World’s Most Expensive Swimming Pools

Posted By Peita Otterbachon May 28, 2015

They are beyond anything that we could imagine. Pools enormous in size, displaying luxury at the extreme level and outrageous in concept and design. They’re the world’s most expensive pools. Let’s take a dream look at some of them.

Hearst Castle, San Simeon California

City of Stars, Sharm El Sheikh - $5.5 billion

Still under construction in Egypt, The City of Stars measures an impressive 21 acres, constructed by Crystal Lagoons. This astonishing pool is going to be filled and treated with sea water. To give you an example of its massive size, the pool is big enough to sail a yacht.

Seagaia Ocean Dome, Miyazaki, Japan - $2 billion

This is the world’s largest Polynesia themed indoor pool. It’s owned by the Sheraton group, and is three hundred meters in length and one hundred meters in width. It features an artificial wave pool, waterslide area, children’s pool and an artificial volcano.

Hearst Castle, San Simeon California - $10 million

This was owned by William Randolph Hearst, the great American newspaper
magnate of the 1930’s. The castle features two magnificent pools; the outdoor Neptune pool and the Roman indoor pool. These two pools were created between 1924 and 1936, so the price tag in today’s figures would be enormous. The two pools resemble lavish Roman baths. Priceless marble and mosaic tiles were used in the construction and feature statues created by Italian master craftsmen.

Nemo 33, Brussels, Belgium - $3 million

It’s the deepest scuba diving indoor pool in the world. Located in Brussels, Nemo 33 has a maximum depth of 133 ft. It’s filled with 2,787,878 million litres of highly filtered, non chlorinated spring water and maintains a constant water temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. It took seven years to construct and has plenty of underwater tunnels and rooms to explore. If you’re a certified diver you can dive in the world’s deepest indoor pool by paying a nominal fee. The pool also offers diving classes to non divers.

Kitchukov Family Pool Arizona - $1 million

Regarded as the most luxurious pool in America, it took 5 months to complete. It’s surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens and features a 15 ft. waterslide, a stunning waterfall grotto and many exquisite fountains. It has Screen Logic control which allows the family members to manage the pool’s Jacuzzi, lighting and temperature from any part of the world via the internet.

Sarojin Resort, Phuket, Thailand - $1 million

This is one of the most luxurious and probably the most expensive hotel pools in the world. It opened its doors in 2004 and had to undergo major renovation work after the devastating tsunami of 2005. The stunning infinity pool measures 269 square meters and provides amazing views of the Indian Ocean. There is a floating pavilion where you can opt for a relaxing and invigorating massage by trained masseurs.

Nice to dream of such luxuries, but when you need reality, talk to the team at Albatross Pools. They can create pools to suit your budget and your own world of luxury. For pool design inspiration, browse the Pool Gallery >

Extraordinary Pools that are Definitely Out of the Ordinary

Posted By Peita Otterbachon May 20, 2015

It’s time to let your imagination run wild and dream of those pools that are really out of this world. To help you on your way, we’ve chosen a few that we think are just the ticket.

Hanging Gardens Hotel Ubud

Intercontinental Hong Kong

The backdrop is the dramatic Hong Kong skyline. The hotel is brimming with luxury elements overlooking Victor Harbour. Three pools are set atop the third floor spa deck. They are all set at different temperatures – cold, warm and hot. Just like the three little bears, you get to choose the water that’s just right as you soak up the amazing view.

San Anfonso Del Mar, Chile

It’s the largest swimming pool in the world measuring 3,000 feet in length and has a deep end that descends 115 feet. The pool interior is lined with the same Aqualux PVC membrane used in all Albatross Pools. Sitting at the magnificent seaside hotel it took 5 years to build and cost $1.6 billion. It has an annual maintenance bill of $3.2 million and contains more than 66 million gallons of water. The pool keeps a constant flow of fresh seawater into the pool and old water back out to the sea, using a filtration system to desalinate the seawater before it goes into the pool and clean the pool water before it goes back to the ocean.

Golden Nugget, Nevada Los Vegas

It probably goes down as the scariest of pools because it gives you the feeling of swimming with sharks. The pool wraps around a massive tank of marine life that cost around $30 million to build and includes a three tiered water slide that runs through the centre of the tank. However, don’t panic as there’s sheer glass between you and the sharks. It really is an amazing pool, but you’re in Vegas and anything can be astounding.

Rangali Island, the Maldives

Positioned as if on the edge of the Indian Ocean, is this brilliant infinity pool. It belongs to the Conrad Maldives Resort and Spa and is designed to dissolve the edges of the pool and make you feel like you’re floating on the ocean itself.

Ubud Hanging Gardens, Bali

It’s here that swimmers get to make two amazing choices. You can overlook the valley from the swimming pool way up on high, or emerge yourself into the lower pool among the terraced gardens. Either way it’s an extraordinary swimming pool experience.

