Covid 19 Update - some pools are closed while others require reservations.

Given the fact that Las Vegas is incredibly hot for much of the year (it is in the middle of the desert, after all), it's no wonder that the swimming pools are one of the main attractions. We've been to many, many of these pools, so we'll break down the reviews into family friendly, relaxing, and party pools.

Best Family Friendly Pools

If you're heading to Vegas with the little ones, there are many pools to choose from to keep them entertained. The pool at Caesars Palace is incredibly large, full of fountains and sculptures, and offers tons of seating. The Flamingo pool used to have a fairly large area that was family friendly, but now it's been reduced to a very small area with a water slide. The little slide is still fun for small kids, but due to the majority of the pool area being turned into a pool club, the Flamingo has now moved to our list of party pools. The Golden Nugget downtown has a pool that incorporates a shark tank (and even a slide!) that makes you feel like you're swimming with the man eaters! The MGM and the Mandalay Bay offer large complexes with multiple pools and lazy rivers, with the Mandalay Bay even adding a giant wave pool! The Mandalay Bay complex is our winner for the best family friendly pool, and they do offer paid entrance for those not staying at their hotel. Make sure you contact them early to ensure they aren't at capacity.

Best Pools for Relaxing

As might be expected, the more luxurious resorts have elegant, calm pools to lounge by. The Venetian, Palazzo, Wynn, and Encore fall into this category. The Paris and Planet Hollywood also have nice, quite pools, although small and plain compared to the others above.

Best Party Pools

This has really been the craze in Vegas for the last several years. There are many, many to choose from with more popping up every day, so we'll list our personal favorites. The pool at the Flamingo is our go-to pool. Make sure you check to see if they have a waitlist at least a day in advance, or be prepared to rent a cabana to get in. It's a perfect mix of fun, with a full range of all types of people, and an 'all are welcome' vibe. It can be as wild or as tame as you want.

The Wet Republic at the MGM Grand is the winner for the best pool club. This is an intense, loud pool party, great for high-energy people looking for the Vegas pool parties they've seen on television.

We have to give an honorable mention to a couple of the local 'toptional' pools. Now some may be hesitant to go to a 'topless' pool, but it's really not as taboo as it sounds. Women are free to participate or not, we'd say somewhere around a 50% participation rate. Even as a couple, it's a great place to go to people watch. It has the music and vibe of the party pools, but the energy is much more subdued. If the party pools are the 'club' equivalent, the topless pools are equal to a 'bar'.