By Mariette Williams
When the sun shines brightest and when temps begin to rise, few things beat the heat like hanging poolside with a cold cocktail and your favorite pair of sunnies.
Hotel pools are ideal for a poolside daycation and can also be enjoyed during an overnight stay. These days, pool access also comes with a ton of amenities: elevated food offerings, live music, and swanky cabanas to name a few. If you’re looking for ways to stay cool this summer, beeline to one of Water Street Tampa’s hottest hotel pools (and thank us later).
ROOST Tampa
ROOST Tampa is a sleek, contemporary apartment hotel that combines the best features of a hotel stay with apartment living. Opened in the summer of 2022 and located inside Asher (which offers apartment homes from studios to two-bedrooms). The hotel is geared towards long-term stays and comes with a ton of resort-style amenities. Social butterflies will flock to the hotel’s host of special events scheduled each week (think sip and paint gatherings, cooking classes, and poker nights), but if you’d like a few moments of solitude, there are quiet coworking spaces and lending libraries located throughout the property.
The highlight of the hotel is the gorgeous 7th-floor pool deck, which the hotel has nicknamed Heaven on 7. “We have the largest amenity deck in the district which features a pool with sun shelf, jacuzzi, and cabanas,” says Eli Kostbar, General Manager of ROOST Tampa. “Part of the poolside experience also includes lifestyle concierges who are available to assist with poolside towel service, loungers, umbrellas, and cabanas.”
The hotel’s expansive amenity floor also includes an indoor and outdoor fitness center, recreation lawn, and communal barbecues. The pool has some of the best views of downtown Tampa, and though pool access is reserved for overnight guests, we can think of no better way of breaking up the summer doldrums than booking a stay at ROOST for a few days.
Tampa Marriott Water Street
Located on Tampa’s waterfront, the Tampa Marriott Water Street is an updated, contemporary hotel with a soothing, nautical theme throughout the guest rooms and shared spaces. If you decide on an overnight stay, you can look forward to dining at an array of food and beverage outposts that range from seafood and steaks at Anchor and Brine to lobster quesadillas and shrimp tacos at Lona.
However, one of the hotel’s biggest draws is its stylish rooftop pool. “The pool deck is a fun and relaxing space,” says Erica Tortora, Director of Marketing at both the Tampa Marriott Water Street and the neighboring JW Marriott Tampa Water Street. “We have a beautiful rooftop pool with upscale cabanas, savory food offerings, and refreshing beverages.”
Between rounds of corn hole or foosball, order grilled burgers and salads from the Pool Bar & Grill or enjoy the panoramic views with a cocktail in hand. If you want to enjoy the pool for the day, the hotel also offers day passes where cabana and daybed rentals come with complimentary fruit and water.
JW Marriott Tampa Water Street
The JW Marriott Tampa Water Street arrived on the scene in 2021, and visitors have since lined up for the hotel’s sophisticated ambiance and array of outdoor entertainment spaces. The luxe property is connected to the Tampa Marriott Water Street hotel by skybridge and has six dining options, a 24-hour fitness studio, and a 27th-floor rooftop lounge—the highest rooftop lounge in Tampa. The hotel also hosts exciting seasonal activities like lawn games, movie nights, and live entertainment.
If you’re here to hang by the pool, you won’t be disappointed—the property boasts two outdoor heated pools located on the sixth floor. “Our two resort-style pools come with an expansive sun terrace, poolside cabanas, and a full-service restaurant overlooking the pool and Bayfront,” says Totora. “Guests staying on the property can also enjoy complimentary wellness and fitness classes on the event lawn adjacent to the pool deck.”
Pool access also includes food and beverage service from SiX, the indoor-outdoor restaurant with local grilled grouper and housemade Cuban sandwiches on the menu. The hotel welcomes day visitors where cabana rentals include a dedicated server for any poolside drink requests.
THE TAMPA EDITION
Since it opened in the fall of 2022, The Tampa EDITION has elevated the hotel scene in downtown Tampa. The city’s first five-star hotel is heavy on amenities with six restaurant and bar options, a serene spa with innovative services (organic CBD massage anyone?), and a sprawling gym with Peloton bikes. The hotel’s clean aesthetic is complemented by bold design details like the lobby’s travertine pool table lined with yellow felt and the hotel’s infamous curved white marble staircase—a trademark of EDITION hotels.
But let’s get to the reason why you’re here: the hotel’s 9th-floor, show-stopping outdoor pool (pictured on previous page), ringed with vibrant pink bougainvillea flowers, Japanese blueberry trees, and cabanas draped in gauzy white curtains, inviting guests to relax.
“The pool at The Tampa EDITION is the premier destination for a relaxing poolside retreat featuring delicious bites, refreshing cocktails, and panoramic views over downtown Tampa,” says Christine Judson, the hotel’s Director of Sales and Marketing. “On weekends, the tropical oasis transforms into an electrifying evening cocktail lounge with top DJs spinning the night away.”
During the day, try some of the small plates offered by The Pool Bar, like their Greek salad or grilled branzino sandwiches. If you’re here for the day (and feeling generous), opt for a poolside cabana with a dedicated server where you might just go for a pitcher of Tampa Lemondrop—a refreshing mix of Ketel One, limoncello, and ginger—which can serve you and up to five of your closest friends.
Whether you’re trying one or trying them all, Water Street Tampa’s pools and summertime amenities make living easy.