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Hotel pools in the city: Dive in without checking in

JULY 15, 2008

Staying cool: Hotel pools without the travel hassle
Sidewalk-frying temperatures have you daydreaming of an icy drink and an afternoon dip, and you don't happen to have a shimmering sapphire oasis on your building's rooftop. A yearly membership or a day rate at some of the city's chicest hotels can get you access to the poolside experience of your international-traveler fantasies and still get you home for dinner.

Featured on Sex and the City and looking pretty much like an episode of it—with more small children—the super-exclusive cool spot on the roof of the Soho House boutique hotel is open year-round and views of the Hudson are sweet. Membership will set you back around $1600 a year plus a registration fee—if you can get past the allegedly picky waiting list. Downtown competitor Hotel Gansevoort offers a similar scene—fund managers, lounge lizards and tan Europeans—but there's no membership hurdle. As long as you pay the $250 day rate (Monday–Friday only), you're in the water. Le Parker Meridien on the Upper East Side may be a better deal. This penthouse pool with spectacular views of Central Park is yours for a $50 all-day pool pass.