UNITED STATES – Ms Michele Heisler, 61, is an avid swimmer, putting in 45 minutes three times a week in a local 23m-long pool. But swimming while travelling can be challenging.

“Most hotel pools are too tiny or too crowded,” she said.

Then, while planning a trip to Chicago, Ms Heisler – from Ann Arbor, Michigan – came across a photo of the hotel pool of her dreams.

At the InterContinental Hotel, the almost 25m-long pool, built in 1929, is one of the oldest in Chicago and is surrounded by Greek-inspired marble decoration.

“You feel like you’re swimming in an ancient Greek temple. It’s a magical experience,” said Ms Heisler, who has stayed at the InterContinental four times in the last 10 years because of the pool.

Even at a resort, swimming laps often means having to negotiate odd, and often short, lengths while keeping an eye out for cannonballing children in water. Finding a hotel pool that is large enough for lap swimming in a big city is even more daunting. But they exist.

Here are six hotel pools that are at least 22m long and provide ample space for lap swimming. Some are open to visitors who are not spending the night. Most are open all day, but early-morning hours will provide the best lap swim experience, say hotel representatives.

InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile

The setting: The south tower of the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile hotel was originally a private athletic club, whose pool hosted Olympic swimmer and American actor Johnny Weissmuller, who broke records at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics.

The pool, on the hotel’s 14th floor, is “an architectural marvel complete with spectator seating and turrets” decorated with Spanish Majolica tiles, said Mr Christopher Cawley, the hotel’s general manager. It has four swimming lanes. Lounge chairs surround the pool, and a newly renovated fitness centre is nearby.

Access: Non-guests can purchase a resort pass online to use the pool and fitness facilities through Resort Pass, a platform that partners hotels across the United States to offer day passes to access exclusive amenities. Prices vary depending on season. Currently, an adult day pass is US$40 (S$54).

 Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown

The setting: When the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown opened in 2016, in Lower Manhattan’s Tribeca section, it included this almost 25m-long indoor pool designed, like the rest of the hotel’s interiors, by the interior design firm Yabu Pushelberg.

The pool area features stone-clad columns, wood screens and a custom scratched-plaster finish on the walls to add to the soothing tranquillity of the space.

“If you close your eyes, you feel like you are transported to the French Riviera,” said Mr Thomas Carreras, the hotel’s general manager. He calls it a “sanctuary”. There is a mix of seating, from lounge chairs with plush white towels to comfortable love seats with oversize pillows.

The pool is on the hotel’s third floor, along with the fitness facility and the spa. There is one designated lap lane.

Access: The pool is open to hotel guests and members of Club 27, the hotel’s private wellness club.

W Miami

The setting: The W Miami is within the Icon Brickell complex and condominium development, which was built in 2008, in Miami’s Brickell neighbourhood; the W opened in 2016. Hotel guests and building residents have use of the complex’s outdoor pools, which include a reflection pool, a hot tub and a lap pool.

The lap pool, which overlooks Biscayne Bay and has an infinity edge, is 62m long, 12m longer than an Olympic-size pool, making it somewhat mind-bending for swimmers used to more standardised lengths.

The pools’ design is inspired by French designer Philippe Starck, whose firm is behind the design of the common areas and residences of the complex. It is intended to be a “whimsical urban-chic version of the Champs-Elysees”, with the pool working as the avenue instead of concrete, said the hotel’s director of marketing Arianna Calcaterra.

The pool is on a 0.8 ha resort-style pool deck. There are also lounge pools and cabanas, as well as a poolside restaurant serving food and beverages.

Access: The pool is managed by Icon Brickell, developer of the complex. Hotel guests have access along with residents of the complex.

Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans

The setting: Built in 2021, the 23m-long outdoor pool at the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans overlooks the Mississippi River, and the mosaic-lined pool has a slight crescent bend to mirror the curve of the river.

The pool, on the hotel’s fifth floor, is also a consistent 1.1m deep along its whole length and features underwater lighting and music. There are two designated lap lanes. It is surrounded by chaise longues, a separate hot tub and four cabanas that are available for daily rental. A fitness centre and spa are on the same floor. There is also a poolside bar serving cocktails and food.

Access: The pool is used by hotel guests and residents of the property.

Conrad Nashville

The setting: Built in June 2022, when the Conrad Nashville opened, this outdoor pool is almost 25m long and is on the hotel’s roof deck on the third floor.

As you swim, you can take in views of Tennessee’s capital and largest city, including Vanderbilt University, said the hotel’s general manager Eumi Koh. Food and beverages are available in the pool area from May to October, but the pool is open year-round. There are roughly 30 lounge chairs, all outfitted with umbrellas, along with day beds and dining tables and chairs. Three cabanas can be reserved. There are no lap lanes with ropes.

Access: The pool is for hotel guests only.

Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter

The setting: The almost 25m-long indoor pool, located on the ground floor of the Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter, which is in Covington, Kentucky, across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati, was renovated in 2020.

Windows the length of the pool provide natural lighting, so “you don’t feel like you’re swimming in a cave”, said Ms Shawnna Dunaway, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. “It’s very open and light.”

She said the pool is particularly appealing to the hotel’s many corporate guests, who “can have that full workout of a full-length pool”. There are also lounge chairs surrounding the pool and a fitness centre nearby. There are no lane dividers.

Access: Only hotel guests can use the pool. NYTIMES