Plain old swimming pools: so 2015! The pools of today require serious pizzazz. A splashy place where you chill, party, exercise -- and even belly up for a drink without ever setting foot on dry land.
Today's best residential aquatic playgrounds boast swim-up bars, which seamlessly bridge swimming and imbibing. The best of both worlds! From Florida to Southern California, and some non-coastal locales in Utah, Arizona, and Texas, we found nine stylish examples of the best of modern water-borne fun.
101 N. Atlantic Dr, Lantana, FL
Price: $4.5 million
Belly up: Behind this five-bedroom mansion in Palm Beach County, an infinity pool spills into the adjacent coastal waterway. There's also a dock big enough for a yacht to pull in, as well as a private beach. Kids can play in the pirate-ship playhouse, while the adults sip cocktails in the water. This fits squarely into the hallowed category of "something for everyone."
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3374 E. Vallejo Ct, Gilbert, AZ
Price: $1.39 million
Belly up: This six-bedroom property's two swimming pools channel the tropics with a palapa hut (hello, tiki bar!) and waterfalls. Sail down the water slide and then swim over to the bar for a drink. To escape the desert heat, you could also float down the lazy river, jump off the diving board, and play pool volleyball. Or not.
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21704 Canyon Heights Cir, Santa Clarita, CA
Price: $678,000
Belly up: The pool at this four-bedroom home evokes a spa setting with its artful landscaping, palapa umbrella, and water features. A fire pit and built-in BBQ mean you can easily pair your margaritas with some ribs, while seated on one of the bar's underwater stools.
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Price: $725,000
Belly up: This five-bedroom custom home features a backyard paradise. Imagine swimming through a grotto, diving off a board into the pool, slipping into the water on a slide, relaxing under a waterfall spilling off of rock formations or paddling over to the bar for a mojito. If you ever get out of the water, there's a sunken trampoline, fire pit, and built-in BBQ.
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6106 Olive Grove Ct, Humble, TX
Price: $599,900
Belly up: Behind this five-bedroom manse on a wooded lot is a laid-back tiki vibe -- with a palapa hut, trickling waterfall, and other features that reference Hawaii, not Houston. Kick your legs over to the bar, which is attached to the spacious palapa hut and large enough to house a mobile kitchen (and could easily plate food for the gang).
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16568 Fox Glen Rd, Riverside, CA
Price: $725,000
Belly up: At first glance, this is a basic ranch home, but the seller's recent interior updates are no match for the backyard. Here, you'll find a pool with seven waterfalls, tropical landscaping, a tunnel water slide, and a swim-up bar beneath a rock formation (which offers partial shelter from the sun). There's also a 1,200-square-foot guesthouse on the property -- a genuine pool house to accommodate guests.
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10 W. Desert Knoll Pl, Oro Valley, AZ
Price: $730,000
Belly up: Just outside Tucson, this four-bedroom home flaunts a poolside palapa that's just like a bar on the beach. In-pool nibbling while sipping is easily achieved thanks to the cabana's grill and fridge, plus an ice-maker, beer tap and -- yes -- even a flat-screen television to catch the game.
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74337 Peppergrass St, Palm Desert, CA
Price: $399,000
Belly up: At this home, the backyard offers a welcome respite from the desert climate. Colorful Spanish tile in the pool extends to the swim-up bar's stools and countertop, both of which are shaded by a palapa roof. A hot tub and outdoor kitchen are just a few feet away.
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Price: $1.04 million
Belly up: This contemporary three-bedroom casa is actually at the base of Snow Canyon State Park. However, the pool area trumps the park for quick fun. There's a waterfall, full kitchen (with BBQ ), fire pit, and outdoor sound system, the perfect accompaniments to a swim-up bar.