Uhmaid Bhawan Palace Zodiac Pool

When this stunning palace in northern India was finished in 1943, it was the largest residence in the world with 347 rooms. Later, part of the palace was commissioned into a lavish hotel. For those guests who are lucky enough to stay, they had access to the majestic Zodiac pool. The pool itself is situated deep beneath the palace and is covered in gold leaves with the twelve signs of the zodiac painted on the pool floor.

It’s wonderful to dream big. Whether it’s on a grand scale or something more modest, it’s good to talk to the team at Albatross Pools. Because they know how to turn your vision into reality.

Pool Trends 2015

Posted By Peita Otterbachon May 12, 2015

It’s pool time. It’s the moment when you’re weighing up your options on putting in the pool. What style? What look? What is functional? What’s different? Well, here are a few ideas that might help. They’re the real trends in pools this year.

Burwood Pool Desgin

More Water Features

Pool waterfalls and water fountains are turning up in modern pools with adjustable water flow and height settings. Popular requests include fountain bubblers, water sources and even grottos behind waterfalls.

A water feature depends on your taste and pool size, but you’ll find something for everyone, from sheer waterfalls for entertainment to spraying jets for the kids. Many home owners also install fancy features with LED lighting to create that extra bit of magic and drama.

Geometric Shapes and Water Features Overflow

Geometric is making a big comeback and it’s due to the terrific features that a builder can add. Things like using lighting with water and using the extra space for custom built-ins, like shallow entries, waterfalls and sun-tanning ledges. The brilliant visual display of overflow water cascading over the ledges, waterfalls or fountains and underwater illumination can create a great visual picture. The thing about geometric inground pools is that they generally fit the traditional backyard space better than many of the more complicated designs.

Wading Area Pool with Ledges

Their popularity is growing. Wading area pools are where one or more of the pool’s sides are designed with shallow entry zones, allowing swimmers to enter the water slowly. They’re sometimes chosen by pool owners to accommodate the kids, the elderly or disabled. It’s also a great invitation for sun-seekers and provides an extremely pleasant lounge space on those hot summer days. Albatross Pools can design your wading area pool to optimise water circulation, thereby eliminating the build-up of algae. If you’re considering adding this to your pool design, you’ll definitely need extra space in the yard and budget to accommodate it.

If you want to know more about what the latest trends in pool designs are this year, contact us at Albatross Pools because we’ve got our finger on the pulse.

Inground Pools Designed to Make A Real Statement

Posted By Peita Otterbachon May 4, 2015

They really can create quite an impression. Inground pools can be bold in design, aesthetically pleasing and incredibly functional. Ultimately the swimming pool design you choose should be based on your needs and purpose. For instance, if you intend to use your new pool for lazing and leisure (with a little exercise thrown in for good measure!) a kidney shaped pool will probably be the best choice. If swimming laps and a dedicated exercise regime is more your thing, then a rectangular Olympic pool is our recommendation.

Inground Pool Design

There are so many exciting and dramatic design options for inground pools. Here are just a few that will get you thinking.

L Shaped Pools: An L shaped pool consists of two rectangular pools, joined at a right angle. This allows for a clear definition of the deep and the shallow end of the pool.

Kidney Shaped Pools: Kidney shaped inground pools are actually oval pools, but with an indented side. These pools are extremely popular with homeowners as they fit easily into nearly any backyard shape and make allowances for a fantastic entertainment space.

Wading area pool: If you would like a pool with a casual entry area we recommend designing your pool with a very large wading area. This would offer you a shallow zone which is great for sunbathing and a safety zone for kids and the elderly where the water is naturally warmer. This option is a great alternative to those thinking of building a pool with a ‘beach entry’ which can be prone to algae due to poor water circulation. With our wading area design you can incorporate a large area for a comfort seat before stepping down into the main swimming area of the pool.

Roman End Pools: these are classical pools with generous proportions. They usually have curved edges and one end of the pool typically has steps leading down into the pool.

Olympic Pools: one of the more traditional style pools available, these are oversized pools in a typically rectangular shape. These pools are mainly for anyone that enjoys exercise or loves sport.

Another factor to take into consideration when designing your inground pool is maintenance. When your pool is well maintained it can enhance the appearance of your home. However, if neglected, it could easily become a bit of any eyesore, as well as a place where bugs call home. When planning your pool, you’ll need to realize that you will need to keep up with the necessary maintenance. The other consideration is when installing your pool, size up the outdoor area. The kind of ingound pool that you install depends on how much space you have available and the dimensions of the space. Some inground pools require a lot, others not so much.

If you’re looking to make a real statement with your inground pool, we can show you how to achieve it at Albatross Pools. Our pool display centres have some superb examples on show that will give you plenty of inspirational ideas. Just come in and have a look around and talk to our friendly staff and they’ll provide you with all the information you need on how to go about installing the perfect inground pool.