Azul at Westin Austin Downtown
Locals and guests alike can keep cool in one of the hottest spots in Austin — Azul, the city’s highest rooftop pool bar and lounge. Westin Austin Downtown’s recently revamped rooftop hangout, designed by HKS Architect and Simeone Deary Design Group, marries stunning skyline views, innovative poolside sips (think spicy blood orange ancho margaritas on draft, elevated cocktails and edible libations) and bites, bowls and bentos made for snacking beneath the sun. Transparent panels surround the sleek, modern pool deck, affording 180-degree views of downtown Austin while 10 chic cabanas provide shady spots to chill and nine fire pits keep things hot after the sun goes down. Guests and locals alike can cool off on steamy days and party poolside by night at this high-rise hotspot in the heart of Austin — the bar and pool are free and open to the public from 2 to 11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, and from noon to 11 p.m. on Sundays.
www.westinaustindowntown.com/austin-rooftop-pool
The St. Anthony’s Rooftop Pool
High above the bustle of San Antonio’s Riverbend area, just three blocks from the Alamo and River Walk, St. Anthony Hotel’s rooftop pool is a sun-seeker’s sanctuary. Overland Partners designed the modern rooftop pool surrounded by an Ipe deck and flanked by luxury cabanas, plush loungers and an expansive pool bar. Located on the sixth floor of the recently renovated luxury hotel, a designated national landmark, hotel guests can seek relief from late summer’s swelter in the zero-entry pool while taking in uninterrupted views of the city through transparent walls that wrap the deck, relaxing beneath the shade of a private cabana and refueling with a Tito’s-infused St. Anthony Breeze or chicken Caesar salad off the specialty poolside menu.
www.thestanthonyhotel.com
JW Marriott Austin
Perched above some of downtown Austin’s most iconic landmarks spanning Congress Avenue, the State Capitol to the north and Lady Bird Lake and Zilker Park to the south, the JW Marriott Austin’s rooftop pool and amenity deck offers a prime spot to chill out. The design inspiration for this aerial oasis, orchestrated by Simeone Deary Design Group which was responsible for the design of the entire hotel and adjoining Spa by JW, was to create an architectural extension to the existing pool deck. The 5,000-square-foot space boasts dramatic fire pits, serene water features, an organically patterned “green” wall, cozy lounge seating, posh poolside cabanas and a 15-foot bar comprised of a warm grey concrete base and hand-painted ceramic tile backsplash. You don’t have to be a guest to enjoy this poolside paradise — locals can get cool in the Texas-embossed pool by reserving a private cabana or booking a signature treatment at the Spa by JW just steps away. Or soak in the scene sans swim at Edge, the poolside restaurant and bar, which is open to the public from 5 to 10 p.m.
www.jwmarriottaustin.com/downtown-austin-hotel/cabanas
Mokara
When triple digits loom, retreat to the eighth floor of the Mokara Hotel and Spa where you’ll find a serene urban oasis in the heart of downtown San Antonio. The luxury boutique hotel’s rooftop pool is hemmed in by a masonry stone pool deck where you can plop down on a plush wicker chaise lounge and enjoy a breathtaking bird’s eye view of San Antonio’s surrounding architecture. Guests keep cool in this rooftop watering hole while indulging in savory and sweet menu options from the Rooftop Café and unwinding with a refreshing summertime sip such as a cranberry mint margarita or sweet tea mojito. For next-level relaxation, book a post-pool treatment at the hotel’s 17,000-square-foot Mokara Spa — San Antonio’s only Forbes Four-Star spa.
www.omnihotels.com/hotels/san-antonio-mokara
W Austin’s WET Deck
Summer’s undeniably hot in Austin — and it gets even steamier on W Austin’s WET Deck that towers above downtown’s stylish 2nd Street District. For a wet and wild time, visit during the rock-n-roll hotel’s popular weekend pool parties, or come mid-week to enjoy a quieter dip and boozy sip at this infinity edge rooftop pool boasting full cocktail service, plenty of lounge areas and stunning skyline views of downtown to the east and west. Designed by Andersson-Wise Architects with interiors by Heather Vockins, W Austin’s rooftop deck features six intimate poolside cabanas, one large poolside cabana, six poolside kasbahs with private televisions, lush landscaping, Ipe walls, fireplaces and inviting lounge seating. No worries if you’re not staying at the hotel –– you can still enjoy a pool day Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. with a Wet Deck Day Pass ($15), come for happy hour and night swim weekdays after 5 p.m. (complimentary), or melt stress away at the connecting AWAY Spa and stick around post-treatment (Texas residents get 30 percent off spa treatments Monday-Thursday).
www.whotelaustin.com/austin-wet