How did we not already think of this? New York magazine once crashed hotel pools in Gotham, but now British lads--and you know it's the lads--are using Google Earth to find neighborhood pools worth infiltrating.
Says the Daily Mail:
The craze involves using the Google Earth programme, which provides high-quality aerial photos of Britain and other countries.
Once a target is chosen, the organisers use social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo to arrange to meet, say police.
Authorities worry that the trend is about to really catch on thanks to a combo of warmer weather and vacant houses, as Brits go on summer holidays. Time for us to get a Bebo account!
Ever stayed at a resort, enjoyed your breakfast, then wandered down for a day poolside only to discover that a bunch of other tourists have "saved" all the good spots by creeping down at dawn and leaving their towels there?
We have, and we hate it. But not as much as one British guy who recently got his revenge. At Viana Marina, a resort on the Italian Riviera, the bus driver for a group of Welsh tourists decided that his poor customers had complained one too many times about the early morning towel layers. He collected up every towel from every sunbed--which he claims, fitting the stereotype, were all left there by German tourists--and burnt them in a beach bonfire. Perhaps it's a good thing the Germans are creating their own exclusive Italian resort where such behavior will probably be greeted with smiles rather than smoke.
The London Fields Lido closed in the '80s, but after a major renovation it's been brought back to life as the only heated Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool in London. The project isn't 100% complete--a seasonal roof for winter swimming is in the works--but the pool is open for business. It's heated to a comfortable 77 degrees fahrenheit.
Access is £3 ($5.72) for adults, and the colorful lockers seen above are available for a single-use fee of £.20. Until November 19, weekends are reserved for general swimming only, while weekday hours are as follows: adult lane swimming from 7:15 am until 9:30 am, and general swimming from 10:00 am until 4:15 pm. After that, and until December 17, Tuesdays and Thursdays are also general swimming only, with hours reduced from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (with lane hours set for 8:30 am-9:30am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).
A sunbathing terrace is available, but you probably won't be able to make good use of it until summer. If your hotel in London doesn't have a pool, this is your best shot at showing off that bathing suit bod to a crowd.
Boston Globe freelance travel writer Steve Friess, along with a discriminating judge, has sucessfully graded most of the major pools in Vegas. Sure, we guess most people don't go there for the swimming, but it's still a place where you'll spend a lot of time recovering from the night before.
His discriminating judge was his 14-year-old mentee "whose eyes sparkle when he sees a fountain at the mall." The two set out to grade pools on an A to F scale.
The criteria:
Mostly, we asked ourselves: Is the pool innovative? Does it fit the hotel's theme? Is it any deeper than the typical 3-to-4 feet of most of its rivals? Is it clean? Is the layout logical or clever? Does it invite us to jump in? Do the lifeguards appear to be paying attention?
The winner: The Flamingo, an A+. Its network of waterslides, waterfall and live flamingos and penguins nearby seem to work.
The loser, ironically, was the Venetian, with an F. Apparently three ordinary shadeless rectangles just doesn't cut it.
Many of the larger resorts scored in the middle range. The Mandalay Bay also scored an A+, for its beach-like features.
If you're the type that must have a hotel with a pool, check out some of the world's best pools, broken down into helpful categories for you by the folks at DailyCandy.
Best View: Perivolas - Santorini, "a minimalist chic infinity pool perched on an Aegean cliff. Views include white-washed villages, bougainvillea, and a submerged volcano." Not too shabby.
Best Special Effects - Hotel Unique in Sao Paolo. Apparently this rooftop deal is dyed a rich crimson. um, gross.
Cheapest Thrill: Hotel QT in NYC, this lobby pool is 10 x 15 ft. and the bar is right behind it. (Note: some of us have been here, it certainly doesn't seem so small after a few drinks...and perks abound...you can sort of hear the music underwater)
Best Overall: Aminkila, Bali. (above) With a breathtaking three-tier inifinity set-up facing the Indonesian Sea we aren't going to argue.
