhotsprings.com | Use code MERENATOR for 10% off
Going local first with Charlotte's own contrast-therapy bathhouse, housed in a beautifully restored historic building in South End. Think a 195-210°F Finnish-style sauna, a eucalyptus-infused herbal steam room, a bracing 45-55°F polar plunge, a neutral soak pool, and a kombucha bar and lounge to unwind in after. Sessions are appointment-only and capped at 30 guests, so it never feels crowded. This is my go-to for a solo reset or a slow hang with girlfriends.
2. Riad 191 — Marrakesh, Morocco 🇲🇦
Instagram: @riad191marrakech
A stop from our 2025 Dean's List Destinations trip to Morocco. A private paradise tucked in the heart of the medina, just a 10-minute walk from Ben Youssef Madrasa and the Marrakech Museum. ★5.0 rated with 6 bedrooms, 6 beds, and 6 baths, plus a calm courtyard swimming pool and barbecue grills for al fresco nights. Fireplaces and A/C in every room. It's the whole private-villa experience without leaving the old city walls.
3. Strøm Spa Nordique — Québec, Canada 🇨🇦
Instagram: @stromspa | stromspa.com
Perched on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Old Québec, this might be the most beautiful spa I've ever stepped foot in. North America's largest flotation bath (Epsom salt, candlelit, meditative), an infinity pool for quiet contemplation, a marble steam bath, Finnish saunas, and Nordic waterfalls, all inside a building where heritage architecture meets the river's edge.
4. St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort — Abu Dhabi, UAE 🇦🇪
Instagram: @stregissaadiyatisland
A private beach on the cerulean Arabian Gulf, right next to the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and minutes from the Cultural District. The St. Regis Spa, a luxury indoor lap pool, three outdoor pools, and round-the-clock Butler service make this one of the most relaxing stays in the Gulf.
5. Maasai Mara Serena Lodge — Kenya 🇰🇪
Instagram: @serenahotels
A stop from our 2026 Dean's List Destinations trip to Kenya. The only permanent lodge inside the Mara Triangle, built into a hillside with sweeping views over the savannah and the Mara River. The circular architecture is inspired by a traditional Maasai manyatta. Sundowners at Lookout Hill, a heated pool with wildlife views, and front-row access to the Great Migration when it's in season, this one still takes my breath away thinking about it.
6. Hürlimannbad & Spa — Zürich, Switzerland 🇨🇭
Instagram: @huerlimannbad | aquaspa.ch/de/huerlimannbad-zuerich
A thermal bath built inside the century-old vaults of a former brewery in Zürich's Enge district. The thermal water comes straight from the city's own Aqui spring, and I highly recommend doing the full 10-step Roman-Irish spa circuit. Don't skip the rooftop infinity pool, it looks straight out over the city skyline to the Alps.
7. AYANA Resort Bali — Jimbaran Bay, Bali, Indonesia 🇮🇩
Instagram: @ayanaresort
A stop from our very first Dean's List Destinations trip, Bali 2024. 220 acres on a clifftop over Jimbaran Bay with 12+ pools across the property, including the iconic clifftop infinity pool that connects via funicular to the world-famous Rock Bar. AYANA Spa also holds the largest Thalassotherapy (seawater) pool in Southeast Asia. This is a full-day destination, not just a hotel stay, budget a whole afternoon for it.
8. Staybridge Suites by IHG — Beirut, Lebanon 🇱🇧
Instagram: @staybridgesuitesbeirut
A sleek, modern extended-stay hotel with unbelievable panoramic views over Beirut. The rooftop outdoor pool is the move here, just steps from Hamra Street and the sea-front promenade, with happy hour twice a week for guests.
9. Marina Bay Sands — Singapore 🇸🇬
Instagram: @marinabaysands | marinabaysands.com
The most photographed pool on Earth, and for good reason. A 150-meter infinity pool on the 57th-floor SkyPark, the world's largest rooftop infinity pool, with the entire Singapore skyline as your backdrop. Access is hotel-guests-only via keycard, so it's worth booking a night just for this view.
10. W Hotel Reserva Conchal — Costa Rica 🇨🇷
Instagram: @wcostarica
This one is personal. W Costa Rica was my very first influencer trip, the property that kicked off this whole chapter of my career. Set right on Costa Rica's North-Pacific Riviera, it's bold by design, with a stunning Pacific coastline setting, mangroves nearby, and the brand's signature playful, design-forward energy. I'll always have a soft spot for this one.
11. The Head Spa Sanctuary — Huntersville, NC, USA 🇺🇸
Instagram: @theheadspasanctuary | theheadspasanctuary.com
Charlotte's only Yumé-certified Japanese head spa, tucked inside the historic Samuel Younts House. It blends scalp analysis, deep-cleansing rituals, and steaming with a full-service luxury spa menu, think facials, massage, and multi-hands treatments. The relaxation lounge alone (robes, fuzzy socks, champagne) is worth the visit.
12. Hotel Casa La Factoria — Cartagena, Colombia 🇨🇴
Instagram: @casalafactoria
A restored colonial house inside Cartagena's walled city, just steps from Plaza de Santo Domingo. Double pools, a jacuzzi, and intimate courtyard spaces make this one of the most photogenic boutique stays I've found in the city, perfect for couples or a small-group girls' trip.
13. ParkRoyal Collection Pickering — Singapore 🇸🇬
Instagram: @parkroyalcollectionpickering
Singapore's first hotel-in-a-garden concept. Terraced sky gardens and lush greenery wrap the entire building, earning it the nickname "a building that breathes." A jungle oasis in the middle of the CBD, unlike anywhere else I've stayed.
14. FIVE Palm Jumeirah — Dubai, UAE 🇦🇪
Instagram: @fivepalmjumeirah
Ranked Dubai's #1 hotel, and it shows the second you walk onto the pool deck. 468 rooms with Arabian Gulf views and multiple beach clubs and pool concepts under one roof (Bohemia, Praia, Jade). It's the kind of party-pool energy that makes for the best content of your entire trip.
15. The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte — Uptown Charlotte, NC, USA 🇺🇸
Instagram: @ritzcarltoncharlotte
Home to the Queen City's only Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Spa. A sleek Uptown high-rise with five-star luxury and local Charlotte charm, this is my go-to when I want a spa day without leaving home.
16. Le Bain Bleu: Hammam Spa — Marrakesh, Morocco 🇲🇦
Instagram: @lebainbleu_marrakech | lebainbleu.com
A solar-heated hammam in the Mouassine district of the medina, all of its water is heated by clean energy from onsite solar panels. The ritual: full-body exfoliation, argan oil massage, and rose, marjoram, and verbena steam, finished with mint tea and pastries in the solarium. Eco-luxury before eco-luxury was a marketing term.
17. Baoase Luxury Resort — Willemstad, Curaçao 🇨🇼
A boutique, adults-focused resort tucked into a private cove just outside Willemstad, where Curaçao's turquoise water meets thatched-roof villas and private plunge pools. The kind of intimate, romantic luxury property that feels worlds away even though it's a short flight from the US. Only a handful of suites and villas on-site, so it stays quiet and personal.
That's the List (For Now)
This is just a small list so far, my favorite spas and pools from six continents, and I'm nowhere near done exploring. I'll keep adding to this page every time I find somewhere new worth sharing, so this is officially a running list, not a finished one. As a Charlotte-based travel and lifestyle content creator, I get to do this for a living: partnering with hotels, resorts, and Airbnbs around the world to create content that actually helps you plan your next trip, not just scroll past it. If you're a property owner or brand interested in working together, or if you just want more travel content like this, come find me on Instagram @merenator or head to The Dean's List Brand House to see everything else I do.
But honestly, my favorite part of all of this isn't the solo trips, it's getting to bring other people along. That's exactly why I started Dean's List Destinations. We've done Bali, Morocco, and Kenya so far, and each trip has been full of women who came for the itinerary and left with a completely shifted perspective on their lives. Next up is Japan in March 2027, and I would love for you to be there. You'll get the full trip experience plus that optional mini social media workshop where I'll teach you how to shoot and edit great travel reels and photos, all from your phone, so you come home with content you're actually proud of, not just a camera roll of blurry photos.
👉 See the full Japan itinerary and reserve your spot
Which spa or pool is going on your list first? And more importantly, will I see you in Japan? Let me know in the comments.